The Harvard Crimson :: Opinion ::

The Harvard Crimson :: Opinion ::: "Harvard’s unique capacities make money the least efficient way for the University to help
Published On Tuesday, October 18, 2005 1:48 AM
By ALEX SLACK
Crimson Staff Writer
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Harvard University’s responses to recent natural disasters have been models for other institutions to follow. And that’s exactly the problem.

In the wake of last December’s devastating tsunami in Asia, University President Lawrence H. Summers announced that the University would match donations to 26 approved charities up to $100 per person. The effort raised over $500,000, with Harvard contributing $245,877 in matching funds. After Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana and Mississippi, the University again matched donations to eight charities up to $100 per person. All Harvard schools took in displaced students from Loyola and Tulane universities, with the College eventually accepting 36 undergraduates.

When compared to the responses of other schools, Harvard’s generosity outpaces almost every one. None of our peer Ivy institutions matched donations for the tsunami, and only Yale did so for Katrina. President Summers should continue to utilize the University’s unique resources to aid disaster victims in whatever ways possible. But matching donations for the tsunami and for Katrina have set a dangerous precedent—recently broken by Harvard’s choice not to match donations for the earthquake in Kashmir—that encourages our community to judge Harvard’s responses solely on a monetary basis. It is a slippery slope that the University must not traverse. For future disasters, Harvard should cease impersonating a charitable organization and instead focus on the unique and valuable ways it can help as an institution of higher learning. "