Harvard students describe ‘hostile’ campus environment for conservatives

EXCLUSIVE: Three Harvard College college students discuss their experiences as members of the political proper on what they are saying is a campus “hostile” to their concepts.

The scholars, who spoke on situation of anonymity, described emotions of not belonging and experiences that undermined the concept the college group is tolerant of all political ideologies.

“A superb instance of this is able to be one thing like: the college may be very strict about not co-sponsoring occasions with exterior teams on the subject of the Republican Membership, for instance, internet hosting occasions,” one scholar stated. “However the Democrats fairly often get away with that. No questions are requested.”

Conservative college students at Harvard College described what they really feel is a campus that’s “hostile” to their concepts. (Getty Photos)

The scholar additionally described what they take into account “selective enforcement” of campus guidelines on the subject of right-wing occasions on campus.

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“There’s been different issues just like the Republican Membership places on a giant occasion, and so they ship a bunch of directors to actually implement the fireplace code guidelines strictly, to verify the group is correctly seated, whereas the Democrats can throw occasions and the entire place might be packed and there isn’t any concern by any means,” the coed stated.

In school, the coed described a tradition of silence amongst those that may disagree with a left-wing professor for concern of educational and social reprisals.

“I believe most college students are beginning to really feel prefer it’s sensible to only maintain the road, each for educational and social causes,” the coed stated. “I imply, the grading, particularly within the social sciences, is often left subjective to graduate college students, who’re a part of the instructors of the course. So what college students find yourself simply doing is parroting what the professor says for the sake of the grade.”

Harvard President Alan Garber acknowledges extended applause throughout Harvard College’s graduation ceremonies, Thursday, Could 29, 2025, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (AP Picture/Charles Krupa)

The scholar additionally described a way of social ‘exclusion’ that comes from ‘placing your self out at school’. The scholar later added that “liberal orthodoxy” is “ingrained within the establishment.”

As proof for the latter declare, the coed pointed to an Oct. 9 panel held by the Harvard Kennedy College Institute of Politics entitled “Throughout the Divide: Organizing to Construct Bridges in Partisan Occasions,” which he referred to as a “lampoonish” instance of institutional bias.

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He observed that the three audio system have been on the panel on bridging the partisan divide have been all Democrats: former Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy III; Derrick Johnson, the president of the ultra-left-wing NAACP; and former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.

One other scholar described the social penalties different college students confronted after saying he was contemplating becoming a member of a right-wing group on campus.

“They provide you soiled seems. They do not wish to be related to you anymore. They begin arguing with you, they begin attacking you,” the coed stated.

Protesters collect on Cambridge Widespread to protest Harvard’s place on the struggle in Gaza and to indicate assist for the Palestinian individuals, exterior Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 25, 2025. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP through Getty Photos)

Whereas noting that some fellow college students strategy political discourse in good religion, the coed stated most are hostile.

“Most are saying, ‘Do you assist Trump’s racism? Do you actually assist the deportation charges which might be separating households and, you recognize, leaving youngsters with out mother and father?'” the coed stated.

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“Crucial factor I skilled is that I… [Trump] The federal government has taken motion towards Harvard, if individuals know you’re a Trump supporter, they take into account you an enemy of the college, simply as they assume Trump is an enemy of the college. And due to that, they view you as an enemy of theirs, as a result of their id is wrapped up in the truth that, you recognize, ‘I am a Harvard scholar.’ So for those who’re pro-Trump, which means you are anti-Harvard, which means you are anti-me.”

The scholar famous the same angle among the many lecturers.

“I consider that the college of this college, each via their positions in public and within the classroom, have confirmed that they don’t seem to be tolerant of the views of conservatives,” they stated. “These professors are very ideologically oriented in a single course, and so they very clearly share via their private and non-private feedback within the classroom and don’t respect the views of conservative college students.”

The Trump administration introduced it was freezing greater than $2 billion in grants and contracts after Harvard College stated it will not adjust to federal necessities associated to anti-Semitism. (Reuters/Nicholas Pfosi)

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A broad sentiment shared by all three college students was what they perceived as Harvard’s present try and appease the Trump administration by showing to embrace right-wing beliefs. Not one of the college students consider the hassle is honest.

“Harvard is beneath a conservative microscope proper now,” one scholar stated. “And so the Harvard administration has tried to undertake a form of posture to befriend conservatives, or at the very least seem that means. It is all for present, proper? Their phrases are essential measures they’ve taken to melt the blow of the disaster. [Trump] authorities cuts.”

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That scholar referred to Carole Hooven, who taught biology at Harvard for twenty years till 2021. In an look on Fox and Pals, she stated the phrases “male” and “feminine” are indispensable for science lecturers, and that they need to proceed for use regardless of stress from ideologues to ban the phrases. Her language was labeled “transphobic” by a DEI coordinator within the faculty’s Human and Evolutionary Biology division.

From then on, the scenario rotated, with college students attacking her and the federal government refusing to face up for her, as she described in an commentary piece final 12 months. She retired from instructing in 2023, having by no means recovered from the reputational injury brought on by her remark.

Banners on the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library on the campus of Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Tuesday, Could 27, 2025. (Sophie Park/Bloomberg)

“So it is clear that if that they had Biden on their facet, they’d … softly hearth conservative professors and put stress on individuals,” the coed stated. “If they’re inspired by the liberal presidential administration that’s in impact on the time, they may go loopy.”

The scholar then contrasted Hooven’s case with that of Dean Gregory Davis, who lately got here beneath hearth for anti-white and anti-police posts on social media. He’s on go away for the semester however continues to be employed by the college, which the coed says proves that anti-conservative bias is alive and effectively on campus.

One other scholar stated that when President Donald Trump received the presidency in 2024, it felt like a short weight was lifted from his shoulders, and a few conservative college students overtly flaunted their assist for Trump whereas the college administration targeted on open dialogue.

But it surely was too little too late, the coed stated.

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“To us, that basically appeared like, OK, it is slightly late now,” the coed stated. ‘It was fully hostile, and now to avoid wasting face and in order that your donors and the [Trump] The administration does not get mad at you, you alter your tune slightly bit.”

The scholar additionally introduced up Davis’ controversial social media posts to counsel a left-wing bias on campus.

“I believe this current occasion with this dean proves the purpose,” the coed stated. “It is all performative as a result of if there is a man able of energy who … has a historical past, and even a historical past within the final 12 months, 2024, there was an Instagram put up the place he talked about hating the police, as an individual who straight makes violent statements, they would not take away him, proper?”

State Division officers say they may start investigating all visa holders related to Harvard College, not simply scholar visas. (Blake Nissen for The Boston Globe through Getty Photos)

“Each service they’re doing us now and attempting to make us really feel higher about the entire scenario and attempting to say ‘we signify all factors of view’ and issues like that, it is all performative, and that is as a result of they’re actually coping with the federal investigation and the completely different conditions,” the coed stated later.

The Trump administration investigated Harvard this 12 months for anti-Semitic discrimination on campus.

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Regardless of what college students see as anti-conservative bias, a conservative rebellion was predicted, with the homicide of Charlie Kirk cited as gas for extra right-wing college students to talk out.

“I’ll say that I believe among the many small contingent of conservative college students, dealing with the fireplace, dealing with the enemy, as you may say, or at the very least dealing with the opposition, I really feel like there’s a zeal that’s stronger than ever.”

Harvard didn’t reply to a request for remark.