Webpages for several Harvard College offices that support women, LGBTQ students, and communities of color were quietly taken down Wednesday, The Harvard Crimson reported, as the university faces growing pressure from the Trump administration to overhaul its diversity policies.
The removed sites — including those for the Harvard College Women’s Center, the Office for BGLTQ Student Life, and the Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations — now redirect users to a new page for the Office of Culture and Community. That new entity was formally introduced the same day as a replacement for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ outgoing diversity office.
The White House welcomed the change. One official called it “good news” in a statement Thursday.
Meanwhile, the alumni group Crimson Courage urged Harvard President Alan Garber to reverse the shift. In a letter, the group criticized “the dismantling of diversity efforts at Harvard College and the FAS,” and warned that it posed a threat to academic freedom. “It’s time for courage not capitulation,” the group wrote.
The latest developments come as Harvard grapples with the threat of losing its federal accreditation. The Departments of Education and Health and Human Services informed the New England Commission of Higher Education that Harvard may be “in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws,” referencing a June 30 finding by a White House task force that accused the school of breaching the Civil Rights Act.
Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi Hoekstra said the new office aims to “break down silos” and create more connection within the Harvard community. A university spokesperson emphasized that Harvard remains fully accredited and is taking steps to combat hate and bias on campus.
The dispute marks another chapter in the standoff between Harvard and the Trump administration, which has frozen billions in funding and pushed the university to scale back diversity programs it views as discriminatory. In April, Harvard rebranded its main equity office and released reports on both antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias on campus.
A court hearing on Harvard’s lawsuit to recover federal funds is set for July 21. A separate ruling has paused the government’s attempt to block the university from enrolling international students.
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