Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned on Tuesday, Jan. 2, marking the shortest presidency in the university’s history since its founding in 1636. Gay’s tenure lasted just six months and two days long.
“It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president,” Gay wrote in her resignation letter.
Gay has faced criticism for her comments to Congress regarding Harvard protests of the war in Gaza and accusations of antisemitism on campus. Accusations of plagiarism in her academic papers also surround her.
“It has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and upholding scholarly rigor — two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am,” Gay said.
The Harvard Corporation, one of the two governing boards for the university, issued a statement expressing gratitude for her tenure as president and acknowledging her decision to step down and resume her faculty position.
Currently, Gay serves as the director of Graduate Studies for Harvard. She is also a professor of Government and of African-American Studies.
Alan Garber, the provost and chief academic officer, will assume the role of interim president until the appointment of a new leader.
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