The Department of Education has opened two formal investigations into Harvard University this week, one probing alleged antisemitic harassment and another reviewing possible illegal race-based preferences in admissions. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced the inquiries and warned Harvard it must comply with document requests or face referral to the Justice Department. The actions follow internal campus reports and a separate Justice Department civil suit seeking recovery of federal grants tied to alleged failures to protect Jewish students. These federal moves come as Harvard faces heightened oversight: the Office for Civil Rights will evaluate harassment complaints while a parallel review will examine admissions practices after the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative-action ruling. University officials say they are cooperating and reiterated institutional commitments to nondiscrimination, but warned of political overreach. The probes could affect Harvard’s federal funding and set enforcement precedents for other research universities. For trustees, campus leaders and compliance officers, the developments raise immediate operational priorities: responding to federal information requests, reviewing harassment-response processes, and preparing for potential litigation or fiscal penalties that could impact research grants and federal partnerships.