Harvard is defending academic freedom in California, too

I've never been much of a Harvard fan because I've never been able to get beyond the snob factor.

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But suddenly I find myself cheering for the Crimson. It is facing a takeover attempt by the Trump Administration that, if successful, could befall Sacramento State and other California institutions. In the administration's guise of opposing anti-semitism, diversity, equity and inclusion, Harvard stands to lose billions of federal dollars unless it cedes control of how it hires staff and faculty and who gets admitted to campus. No university can surrender its core duties to one presidential administration after another and survive as a respected centre of higher learning.

Harvard is the first to face this demand and also to say no. They are standing up for an academic principle that transcends one storied institution. It is standing up for the University of California, the California State University system and every other centre of higher education in this nation.