CAMBRIDGE - Harvard President Claudine Gay will continue in her role after receiving support from the highest governing body at the school on Tuesday.
"In this tumultuous and challenging time, we wholeheartedly stand behind President Gay," the Harvard Corporation stated.
Gay, along with the presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania, has faced intense criticism since last week when they testified before Congress regarding antisemitism on college campuses.
Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik asked Gay, "Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard's rules of bullying and harassment, yes or no?"
"It can be, depending on the context," Gay replied.
Following their testimonies, over 70 members of Congress, mostly Republicans, called for the resignation of all three presidents. University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned on Saturday.
"I apologize," Gay later expressed to the Harvard Crimson. "Words hold significance."
Hundreds of faculty members at Harvard signed a letter urging the university's governing boards to resist pressure from politicians and donors to force Gay to step down.
The Harvard Corporation convened on Monday to discuss Gay's future at the university.
Harvard University Corporation Reaffirms Support for President Gay
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Harvard University Corporation expressed their continued support for President Gay's leadership. They stated that their extensive deliberations have affirmed their confidence in President Gay's ability to help the community heal and address societal issues.
The corporation also addressed the recent controversy surrounding President Gay's congressional testimony and her commitment to fighting antisemitism. They mentioned that President Gay has apologized for her handling of the testimony and has pledged to redouble the university's efforts against antisemitism.
Another issue that has been raised is the accusation of plagiarism in President Gay's PhD thesis. President Gay has defended the integrity of her scholarship, stating that she stands by it.
The corporation acknowledged the allegations of inadequate citation in President Gay's academic writings. They mentioned that an independent review was conducted, which revealed a few instances of inadequate citation. While no violation of Harvard's standards for research misconduct was found, President Gay has proactively requested four corrections in two articles to include the necessary citations and quotation marks.
In a similar vein, MIT president Sally Kornbluth has also refused to resign, with the school's governing board expressing their full and unreserved support for her.
