Public Statement

AAC&U Statement on the Trump Administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”

In April, leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies called for constructive engagement with government in response to unprecedented overreach and political interference in higher education—expressing openness to constructive reform and acceptance of legitimate government oversight, while also affirming the core principles, shared values, and established legal framework on which the American system of higher education rests.

Regrettably, the administration has continued to seek ways to impose its own ideologically driven vision for higher education through unilateral executive action and the coercive use of public funding. On October 1, it invited a first cohort of university leaders to sign a “compact” that would commit their institutions to the vigorous pursuit of the administration’s priorities. The compact is, in effect, an ultimatum: sign and receive “multiple positive benefits,” including “substantial and meaningful federal grants,” or retain the freedom to “develop models and values other than those” of the administration, and “forgo federal funding.”

This is not constructive engagement.

Well-established legal and administrative processes for exercising oversight and developing policy are far more effective than executive fiat in promoting reform and strengthening higher education. Leaders across American higher education welcome the opportunity to engage with the administration’s concerns and consider its proposals for reform. Yet, as stewards of America’s system of higher education, college and university presidents cannot bargain with the essential freedom of colleges and universities to determine, on academic grounds, whom to admit and what is taught, how, and by whom. They cannot trade academic freedom for federal funding—and should not be asked to do so. They cannot abandon the American model of self-governance, which guarantees meaningful roles for faculty, administration, and governing boards in academic and institutional decision-making. Principles of academic freedom and self-governance, as long recognized by American policymakers and the Supreme Court, are essential for the public good provided by higher education through its research and teaching.

The stakes could not be higher. The American system of higher education is the envy of the world, renowned for its cutting-edge research, culture of innovation, and commitment to academic freedom. It prepares students not only for professional success, but also for responsible citizenship and lifelong learning, while attracting top talent from around the globe. Its combination of rigorous scholarship, diverse perspectives, and institutional autonomy has made it a model for excellence internationally and a driver of social, scientific, and economic progress.

America’s colleges and universities are open to change and have always welcomed constructive reform. Indeed, their historic partnership with government has been a key driver of innovation and improvement. In renewing the call for constructive engagement, AAC&U also strongly opposes any alternative that would erode or eviscerate essential freedoms and promote instability by making America’s colleges and universities subject not to the law and the principles that have served us so well for centuries, but to the changing priorities of successive administrations.

Endorsements

The statement above has been endorsed by the following:

  • Suzanne Ames, President, Peninsula College
  • Teresa L. Amott, President Emerita, Knox College
  • Fanta Aw, CEO and Executive Director, NAFSA: Association of International Educators
  • Esther L. Barazzone, President and Professor Emerita, Chatham University
  • Gretchen M. Bataille, Former President, University of North Texas
  • Ian Baucom, President, Middlebury College
  • Allan Belton, President, Pacific Lutheran University
  • Barbara Beno, Former President, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Vista Community College
  • Kimberly Bentson, President Emeritus, Haverford College
  • Peter Berkery, Executive Director, Association of University Presses
  • Michael A. Bernstein, President, The College of New Jersey
  • Audrey Bilger, President, Reed College
  • James Birge, President, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
  • Robert Birnbaum, Former Chancellor, UW - Oshkosh
  • George R. Boggs, President & CEO Emeritus, American Association of Community Colleges
  • Cynthia D. Borel, CEO/Owner, Borel Education Consulting Services
  • Elizabeth H. Bradley, President, Vassar College
  • Brian Brady, Founder and Principal, Youth Engage LLC
  • Paula Pimlott Brownlee, President Emerita, AAC&U
  • Brian J. Bruess, President, College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
  • Mark Burstein, President Emeritus, Lawrence University
  • Adam Bush, President, College Unbound
  • Alison Byerly, President, Carleton College
  • Stephen Cady, President, Brite Divinity School
  • Bryan D. Cain, President, Endicott College
  • Roger Casey, President Emeritus, McDaniel College
  • Ellen Chaffee, President Emerita, Valley City State University
  • Sonya Christian, Chancellor, California Community Colleges
  • Christina A. Clark, President, La Roche University
  • Fredrick Clark, President, Bridgewater State University
  • Darla Cooper, Executive Director, The RP Group
  • Tuajuanda C. Jordan, President Emerita, St. Mary's College of Maryland
  • Cristle Collins Judd, President, Sarah Lawrence College
  • Joy Connolly, President, America Council of Learned Societies
  • Thomas B. Courtice, Past President, Ohio Wesleyan University, West Virginia Wesleyan College, Westbrook College
  • Ann E. Cudd, President, Portland State University
  • Lindsay Currie, Executive Officer, Council on Undergraduate Research
  • Christopher C. Dahl, President Emeritus, SUNY Geneseo
  • Paul A. Dale, President, Retired, Paradise Valley Community College
  • Charles R. Dassance, President Emeritus, College of Central Florida
  • Janine Davidson, President, MSU Denver
  • Sharon L. Davies, President & CEO, The Charles F. Kettering Foundation
  • Sue DeWine, Past President, Hanover College
  • Daniel A. DiBiasio, President Emeritus, Ohio Northern University
  • Walter Diaz, President, LatinosinHigherEd.com
  • Jim Dlugos, President, Landmark College
  • Bethami A. Dobkin, President, Westminster College
  • Harry Dumay, President, Elms College
  • Pam Y. Eddinger, President, Bunker Hill Community College
  • Pamela A. Eibeck, Emerita President, University of the Pacific
  • Michael A. Elliott, President, Amherst College
  • Royce Engstrom, Past President, University of Montana
  • Valerio Ferme, President, New Mexico State University
  • Jane K. Fernandes, President, Antioch College
  • Damian J. Fernandez, President, Warren Wilson College
  • David Fithian, President, Clark University
  • Keith Flamer, President, College of the Redwoods
  • Thomas P. Foley, President, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania
  • Victoria N. Folse, President, Ripon College
  • Amber French, Executive Director, Democracy House
  • Lawrence Anthony Galizio, President and CEO, Community College League of California
  • Uttam Gaulee, President, STAR Scholars Network
  • William L. Gertz, Chairman, AIFS
  • R. Barbara Gitenstein, President Emerita, The College of New Jersey
  • Philip A. Glotzbach, President Emeritus, Skidmore College
  • Jonathan D. Green, President, Susquehanna University
  • Mary K. Grant, President, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
  • Karen Gross, Former President, Southern Vermont College
  • Robert M. Groves, Interim President, Georgetown University
  • Richard Guarasci, President Emeritus, Wagner College
  • Jeremy Haefner, Chancellor, University of Denver
  • Elaine Tuttle Hanson, President Emerita, Bates College
  • Yoshiko Harden, President, Renton Technical College
  • Anne F. Harris, President, Grinnell College
  • James T. Harris, President, University of San Diego
  • Dianne F. Harrison, President Emerita, California State University Northridge
  • Sharon Hart, Prior President, North Dakota State College of Science
  • Marjorie Hass, President, Council of Independent Colleges
  • Susan Henking, President, Shimer College; Interim President, Salem Academy and College
  • Catharine Hill, President Emerita, Vassar College
  • Danielle R. Holley, President, Mount Holyoke College
  • Wolde-Ab Isaac, Chancellor, Riverside Community College District
  • Karim Ismaili, President, Eastern Connecticut State University
  • Joyce P. Jacobsen, Past President, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
  • Lisa Jasinski, President, Associated Colleges of the Midwest
  • Garry W. Jenkins, President, Bates College
  • Paula A. Johnson, President, Wellesley College
  • Suzanne M. Johnson, President, Green River College
  • John E. Jones III, President, Dickinson College
  • Kimberly Jones, President, Council for Opportunity in Education
  • Richard P. Keeling, Chairman and Senior Executive Consultant, Keeling & Associates, LLC
  • Paul Kirbas, President/CEO, Graduate Theological Foundation
  • Carrie B. Kisker, President, Kisker Education Consulting
  • Ralph W. Kuncl, President Emeritus, University of Redlands
  • Lee Lambert, Chancellor, Foothill-De Anza Community College District
  • Frederick M. Lawrence, Secretary and CEO, Phi Beta Kappa Society
  • Theodore E. Long, President Emeritus, Elizabethtown College (PA)
  • Elaine Maimon, Former President, Governors State University
  • Maud S. Mandel, President, Williams College
  • Amy Marcus-Newhall, President, Scripps College
  • Mary Marcy, President Emerita, Dominican University of California
  • Ted Martinez Jr., Former President, Rio Hondo College
  • David Maxwell, President Emeritus, Drake University
  • David May, President, Bellevue College
  • David McClain, President Emeritus, University of Hawai'i
  • Patricia McGuire, President, Trinity Washington University
  • Elizabeth M. Meade, President, Cedar Crest College
  • Gail Mellow, President Emeritus, LaGuardia Community College, CUNY
  • Christopher Moody, Executive Director, ACPA-College Students Educators International
  • Tomas Morales, President, California State University San Bernardino
  • Barbara Jean Morris, President, Prescott College
  • John R. Mosby, President, Highline College
  • Ross Mugler, Interim President and CEO, Association of Governing Boards
  • Brian Murphy, President Emeritus, De Anza College
  • Eric Murray, President, Cascadia College
  • Kathleen Murray, President Emeritus, Whitman College
  • Krista L. Newkirk, President, University of Redlands
  • Nancy S. Niemi, President, Framingham State University
  • Eduardo M. Ochoa, President Emeritus, California State University, Monterey Bay
  • Meme Omogbai, Executive Director & CEO, College Art Association of America
  • Chinyere Oparah, CEO, Center for Liberated Leadership
  • Eileen Wilson Oyelaran, President Emerita, Kalamazoo College
  • Laurie L. Patton, President, American Academy of Arts & Sciences
  • Lisa Petrides, CEO, Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management (ISKME)
  • Susan Poser, President, Hofstra University
  • Susan Resneck Pierce, President Emerita, University of Puget Sound
  • Rhonda Phillips, President, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
  • Nicola Pitchford, President, Dominican University of California
  • Beverly Pitts, President Emerita, University of Indianapolis
  • Andrew David Pomerville, President, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
  • Thomas Poon, President, Loyola Marymount University
  • Steven G. Poskanzer, President Emeritus, Carleton College
  • Robert Prezant, President, Farmingdale State College, SUNY
  • Paul C. Pribbenow, President, Augsburg University
  • Gregory S. Prince Jr., President Emeritus, Hampshire College
  • Judith Aitken Ramaley, Former President, Portland State University
  • Wendy Raymond, President, Haverford College
  • Chantae Recasner, Interim President, Seattle Central College
  • Andrew Rehfeld, President, Hebrew Union College
  • Kevin P. Reilly, President Emeritus, University of Wisconsin System
  • Gresham Riley, President Emeritus, Colorado College
  • Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap, Chancellor, Seattle Colleges
  • Susana Rivera-Mills, President, Aurora University
  • Brian Rosenberg, President Emeritus, Macalester College
  • Laura Ann Rosenbury, President, Barnard College
  • Michael S. Roth, President, Wesleyan University
  • Vincent D. Rougeau, President, College of the Holy Cross
  • George Rupp, President Emeritus, Rice University and Columbia University
  • Herman Saatkamp, Former President, Stockton University
  • Yves Salomon-Fernandez, President, Urban College of Boston
  • Claudia Schippert, Executive Director, American Academy of Religion
  • John F. Schwaller, Former President, SUNY Postdam
  • David Scobey, Director, Bringing Theory to Practice
  • Robert A. Scott, President Emeritus, Adelphi University and Ramapo College of New Jersey
  • Angela D. Sims, President, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
  • Gregory Smith, Chancellor, San Diego Community College District
  • Valerie Smith, President, Swarthmore College
  • Faye Snodgress, CEO, Global Education Community
  • Rachel Solemsaas, President, North Seattle College
  • Patricia Stanley, President Emeritus, Frederick Community College
  • G. Gabrielle Starr, President, Pomona College
  • Tom Stritikus, President, Occidental College
  • Jamienne S. Studley, Past President, Skidmore College
  • Strom C. Thacker, President, Pitzer College
  • Kellye Y. Testy, CEO, Association of American Law Schools
  • Vinton Thompson, President Emeritus, Metropolitan College of New York
  • Stephen Thorsett, President, Willamette University
  • Rowena M. Tomaneng, President, Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education
  • Omar Torres, President, De Anza College
  • Edward Valeau, Emeritus, Hartnell Community College District
  • Kathleen Waldron, President Emerita, William Paterson University of New Jersey
  • David L. Warren, President, Ohio Wesleyan University
  • Matthew Wetstein, President, Cabrillo College
  • Kristina Whalen, President, Foothill College
  • Michaele Whelan, President, Wheaton College (MA)
  • Julie White, Chancellor and CEO, Pierce College District
  • Charles Wight, Past President, Salisbury University (MD)
  • Sarah Willie-LeBreton, President, Smith College
  • Leslie Wong, President Emeritus, San Francisco State University
  • Elisabeth Zinser, Retired President, Southern Oregon University; Former Univ. of Idaho President, U. of Kentucky Chancellor

If you would like to endorse the statement on behalf of your institution or organization, please contact David Tritelli at tritelli@aacu.org.