The Trump administration made demands, Harvard said no, but where does that leave the future of CSI?
By: Rossani Garmendia
The Trump administration cut their losses after their failed attempt in demands towards Harvard University but there’s been a change of plans as Harvard has begun the battle of justice for all education.
CSI did not have to be an ivy league school to feel the betrayal and anger rise from Harvard as they decided to take their issues with the Trump administration to court. Your professors of CSI, Edward Miller, Lee Papa and Reece Peck, took the time to give their thoughts on the situation at hand. To summarize, according to CNN, “Harvard emerged as the first elite US university to publicly rebuke the White House’s demands, which Trump officials have said to aim to combat antisemitism…”. Harvard has begun a movement not only within higher education, but also a message for the little guys.
“Something that is not talked about enough is that when the government freezes grants or takes them away, which has happened to professors at CSI, they are essentially breaking a contract,” said Papa. “Every budget is a law and it is being broken, therefore, Harvard is taking the government to court on violations of the first amendment rights of the university, every professor, and every administrator.”
Lee Papa, the chair of CSI’s English department, argued the values behind the blackmail from the White House in their threats of freezing 2.2 billion dollars in funds. Harvard is not only known for their high education, but the research in their scientific studies.
One of the arguments from the White House were the claims against Harvard and their “advantage” in governmental funds. In support, Professor Edward Miller, who served as a chair in the Department of Media Culture, stated “The federal government is trying to take away money that was awarded to professors to conduct their research on cures and treatments for those with diseases, not to go on a vacation.” The Trump administration looked to minimize the amount of funds that are given to Harvard yearly which will harm their work and studies.
“New York City and State are special as the center of media, education, flourishing economy and historically a strong democratic state but I do believe CUNY accepts federal money and Trump is in charge of this federal purse”, said Peck. “It would be far more damaging to CUNY as most of its students are first generation working class and those with less economic privileges are threatened the most by this kind of behavior.”
Reece Peck, an associate professor in the Department of Media Culture, went on to explain the effects on lower ranked colleges and how students can be harmed if the Trump administration were to target CUNY schools next. CUNY as a whole is one of the largest urban universities that provide many benefits due to its low tuition rate. Pell, Tap, the Excelsior scholarship, all funds offered to CUNY students by the government. If any were pulled, there is a great chance of struggle in tuition being covered or students yearn to attend college.
“The US has a very strong educational university system that is envied by the world and people should be able to access it”, said Miller. “Harvard is an elite college that only admits those with families who attended themselves and they look to amend their past relationships with African- and Jewish-Americans and continue to diversify the student body.”
With the Trump administration’s recent removal of the “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” Core, pressure was applied for much of the student body. Race, sex, color, and religion could no longer be taken into consideration especially when accepting students into a college university. In the letter, the White House stated that lately Harvard has “failed to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment”. Further on under their “Student Discipline Reform and Accountability” is the demand of termination in groups that are claimed to be “anti-Semetic activity” such as the “Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee” or “Harvard Graduates Students 4 Palestine” and many more.
“I came from a meeting with the director of the international programs here and he said there’s already been a 10% drop in applications from international students,” said Papa. “I believe there are 150 international students who pay a premium to attend CSI and that is a lot of money that helps all students who want to be here.”
How much of CSI’s funds are covered from foreign students and how will the college be affected? Questions are answered as such through time unless plans are taken into stone such as CSI’s President Lynch’s recent signing of a document from the American Association of Colleges and Universities. According to the signed public statement titled “A Call for Constructive Engagement”, within the first few paragraphs it is stated “As leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.”
“Say you are a student in high school looking to go to Harvard and you’ve participated in a political protest, that information will be made available to the federal government”, stated Miller. “Higher education needs change, CUNY is imperfect, but many of us who work in it are trying to improve it and the federal administration, to my mind, is not a good consultant.”
CUNY CSI is left to consider their choices in preparation of the possibilities to come. The students among the campus should be aware of the “what if’s” and support their campus on the ground they stand.
“The Trump administration has contorted civil rights laws and perverted it where there will be an immediate effect on non-traditional, non-white, and LGBTQ students”, said Papa. “Harvard’s refusal was a sign of respect to the constitution which is what we’re supposed to respect as every soldier takes an oath to and to the defense of the country.”
