They are free to make the argument that Harvard Extension School is not as prestigious as the other graduate programs—that’s fine. They are also free to make the argument that Harvard Extension School should not grant degrees at all—that’s something they can take up with Harvard president C̶l̶a̶u̶d̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶G̶a̶y̶ Alan Garber.
But the facts are indisputable. From the HES website: “We are a fully accredited Harvard school. Our degrees and certificates are adorned with the Harvard University insignia. They carry the weight of that lineage. Our graduates walk at University Commencement and become members of the Harvard Alumni Association. As one of 12 degree-granting institutions at Harvard University, we teach to the largest and most eclectic student body.”
At root, what’s happening is that the people who populate the left-wing managerial class live for status and prestige. Their credentials are their whole world. They are the kind of people who ask “where did you go to college” at parties, well into middle age. They always manage to name-drop this person or that school, sizing up how useful you might be to them.