In a surprising move that would likely dominate headlines across the world, Harvard University President Claudine Gay is expected to resign Tuesday following allegations of plagiarism and failure to deal with antisemitism protests after the October 7, 2022, attack on Israel by the Islamist group Hamas.
Her imminent departure has been labelled as the shortest ever in the history of the 388-year-old prestigious citadel of learning.
According to the Harvard Crimson, a local journal at the university reported that “Harvard President Claudine Gay will resign Tuesday afternoon, bringing an end to the shortest presidency in the university’s history, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.
“University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 will serve as Harvard’s interim president during a search for Gay’s permanent successor, the Harvard Corporation — the university’s highest governing body — announced in an email on Tuesday.”
Harvard spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain has yet to comment on Gay’s decision to step down.
Gay, the first black person and only the second woman to be president of Harvard University, six months and two days on the job, came to a tumultuous end after her disastrous congressional testimony on December 5, 2023.
Harvard Crimson added that “Gay weathered scandal after scandal over her brief tenure, facing national backlash for her administration’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and allegations of plagiarism in her scholarly work.
“Gay is expected to announce her decision to step down to Harvard affiliates in an email later today. The corporation is also expected to make a statement about the decision.
“The announcement comes three weeks after the Corporation announced unanimous support for Gay after “extensive deliberations” following the congressional hearing.”
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