Harvard president to keep her near $900K annual-salary despite resigning
Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned from her post on Tuesday amid controversy over her handling of on-campus antisemitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas war and plagiarism accusations. However, the 53-year-old will likely continue earning nearly $900,000 a year upon returning to the faculty. Gay served as the Faculty of Arts and Sciences dean before she became the university's president, reportedly earning $879,079 in 2021 and $824,068 in 2020.
Why does this story matter?
Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Pennsylvania presidents came under fire for their congressional testimony on how they responded to rising antisemitism on college campuses since Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. The trio refused to provide a definitive "yes" or "no" answer when asked if advocating for the genocide of Jews would violate their schools' codes of conduct regarding bullying and harassment. Gay became Harvard's first Black president in its 387-year history last July.
Gay's resignation letter as Harvard president
In her resignation letter, Gay said that the decision to step down wasn't easy. But it became clear that it's in the best interests of Harvard for her to resign after consultation with university members, the 53-year-old added. "It has been difficult beyond words because I've looked forward to working with so many of you to advance the commitment to academic excellence that has propelled this great university across centuries," Gay wrote.
Harvard's response to Gay's resignation
After Gay handed in her resignation, the Harvard Corporation said she acknowledged missteps and took responsibility for them. "It is also true that she has shown remarkable resilience in the face of deeply personal and sustained attacks," it stated in a statement. Moreover, the corporation condemned "repugnant" and "racist vitriol" directed toward Gay via emails and phone calls.
Plagiarism controversy over Gay's doctoral dissertation
Following the December 5 congressional hearing, Gay's academic career came under scrutiny from conservative activists, who unearthed multiple instances of alleged plagiarism in the 53-year-old's 1997 doctoral dissertation. The university's governing board rallied behind her initially by saying that a review of Gay's scholarly work turned up "a few instances of inadequate citation" but no proof of research misconduct.
Gay's earlier reaction to plagiarism claims
However, the Harvard Corporation later revealed that it found two additional instances of "duplicative language without appropriate attribution." Furthermore, the board said she would update her dissertation and request revisions. It's worth noting that Gay's resignation letter did not address the plagiarism claims against her. In an earlier statement to the Boston Globe regarding the allegations, Gay said she stands "by the integrity" of her scholarship.
University of Pennsylvania president also resigned
Gay's resignation comes just days after University of Pennsylvania President M Elizabeth Magill decided to step down in the wake of the antisemitism controversy. "I wasn't focused on, but I should've been (during the congressional hearing)," she said. "The irrefutable fact that a call for genocide of Jewish people is a call for some of the most terrible violence human beings can perpetrate," added Magill.
Harvard's provost will serve as school's interim president
Harvard's provost and chief academic officer, Alan M Garber, will serve as interim president until a permanent replacement is found, according to the governing board. Garber has been provost for 12 years and is an economist and physician. In 1982, he received his Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard, and in 1983, he received his MD from Stanford. Garber has been involved in Jewish clubs and events on campus, including Harvard Chabad and Hillel, since joining the Harvard faculty in 2011.
