Harvard University has announced its promise to remain quiet on controversial issues, saying it will no longer take public positions on matters outside of academia.
A faculty committee found that speaking on situations outside its area of expertise carries risks, including "compromising "the integrity and credibility of the institution," reported The Washington Post.
University leaders released a statement noting they had accepted the recommendations of the committee following their report and will avoid statements on public issues, especially those of serious social and political importance.
The university's promise comes on the heels of widely received criticism of the school for its response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, as the violence in Gaza stirred tensions across college campuses nationwide.
Conservative critics initially condemned Harvard's leadership for what they described as a "slow response" to Hamas' October attack before coming under fire again over a statement issued by a pro-Palestinian student group that blamed Israel for the attack, leading to several donors cutting ties with the university.
Comprised of eight faculty members, the Institutional Voice Working Group concluded in a three-page report:
"The university is not a government, tasked with engaging the full range of foreign and domestic policy issues, and its leaders are not, and must not be, selected for their personal political beliefs," the report stated.
"In issuing official statements of empathy, the university runs the risk of appearing to care more about some places and events than others," the report continued.
Due to conflicting viewpoints on most world events, such statements could cause division among members of the community, it added.
Noah Feldman, co-chair of the Institutional Voice Working Group and a law professor at the university, states that the school should only speak on matters relevant to its core function, "which is creating an environment suitable for free, open inquiry, teaching, and research."
