US universities’ faculty unite to defend academic freedom after Trump’s attacks

Faculty members fromUS universities– including public ones which do not receive endowments – are banding together in attempts to resist theDonald Trumpadministration’s attacks on academic freedoms.This month, Indiana University’s Bloomington faculty council followed in the footsteps of Rutgers University in passing aresolutionto establish a pact with all 18 universities under the Big 10 academic alliance to defend academic freedoms.The resolution comes as a result of “recent and escalating politically motivated actions by governmental bodies [which] pose a significant threat to the foundational principles of American higher education including the autonomy of university governance, the integrity of scientific research, and the protection of free speech”.The 18 universities part of the Big 10 academic alliance include the University of Illinois,IndianaUniversity, University of Iowa, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, University of Oregon, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, University of California Los Angeles, University of Southern California, University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.The resolution says the “preservation of one institution’s integrity is the concern of all and an infringement against one member university of the Big Ten shall be considered an infringement against all”.This move from Indiana University’s Bloomington faculty council comes after FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents raided the homes of Xiaofeng Wang, aChinese national and cybersecurity professorwho taught at the university for 20 years.On the same day of the raid, Wang – who has not been charged with any offenses – was fired from the university over email in a move that contradicts the university’s own policy.Wang’s firing was condemned by faculty as well as the Bloomington chapter of the American Association of University Professors whichsaid: “The mere fact of an investigation or of unadjudicated allegations cannot justify failure to comply with university policies on the part of the administration… It is fundamental that individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.”In order for a pact to be formed, university leaders across the Big 10academic alliance would have to convene a summit and initiate its implementation, Indiana Daily Studentreports.If a pact is formed, the universities shall “commit meaningful funding to a shared or distributed defense fund”. The fund will be in turn used to provide “immediate and strategic support to any member institution under direct political or legal infringement”.In recent weeks, Trump has come after dozens of universities, including private institutions such asHarvard University, which has an endowment, unlike public universities, as part of his administration’s crackdowns on alleged antisemitism and civil rights violations. Many of the Big 10 academic alliance schools have also been targeted by Trump.Indiana University Bloomington is among 60 schoolsunder federal investigationover alleged violations “relating to antisemitic harassment and discrimination”. The administration has also come after the University of Washington and Penn State University which sawover a dozenof their international students’ visascancelled.Meanwhile, federal authorities areinvestigatingUniversity of Oregon’s partnership with the PhD Project, a non-profit organization that supports students from marginalized communities in obtaining degrees.The Guardian has reached out to the Big 10 academic alliance schools.In a statement to the Guardian, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s associate chancellor Robin Kaler said: “Free speech and academic freedom are foundational to our university’s missions of discovery and exploration… The university remains committed to protecting the first amendment rights of all individuals. This is a legal obligation of any public entity and, we believe, an ethical responsibility for an institution like ours that values diverse perspectives and academic interrogation.”Meanwhile, Rutgers University’s assistant vice-president, Dory Devlin, said: “The university appreciates the guidance of the university senate to encourage the efforts of universities across the Big Ten, and more broadly, to find common ground and shared values during a time of shifting federal policies, while recognizing that each school in the conference has its own local dynamics and pressures.”In addition to demanding universities close their diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Trump hasfrozenfundingto universities andissueda slew of extortive and broadly-worded demands to the institutions.Most recently, Trump ordered Harvard University to conduct audits on study bodies, faculty and leadership on their views about diversity, ban face masks, as well as halt the recognition and funding of “any student group or club that endorses or promotes criminal activity, illegal violence or illegal harassment”.Harvard has refused to capitulate to theTrump administration’s demands,prompting supportfrom Barack Obama, as well as further complaints from Trump whocalledHarvard a “joke” that “teaches hate and stupidity”.