In 491BC, following a local revolt, the Great King, King of Kings, Darius the Great sent envoys to the Greeks to demand “earth and water” as a symbol of their submission. The Greeks were having none of it. The earth stayed in the ground, the envoys ended up down a well and with it the Greco-Persian Wars had begun.
Whilst involving fewer Hoplites, and a lot less bloodshed, Donald Trump’s campaign against the Ivy League colleges has had a similar energy in recent months. Great King Donald, like his more amply bearded precursor, is currently seeking a modern day “earth and water” from America’s great universities, a stand-off that escalated dramatically at the end of last week.
Ostensibly a dispute about the handling of antisemitism on campus, combined with criticism of the universities Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, few doubt that there is a larger issue at stake. US universities have long been regarded as leaning leftwards in their politics, particularly by the American right and by Trump’s political base. The Ivy League, especially, has immense soft power and status, not to mention the responsibility for educating the next generation of America’s political and economic leadership. Most commentators agree that this is less about individual issues than the latest manifestation of America’s so called “culture war”.
It started with Columbia University earlier this year with threats to withhold $400m in federal funding if a catalogue of changes weren’t made. Earth and water were duly offered and Columbia promised a crackdown on student protests along with a “restructuring” of its Middle Eastern Studies faculty.
Further funding suspensions followed for U-Penn, Princeton, Cornell, Brown and then, most recently, for the crown jewel of the Ivy League establishment, Harvard. Here, though, Trump has been less successful. Perhaps stiffened in their resolve by the backlash to Columbia’s capitulation, these institutions have stood firm. Loss of funding is uncomfortable, but when you are as rich as Croesus, it is hardly disastrous.
Trump’s response has been to find other lines of attack, hence the remarkable escalation last week in the attempt to strip Harvard of its right to recruit international students. This is not only a financial threat, but a challenge to Harvard’s very identity as an open, international and cosmopolitan centre of learning. It is also a terrible prospect for the many international students currently involved and those approaching applications in the coming years.
The news has been greeted with consternation by the Higher Education sector. A temporary restraining order was issued by a court ahead of the weekend, blocking Trump’s measure until another hearing on 29 May, but it will herald a period of uncertainty for all concerned.
Many looking at US college applications from overseas may already be asking; what does this mean for me? Is it worth navigating the Gordian Knot of US applications, the colossal 96% rejection rate that Harvard now boasts and the odyssey of relocating to America itself, only to risk ostracism by Trump? Even King Leonidas might not fancy those odds.
Against this gloomy picture, however, it is important to maintain some perspective. Trump’s agenda may be alarming, but his policies will face a phalanx of legal and public opposition. Threats are one thing, but seeing this agenda through may be quite another. There is no oracle to consult on where this may end up, but students should take some solace in the following.
Firstly, there this the fact that Harvard is standing firm against Trumps demands. It quickly released a statement saying it was “fully committed” to its international students who “enrich the university – and this nation – immeasurably”. No capitulation seems likely here.
Secondly, is the fact that Harvard has ample means to fight this through the courts. It has indicated that it will cite the First Amendment to prove Trump’s measures unlawful and may evoke strong public sympathy should such an article of faith in the US constitution seem threatened. It can also draw upon its $50bn endowment to fund its efforts, not to mention some of the finest legal minds in the world within its own four walls.
Added to this, it looks likely that the other Ivy League colleges are falling in behind Harvard’s stand, a latter day Peloponnesian League if you will, providing solidarity, additional publicity and a further, truly astonishing set of endowments to their war chest.
Finally, whilst all of this is certainly unprecedented, one consistent precedent we do have is Trump himself and how quickly he moves on when something becomes complicated. Picking a fight with elite institutions plays well with his base, but should he become lost in a legal labyrinth he may well decide that the fight itself is worth more to him than an outright victory. In the meantime, a student could well enrol, study and graduate, largely oblivious to the whole dispute.
For the time being, therefore, international students would be unwise to abandon their US college aspirations. We live in an age of uncertainty, where events can move faster than admissions cycles, so international applicants are always wise to give themselves options in more than one country, if they are in a position to do so.
The US, however, will continue to offer unparalleled opportunities for students from across the world; phenomenal teaching, cutting edge research, a broad curriculum that doesn’t require specialising too early, superb pastoral support, strong campus communities and extraordinary extracurricular opportunities, not to mention a foothold in what is still the world’s largest economy.
This standoff is not likely to end quickly and may end up as a Marathon rather than a sprint. International students, however, shouldn’t lose faith in the US college system just yet.
By Ed Ballard, Director of Higher Education at Bonas MacFarlane