On April 11, the federal government issued a letter to Harvard University outlining a series of deeply troubling and ideologically charged demands. Framed as a condition for maintaining Harvard’s financial relationship with the government, the letter calls for, among other things, the elimination of DEI efforts, the centralization of authority in “non-activist” tenured faculty, and ideological audits of students, faculty, and programs. It threatens not only academic freedom but the very foundations of inquiry in higher education.
In response, Harvard President Alan Garber released a powerful statement, one worth reading in full. He writes:
“No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”
“The work of addressing our shortcomings, fulfilling our commitments, and embodying our values is ours to define and undertake as a community.”
While this letter targets one institution, it is a indicator for what’s to come across U.S. higher education: intensified scrutiny, political intervention, and attempts to reshape campus values to align with a singular ideological vision–this is not viewpoint diversity. For those of us working in and committed to the field of higher education—particularly in student affairs—this moment requires not only vigilance but clarity, courage, and community.
That’s why, earlier this year, I helped launch a limited podcast series called Current Campus Context, hosted by Student Affairs Now. This series convenes a rotating group of correspondents–they are content-area experts, scholars, and thought leaders–to unpack what is happening, why it matters, and what we must do in response. You can anticipate this Friday’s episode will reference the above case at Harvard and our collective responsibility to stand with them.
To date, we’ve released six episodes; the entire series is available here:
Current Campus Context on Student Affairs Now
At its core, Current Campus Context is an invitation to refuse basic simplification and gaslighting. The podcast insists that we center nuance, history, and humanity. It affirms the value of student voice and institutional accountability—not to government mandates, but to the public good and the diverse communities we serve.
If you’ve been drowning in the velocity of news and, like me, struggling with how to respond or even make sense of it all—we created this podcast for you. Listen, share, and join us in building a more just and thoughtful future.
(image credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Heather Shea, Ph.D. 