In a statement issued by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, more than 180 college and university leaders condemned the “unprecedented government overreach and political interference that now threatens American higher education.”
Message – published as “A call for constructive engagement – according to the association, for the first time higher education leaders spoke en masse about the political moment.
“We are open to constructive reforms and do not oppose reasonable government oversight,” the letter said. “But we must oppose excessive government interference in the lives of those who study, live and work on our campuses.”
“We will always seek effective and fair financial practices, but we must reject the coercive use of public research funding,” he adds.
Twenty-one (21) Pennsylvania presidents signed the letter:
- Ronald B. Cole of Allegheny College
- Wendy Cadge of Bryn Mawr College
- John C. Bravman of Bucknell University
- Farnam Jahanian of Carnegie Mellon University
- Elizabeth M. Meade of Cedar Crest College
- Rhonda Phillips of Chatham University
- James J. Greenfield, OSFS, DeSales University
- John E. Jones III, Dickinson College
- Barbara K. Altmann, Franklin & Marshall College
- Wendy E. Raymond of Haverford College
- James A. Troha, Juniata College
- Nicole Hurd of Lafayette College
- Daniel J. Myers of Misericordia University
- Kathleen E. Harring of Muhlenberg College
- Cheryl McConnell of Saint Joseph’s University
- Jonathan D. Green of Susquehanna University
- Valerie Smith of Swarthmore College
- John Fry, president of Temple University
- J. Larry Jameson of the University of Pennsylvania
- Robyn Hannigan of Ursinus College
- Peter Donohue, OSA, Villanova University
“Our colleges and universities are committed to serving as centers of open inquiry where, in the pursuit of truth, faculty, students, and staff can freely exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retaliation, censorship, or deportation.
“The price for restricting the freedoms that define American higher education will be paid by our students and our society. On behalf of our current and future students and all who work in and benefit from our institutions, we call for constructive engagement that improves our institutions and serves our republic.”
The letter was signed only by institutional leaders affiliated with Temple University of the Commonwealth, although the president Association of American Universities (AAU) – a prestigious association of 71 top research universities in the U.S. and Canada – which includes Penn State and Pittsburgh – did so.
According to his website, American Association of Colleges and Universities is a global membership organization committed to advancing the democratic goals of higher education by promoting equity, innovation and excellence in liberal education.
The article has been updated to include 10 additional presidents of Pennsylvania colleges and universities who added their signature to the letter
