When headlines make it feel like Americans agree on very little, a new national survey offers a different picture: despite everything, Americans across the political spectrum still want universities to succeed, and they expect them to do better.
Co-led by Harvard Kennedy School professor Matthew Baum and fielded this past summer, the survey gathered responses from nearly 32,000 people across all 50 states and DC.
It found that large majorities across political lines believe higher education plays a vital role in the country’s future:
Over 90% said universities are important for advancing scientific research and driving technological progress
70% opposed cutting universities’ federal funding for health research
67% opposed cutting universities’ federal funding for science research
Americans are just as aligned on what’s not working:
87% are concerned about tuition costs and student debt
84% are concerned about free speech on campus
77% are concerned about liberal bias — a view held by 72% of Democrats and 84% of Republicans.
It’s a rare moment of cross-partisan consensus: Americans value higher education and worry about the same core issues, regardless of partisan affiliation.
The majority of responding alumni said they want to better understand what’s at stake for their university, particularly around funding for scientific research. That combination — a belief in the university’s mission paired with a desire to learn more — is a reminder that informed alumni engagement can turn shared concerns into meaningful change.
This belief is at the core of 1636 Forum. We know that alumni care about Harvard and want it to succeed, and we believe meaningful engagement starts with clarity. Understanding the trade-offs and decisions a university faces makes it possible to know how to support, how to speak out, and how to push for better. That’s why we focus on nuanced, fact-based context and rigorous analysis, so alumni can engage based on deep understanding, not just instinct.
Believing in Harvard doesn’t mean overlooking its flaws. Often, it’s precisely because people care deeply that they expect more. That’s true of us, and it’s true of the alumni and readers we hear from every day. Thank you for being part of the 1636 Forum community.
If you’re thinking about where to donate this Giving Tuesday, we’re always happy to help point you toward Harvard programs that genuinely move the needle toward a brighter future for the University. Just reply to this email.
Ask 1636
Send us your Harvard and higher education questions!
Q: Do American or international undergraduates get more financial aid at Harvard?
International students. In 2024-25, 67% of international undergraduates received aid, compared to 52% of domestic students. The dollar amount of aid per international student is also higher, with international students receiving on average $81,046 compared to its overall average financial aid package of $72,600. Harvard states that it covers 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need (as determined by the University), and in 2024-25, 100% of students with demonstrated need had it fully met.
Events
Virtual — December 5 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET: The Harvard Alumni Association is hosting President Alan Garber (AB ’77, PhD ’82) for an off-the-record conversation about the University’s priorities, progress on campus, and Garber’s vision for Harvard’s future. Register here.
Boston, MA — December 6 from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET: The Harvard Club of Boston is hosting Harvard’s 45th Saturday of Symposia, featuring School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean David Parkes and talks from Harvard faculty members conducting research fields. Register here.
Virtual — December 11 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET: The Harvard Business School Jewish Alumni Association (HBSJAA) is hosting a conversation for members on the campus climate for the Jewish community. Panelists include Exec. Director of MBA & Doctoral Programs Jana Kierstead; Sr. Lecturer and Associate Dean for Culture & Community Kristin Mugford; Unit Head for Organizational Behavior and Co-Chair of the HBS Antisemitism Working Group Joshua Margolis; and Chair of MBA Required Curriculum Mitch Weiss. Register here.
Washington, D.C. — December 12 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. ET: Join HKS Dean Jeremy Weinstein for breakfast and a discussion on how the school is supporting its community amid shifts in the public sector. Register here.
Virtual — January 14 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. PT: The Harvard Club of Seattle is hosting a conversation with Sarah Karmon, Associate Vice President and Executive Director of the Harvard Alumni Association, who will provide an update on current issues, challenges, and successes at Harvard. Register here.
If you find our newsletter valuable, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support 1636 Forum’s mission.
FYIs
Education Secretary McMahon Says a Settlement With Harvard Is “Close”
At a press briefing last week, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the White House is “getting close” to finalizing its “ongoing negotiations” with Harvard over a settlement agreement.
A potential settlement would likely resolve multiple federal investigations and actions into Harvard, including over its eligibility for new federal grants, patent reporting compliance, ability to host international students, and hiring practices. Most of Harvard’s previously frozen federal funding has been restored, but it still faces proceedings by the Department of Health and Human Services that could jeopardize future federal funding.
Harvard Management Company Appoints Three New Directors
Harvard Management Company (HMC), which manages Harvard’s endowment and related financial assets, has expanded its Board of Directors with three new members:
Mary Erdoes (MBA ’93), CEO of J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management and member of the J.P. Morgan Chase Operating Committee. Like Harvard, J.P. Morgan has faced recent scrutiny over its ties to Jeffrey Epstein while he was a client of the bank. Erdoes was cited in a recent Senate memo as being in “constant contact” with Epstein.
Ray McGuire (AB ’79, JD/MBA ’84), president of Lazard and formerly Citigroup’s Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking.
Paul Edgerley (MBA ’83), managing director and co-founder of VantEdge Partners and former longtime Bain Capital executive.
HMC board members are appointed by the Harvard Corporation to oversee the management of the University’s endowment. In Fiscal Year 2025, Harvard’s endowment returns accounted for nearly 40% of the University’s operating budget.
Cyberattack Targets Harvard Donor Records
Harvard says a phone-based phishing attack gave an “unauthorized party” access to donor and alumni records in its development office.
The breach may have exposed donors’ contact info, donation history, and event attendance records. Officials say Social Security numbers and financial accounts weren’t stored on the affected systems.
As of this week, Harvard has not yet decided whether it will notify individuals whose data was compromised. At least one individual has filed a class action lawsuit against the University.
HLS Visiting Professor Accepts Plea Deal in Synagogue Pellet Rifle Case
Carlos Gouvea (SJD ’08), a visiting professor at Harvard Law School (HLS), accepted a plea deal after firing a pellet gun near Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, MA on the eve of Yom Kippur.
He pleaded guilty to discharging a pellet gun and agreed to six months of pretrial probation and $386 in restitution (for the car window he broke with a pellet). Three other charges, including a felony charge of vandalizing property, were dismissed.
Gouvea told police he was “hunting rats” and was “unaware that he lived next to” a synagogue or that it was a religious holiday. In an email following the incident, synagogue leaders wrote that the event “does not appear to have been fueled by antisemitism.”
HLS has placed Gouvea on administrative leave pending its own investigation.
UC San Diego Report Warns of Middle-School Level Math Preparation Among Incoming Freshman
A new internal report from UC San Diego (UCSD) faculty found the number of UCSD first-years placing below middle-school math standards has increased nearly thirty fold over the last five years. Writing and language skills have also declined during this period.
The combination of California high schools’ grade inflation, and the UC system’s decision to ban standardized tests, is a driving force behind the trend. As of 2021, 95% of UCSD students are from California. The report says many of UCSD’s students earned top high school grades and had taken advanced coursework, but their high marks did not reflect actual proficiency.
Faculty also cited contributing factors like pandemic-era learning loss and expanded recruitment from under-resourced high schools.
The report notes that SAT/ACT scores are strong predictors of math readiness and calls for the UC system to consider reinstating them. Harvard made a similar move last year, reinstating test score requirements for the Class of 2029 after concerns about students’ declining math skills during the test-optional period.
More News
More News at Harvard
Chronicle of Higher Education: “Grading Is Broken”
Harvard Law Today: “Holding the past accountable by making it visible: Harvard Law School Library’s Paul Deschner discusses the decades-long effort to make the full archive of Nuremberg Trials records available online”
Retraction Watch: “COVID-19 paper by scientists at Harvard, Duke gets expression of concern for ‘unreliable’ data”
Boston Globe: “Harvard’s Larry Summers problem began long before the emails”
The Crimson: “Restructured Harvard Foundation To Host Cultural Rhythms Without ‘Significantly Altered’ Programming”
Fifteen Minutes (The Crimson): “The Business of Getting In”
Boston Herald: “Hart and Poznansky: Antisemitism has no place in healthcare” — op-ed by Harvard Medical School professor Mark Poznansky and Dr. Jacqueline Hart
The Crimson: “The First Epstein Report Ignored Summers. Harvard Must Do Better.” — op-ed by Harvard Law School professor Larry Lessig
The Crimson: “Has Harvard Ever Been Independent?” — op-ed by Tejas Billa (AB ’28)
Minding the Campus: “Harvard’s Workshops Won’t Fix a Campus Afraid to Speak” — by Sarah Lawrence College politics professor Samuel Abrams (PhD ‘10)
More News Beyond Harvard
JNS: “Cornell graduate union says Palestinians have right to resist ‘by any means necessary’”
Bloomberg: “Northwestern Nears Roughly $75 Million Deal With Trump”
Columbia Spectator: “Columbia considers expanding undergraduate enrollment by up to 20 percent”
Columbia Spectator: “Columbia prohibited posting flyers outside designated areas in August. Top administrators learned about it three months later at a University Senate plenary”
The Stanford Review: “Antisemitic Vandalism on Campus”
The Stanford Daily: “Faculty Senate debates student AI use”
Brown Daily Herald: “The past 15 years at Brown, according to The Herald’s semesterly polls”
Wall Street Journal: “The New Must-Have College Admissions Skill: Tolerating Other Viewpoints”
Wall Street Journal: “An MIT Student Awed Top Economists With His AI Study—Then It All Fell Apart”
Bloomberg: “If You’re in Your Twenties, Having a College Degree No Longer Helps You Find a Job Faster”
The Jewish Chronicle: “As Oxford Chancellor, here’s my plan to confront extremism in UK and make free speech flourish” — speech by Oxford University Chancellor Lord William Hague
Columbia Sundial: “A House Divided: Why Columbia's Student Union Infighting Cannot Stand” — by Columbia freshman Mathilda Simons
New York Times: “I’m a Professor. A.I. Has Changed My Classroom, but Not for the Worse.” — op-ed by Boston College English professor Carlo Rotella
Forbes: “The Rise Of The Vibe School In College Admissions” — op-ed by college admissions consultant Dr. Liz Doe Stone
Note: Last week’s FYI on Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to Harvard said Epstein was “convicted of procuring a child for prosecution” when it should have read “ . . . for prostitution.” Last week’s More News section attributed a piece published on The Editors, “‘Unbridled Brutality’ of Israeli ‘Genocide’ Is Denounced at Harvard Public Health Event,” to Ira Stoll (AB ‘94), when the actual author was Robert Friedman (MTS ‘24).