Harvard president says the University “went wrong” by allowing faculty activism to blur free speech

Harvard University President Alan M. Garber said the University “went wrong” by allowing professors to bring personal political views into the classroom, arguing that faculty activism has made open debate harder for students.Garber made the case that when instructors foreground their own views on contested issues, the classroom stops feeling like a place where disagreement is safe. “How many students would actually be willing to go toe-to-toe against a professor who’s expressed a firm view about a controversial issue?” he asked, The Harvard Crimson reports.

The comments, delivered on a podcast released this week, were unusually direct. Garber appeared to link what he described as a decline in tolerance for dissent in higher education to teaching cultures that permit, and at times encourage, professors to blend scholarship with advocacy.According to the Crimson, this is the clearest public acknowledgment yet from Garber that faculty practices have played a role in the erosion of open discourse on campus. He also signaled a course correction. “I’m pleased to say that I think there is real movement to restore balance in teaching and to bring back the idea that you really need to be objective in the classroom,” he said.

A presidency shaped by free speech tensions

Garber assumed office amid sustained controversy over speech and protest at Harvard. He inherited a campus divided after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and faced criticism over how the University handled protests and public statements in the aftermath.In response, he moved early to limit official positions from the institution. Shortly after taking office, Harvard adopted an institutional voice policy that commits the University and senior leaders to avoid taking stances on public policy issues. As the Crimson reports, Garber has framed this as a way to reduce pressure on students and faculty who hold minority views.There have been exceptions. In his personal capacity, Garber condemned a Palestine Solidarity Committee post marking the anniversary of the October 7 attack. Still, he has increasingly emphasized restraint, especially inside classrooms.

Faculty speech and student silence

Garber’s comments echoed a Faculty of Arts and Sciences report released last year, which affirmed professors’ right to speak publicly as citizens but warned that instructors must actively invite disagreement in class. Without that effort, the report cautioned, students may withdraw rather than challenge authority.One example Garber used was the rise of anti Israel sentiment among parts of the faculty after October 7. “It did happen in classrooms that professors would push this,” he said, according to the Crimson. He linked this to a broader chilling effect on student speech.Garber also addressed antisemitism on campus, rejecting claims that it is limited to protest violations. He described what he called “social shunning” as a more common problem and one that is harder to regulate. As an illustration, he said he had heard from Israeli students who reported that conversations ended abruptly once they disclosed their nationality.

Policy over punishment

Rather than focusing on sanctions alone, Garber pointed to changes in orientation programs, including new modules on discussing controversial topics. He also brought up reports produced by Harvard task forces examining bias affecting Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian community members.“It’s about learning how to listen and how to speak in an empathetic way,” he said.Garber defended recent revisions to protest and speech rules, including stricter campus use policies that have drawn criticism from some faculty and students. He argued that clear rules can protect both free expression and daily operations. “We had problems because there were claims that our policies were not clear,” he said. “So we clarified them.”

External pressure and classroom neutrality

The renewed focus on classroom neutrality comes as Harvard faces political pressure over faculty activism. In April, the Trump administration demanded governance changes that would reduce the influence of faculty and administrators “more committed to activism than scholarship.”Garber did not address those demands directly during the podcast. Instead, he returned to what he framed as a core academic principle. “We’re not about the activism. We’re not about pushing particular points of view,” he said. Teaching, he added, should be “logical, firmly grounded in the evidence and rigorous.”Garber’s perspective reflects an effort to redraw boundaries rather than silence speech. Whether that recalibration restores trust in the classroom, or deepens debate about academic freedom, is likely to shape campus life well beyond his presidency.