A Harvard professor in Government and African American Studies drew attention from the school, posted a community note on X, and eventually offered what seemed to be a complete turnaround of her comments regarding Harvard Extension School students.
This followed her attempt to critique a conservative writer and activist. Professor Jennifer L. Hochschild encountered significant criticism for a post on X, formerly Twitter, regarding writer and activist Christopher Rufo. Rufo played a pivotal role in exposing the past plagiarism of now-ousted Harvard president Claudine Gay.
Hochschild is one of the individuals whom Gay was accused of either plagiarism or inadequately citing in works that were brought to attention by Rufo, among others. This scandal, coupled with Gay’s troubled appearance before a House committee, ultimately led to her resignation amid mounting pressure.
The backlash driven by political considerations did not resonate positively with many individuals on the left and within academic circles, including Hochschild.
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Similar to another prominent critic of Gay, billionaire donor Bill Ackman, Rufo highlights his Harvard degree among his achievements. CNN reporter and left-wing writer Daniel Strauss expressed dissatisfaction with this in an article for the New Republic last year. Strauss argued that since Rufo attended night school at Harvard Extension School, it may not be considered equivalent to a traditional Harvard degree.
Professor Hochschild, who is associated with Harvard Extension School (HES), echoed a similar sentiment regarding both the degree and the students in her attempt to discredit Rufo. In her X post, she sarcastically referred to the individuals who exposed Gay’s plagiarism as the “integrity police,” implying that they do not genuinely care about integrity.
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Furthermore, she asserted that an HES degree is not considered a true Harvard degree, and HES students should not be regarded as genuine Harvard students. The underlying message conveyed was that suggesting otherwise constitutes a lapse in integrity.
Former Trump adviser A.J. Delgado echoed similar sentiments to Professor Hochschild’s. Despite attempting to dial back her criticism of HES students after facing scrutiny, the professor did not achieve much success in doing so. Notably, it wasn’t only individuals from the right-wing or Rufo himself who criticized the professor.
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The Harvard Extension School operates on an open enrollment basis, indicating that, while the courses, standards, and professors remain consistent, individuals are not required to undergo the same rigorous selection process as those attending in person. It’s important to note that although students in the Extension School may not go through the identical selection process, they still need to meet specific academic standards.
The school took exception to the implications and, without naming Hochschild, put out a statement this week to correct the record.
“We, the Harvard Extension Student Association (HESA) Board, are deeply concerned and disappointed by the recent comments made by a Harvard Extension School professor on the social media platform, X,” it said. “The remarks in question implied that a degree from our institution is a mark of lesser qualification.”
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