Harvard University President Claudine Gay is under fire for several instances of alleged academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and data falsification. The controversy has led to widespread criticism of Harvard's governance, with many calling the board of 'the Corporation' a 'big, big disappointment' and lacking the expected super-competent oversight. Professors and public intellectuals are calling for a reevaluation of the university's priorities, suggesting that political engagement is detracting from its mission to preserve, produce, and disseminate knowledge. Harvard professor James Hankins, in a WSJ piece, stressed the importance of academic honesty and the dangers of prioritizing 'right progressive values' over factual integrity. The situation has also raised questions about the influence of donors on university governance, with the former board chair at the University of Pennsylvania, Scott Bok, stepping down after donor-led attacks. The scandal has reignited discussions about the university's culture, highlighted by the removal of Ronald Sullivan as Dean in 2019, which some see as a precursor to the current issues. Concerns about the suppression of American freedom and academic integrity are being voiced, with references to the Star of David symbolizing a broader cultural battle. Amidst this turmoil, former Facebook VP Sam Lessin is seeking a seat on Harvard's Board of Overseers, criticizing the lack of a free-speech culture and scrambling to gather enough signatures for his election. The allegations against Gay have also led to reflections on her past criticisms of black scholars, adding another layer to the unfolding drama.
Plagiarism is corrosive to the entire system of academia. The specific case of Gay is admittedly a bit fuzzy - it's more about lack of attribution. But there's no question that she must go ASAP if these data fabrication allegations are true (and they look like they might be). https://t.co/IJFDQwiMZn
Plagiarism is corrosive to the entire system of academia, and @Harvard should fire Gay to show they are serious about academic integrity. Data fabrication is even worse. If these allegations are true (and they look like they might be) then there's no question she has to go ASAP. https://t.co/IJFDQwif9P
Ex-law prof claims Harvard president Claudine Gay made a career out of attacking black scholars https://t.co/tCdO7T0EKZ https://t.co/jA57oXhSFT
“Gay is speaking about free speech but there is anything but free speech at Harvard.” https://t.co/mSB9saQlta
NEW: @lessin is “scrambling to gather enough signatures” to be elected to Harvard’s Board of Overseers “This is a real failure of the Corporation,” he said. “Their fate is very tied up with Gay’s, given the fact they did a search and selected her.” https://t.co/gzwtYvzDsi
Former Facebook VP @lessin is seeking a seat on the Harvard Board of Overseers: “The Harvard brand is deeply embattled.” “Gay has demonstrated extreme weakness as an administrator and as a leader.“ “Everyone is terrified. It’s not a free-speech culture.” “Gay is speaking… https://t.co/ps090x57XG
The totalitarian left’s war against American freedom goes way beyond politics. Wear the Star of David at Harvard or Columbia and watch your freedom be suppressed. Stand for an honest, non plagiarizing President of Harvard wand watch your social status be ostracized. Assert that…
Months prior to allegations about @Harvard President Gay’s plagiarism and research, bloggers questioned data and analysis in her papers. “Claudine Gay fabricated coefficients in 2001 APSR article « XJMR” https://t.co/1U0KDB2S3G
From @WSJopinion: Public discussion about Claudine Gay so far hasn’t shown a sufficient appreciation of how serious academic honesty is in research institutions, writes James Hankins https://t.co/pdJDUbxlbg
Worth a read: Claudine Gay and Francesca Gino: Why Is Harvard Protecting One & Punishing The Other For Research Misconduct? https://t.co/KPoujTWL6e
This is exactly how the Claudine Gay plagiarism controversy ought to be framed. https://t.co/LcqNC3vwPL
Worth reading. Core point - academic honesty matters, and Harvard's shift in stated values is the core HUGE mistake in a sea of HUGE mistakes. https://t.co/QbahXyIfoQ
Things went wrong for Harvard when they bowed to the Woke Mob and started letting Canadians onto the governing board. https://t.co/kDyvvjNkOt
Harvard’s shameful 2019 removal of Ronald Sullivan as Dean signaled the current disaster. Lauded by many then it’s worth revisiting today if things are to improve. https://t.co/oult07D33y
The Sullivan Signal: Harvard’s Failure to Educate and the Abandonment of Principle - https://t.co/7bocH7oUv9
College donors are not shareholders and shouldn’t get a prominent say in how those institutions function, says Former University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees Chairman Scott Bok, who stepped down in the wake of escalating attacks led by donors https://t.co/YZVPlnLR0Q https://t.co/isElOPXba4
The Sullivan Signal: Harvard’s Failure to Educate and the Abandonment of Principle - https://t.co/cjbLGGzpFN
1) Harvard University’s plagiarism scandal is latest example of campus bureaucrats and professors protecting one of their own after outsiders expose unethical behavior. But there are so many examples at other universities. Harvard is not alone. https://t.co/eR5sh5F4PN
College donors shouldn’t get a prominent say in how those institutions function, according to the former board chair at the University of Pennsylvania, who stepped down in the wake of escalating attacks led by donors https://t.co/WGiJzDCKYe
With new Harvard president Claudine Gay's scholarship under scrutiny, it's worth recounting another academic fiasco involving a black woman appointed over her head due to the Racial Reckoning: Biden appointee as Federal Reserve governor Lisa D. Cook. https://t.co/nDr0QASKsS
Harvard professor James Hankin in the WSJ: "[Harvard] needs a reset. It can't continue down the path of political engagement, which undermines its true mission." https://t.co/Jy0DuTw8yK
My old prof James Hankins with a right hook to the Harvard Corporation’s face. Time for the board and Claudine Gay to resign and for the University to refresh its focus on advancing knowledge, not politics. https://t.co/eFRXKYwOMb
NEW: yet another Harvard professor turns against Claudine Gay, saying that at Harvard ''academic honesty seems to matter less than having the right progressive values'' James Hankins is a professor in the History Department of Harvard University https://t.co/XviMzcl4R6 https://t.co/xZ77FsdBvt
@Kevin_McKernan Stanford, which I fondly recall from the late 70s through early-mid 90s for its libraries, was saved only by student journalism from deeper scandal in the most recent event. Bet there is more like this. Academia needs a reboot. https://t.co/1ltwhqqYYV
This is a problem at Harvard, Yale, & many other universities. “The university needs a reset. It can’t continue down the path of political engagement, which undermines its true mission.” To wit: the preservation, production, and dissemination of knowledge. https://t.co/24jloxiMRK
“Claudine Gay, president of my university, is under attack for academic dishonesty. She is charged with several instances of plagiarism…in addition to data falsification. As of this writing it seems not unlikely that she may be fired or asked to resign.” https://t.co/ynY68Y8DPu
“Academic honesty seems to matter less than having the right progressive values, and the refusal to disclose underlying data is permissible so long as conclusions support a preferred narrative.” Professor @JamesWHankins1 on Claudine Gay and Harvard: https://t.co/plDjBV3ygg https://t.co/O4go7VZbDN
"Just as Harvard has many of the best faculty, and many of the best students, I had expected the school would have...super-competent board... So I was naive. But in fact the board of “the Corporation” is a big, big disappointment..." - @tylercowen https://t.co/drkBOHvqG5