Senior Faculty Pledging to Donate a Portion of Salary in Defense of University Community

We are heartened by the University’s rejection of the Trump administration’s unlawful demands. We also recognize that the University now faces severe financial damage for its defense of academic freedom. The Trump administration has already cut off more than $2 billion in grants, is considering revoking the University’s tax-exempt status, and has threatened to revoke its certification for enrolling foreign students. These financial consequences are halting research, limiting graduate student enrollment, and stopping hiring of both faculty and staff. Individual Schools have already instituted salary freezes.

The financial costs will not be shared equally among our community. Staff and students in many programs, in particular, are under greater threat than those of us with tenured positions. Accordingly, we are pledging 10% of our paycheck (for a period of a year, or shorter if the crisis is resolved sooner) as our contribution to the university’s financial resources while it legally contests these attacks.

This signals our commitment as faculty members to use means at our disposal to protect the university and, especially, staff and students who do not have the same protections. We recognize that not all senior faculty are in a position to pledge 10% or to make any pledge at all. We also know that many faculty are making important contributions to the Harvard community during this difficult time in other ways, by helping students and staff directly. We view this initiative as only one of the various ways in which we can express solidarity around the university.

Because pressure is mounting, we are moving quickly and leaving the implementation details intentionally open. We envision that faculty who have made the pledge will hold a vote and if the majority agrees that the university is making a good faith effort to use its own resources in support of staff, student, and academic programs, faculty will proceed with their donation.  

Currently, 93 senior faculty members have made the pledge, including the following individuals. Some faculty members who are making this pledge have agreed to have their names listed publicly while others prefer to remain anonymous. The list will be updated periodically.

(Senior Harvard faculty wishing to make this pledge, can do so here.)

Ryan Enos,

Jeff Flier

Archon Fung

Oliver Hart

Rebecca Henderson

Steve Levitsky

Eric Maskin

Martha Minow

Dani Rodrik

Theda Skocpol

Steve Walt

Peter Sorger

Max Bazerman

Sheila K. Heen

David Damrosch

Carol Steiker

Meredith Rosenthal

Vincent Pons

Peter Bol

Richard Zeckhauser

N. Gregory Mankiw

Joyce E. Chaplin

Joseph William Singer

Robert Stavins

Catherine Z. Elgin

Thomas B.F. Cummins and Kyle Huffman

Meg Rithmire

Horng-Tzer Yau

William Hsiao

Amitabh Chandra

Peter Tufano

Michael R. Reich

Deidre Lynch

Adriaan Lanni

Amy Edmondson

David Laibson

Michael Klarman

Susan Block

Kathryn Sikkink

Robert Huckman

Walter Willett

Gabriela Soto Laveaga

Arthur Applbaum

Steve Marglin

Tatiana Sandino