HBS Dean Decries Trump Immigrant Ban

Dean Nitin expresses concern that the Trump order would also impact HBS’ graduation

CONDEMNATION FROM ACROSS HARVARD

Harvard President Drew Faust

Trump’s executive order titled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” immediately called into question the legal status of thousands of green card and visa holders. Some travelers in transit were detained at airports, and protests erupted nationwide. By Saturday night a federal judge had granted an emergency stay for citizens of the affected countries who had already arrived in the U.S. and those with valid visas who are in transit, ruling they can legally enter the country. Federal judges in other states soon followed with similar rulings.

Harvard’s Drew Faust joined other university presidents and the Association of American Universities in calling for a reversal of Trump’s executive order. As quoted in the Harvard Crimson, Faust noted in a university-wide email that nearly half of Harvard’s deans are immigrants “from India, China, Northern Ireland, Jamaica, and Iran. Benefiting from the talents and energy, the knowledge and ideas of people from nations around the globe is not just a vital interest of the university — it long has been, and it fully remains, a vital interest of our nation.” Deans of Harvard College, Harvard Law, and Harvard Medical School joined Faust and Nohria in criticizing the order.

Harvard will hold a town hall meeting Wednesday (Feb. 1) to discuss the implications of the immigration order for its international affiliates, two of which already have been blocked from entering the U.S. as a result of the order, Faust said in her email. She noted the concerns of Muslim Harvard affiliates in particular, and added that she has begun a search for the university’s first Muslim chaplain, a move that has drawn praise from the Harvard Islamic Society.

‘WE HAVE THRIVED AS A RESULT OF … INTERNATIONAL DIVERSITY’

Meanwhile, as the legal and political wrangling continues, Harvard’s Global Support Services office issued “guidance” on the executive order, ending with a message to the Harvard community “from all parts of the world who have long demonstrated their dedication to educational advancement and the pursuit of knowledge” that “we share your concerns about the executive order on immigration, and we’re here to support you.”

Nohria and Das Narayandas, senior associate dean, told students, faculty, and alumni that administrators at HBS plan to meet throughout the week to determine a course of action, adding: “Harvard Business School, throughout its history, has welcomed students, faculty, and staff from every part of the world. We have thrived as a result of the international diversity of experiences, perspectives, and beliefs that come together in our classrooms and on our campus.

“Let’s draw on this diversity in the days and weeks to come to determine what we as a community can do to make sure our voices and viewpoints are heard, and to support one another during difficult times.”

DON’T MISS TRUMP COULD IMPACT INFLUX OF STUDENT TALENT and IN AGE OF TRUMP, B-SCHOOLS BRACE FOR UPHEAVAL