The author, a former Financial Times journalist, is studying for a joint MPP/MBA degree at Harvard and Stanford
As Covid-19 cases in the US surged to new highs this month, Harvard University announced plans for online instruction in the autumn to limit health risks, following similar decisions by dozens of other universities. Hours later, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) slipped out a notice that blindsided nearly everyone in higher education.
Universities were given a stark choice: abandon plans for an all-online curriculum, or face having international students ejected from the country. “The order came down without notice — its cruelty surpassed only by its recklessness”, said Lawrence Bacow, Harvard’s president.