A prominent Harvard University professor has announced his departure from the prestigious institution after a four-decade career, citing its alleged fixation on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in student admissions and a shift away from teaching Western history.
A Career Cut Short by Changing Priorities
Historian James Hankins, 70, revealed in a detailed essay that he is leaving Harvard for the Hamilton School of Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida. His decision to retire was initially made in 2021, prompted by the university's stringent Covid-19 policies and significant changes he observed in admissions standards following the George Floyd protests.
Hankins signed a four-year retirement contract in the autumn of 2021, which has now concluded. He claims that in the fall of 2020, he identified an outstanding white male graduate applicant who was a perfect fit for his programme. In previous years, such a candidate would have been a top choice. However, a member of the admissions committee informally advised him that admitting a white male was "not happening this year."
Alleged Bias Against Qualified Candidates
The professor provided another stark example involving a white male undergraduate he had tutored, whom he described as "the best student at Harvard" and a prize-winning graduate. Despite this stellar record, the student was rejected from every graduate programme he applied to in 2021.
When Hankins inquired with contacts at other universities, he was told a similar story was unfolding nationwide. "Graduate admissions committees around the country had been following the same unspoken protocol as ours," he wrote. He noted one exception to the exclusion of white males was a candidate who had begun life as a female.
Beyond admissions, Hankins criticised Harvard's pandemic-era rules, including mandatory mask-wearing during lectures and Zoom seminars, which he labelled "tyrannous invasions of private life" incompatible with his vision of liberal education.
A Broader Critique of Institutional Direction
Hankins also accused Harvard of displaying "shocking indifference to the anti-Semitic demonstrations following the October 7 atrocities." He did, however, see a positive turn with the resignation of former President Claudine Gay and her replacement by Alan Garber, stating Harvard is now on a better course.
A central part of his critique focuses on the study of Western history. Hankins claims Harvard has not hired a tenured historian in a Western field since 2012, and has lost eight distinguished professors in those areas since. "I will be the ninth," he stated, "and I am not expecting to be replaced."
He argues this shift away from teaching Western civilisation contributes to moral and intellectual disorientation among the young. "When you don’t teach the young what civilization is, it turns out, people become uncivilized," he concluded.
His new academic home in Florida, founded just four years ago, has hired 28 scholars in Western fields, many of whom, he notes, are from the "dreaded population of white males" overlooked by legacy universities. The Daily Mail contacted Harvard for comment but was advised a response might be delayed due to the holiday period.
