University President Michael Schill joined more than 200 academic leaders in a letter, released Tuesday, condemning the Trump administration’s recent “overreach” in higher education institutions.
The signatories included the heads of colleges and universities across the country who have had to grapple with the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against their campuses.
Released by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the statement underscored one of the first unified fronts, of this scale, from academic leaders to stand up to Trump — as well as the first sign of opposition from Northwestern.
“We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight. However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses,” the letter reads.
Many of the presidents who signed the letter are those who have seen federal funding freezes for their institutions, including Harvard University President Alan Garber. The statement also comes a day after Harvard sued the Trump administration over its threats to rescind billions of dollars in federal funding.
While NU still reels from a $790 million funding freeze announced two weeks ago, countermeasures against the federal government have been scant. University leaders still maintain they have not been officially notified of the funding freeze.
Schill’s signature appeared a few hours after the statement’s initial release.
“President Schill signed the statement from the American Association of Colleges and Universities because Northwestern believes strongly in constructive engagement,” a University spokesperson told The Daily.
In the meantime, effects of the funding freeze are already playing out on campus.
The National Institutes of Health cut millions of dollars funding research projects, and the Department of Defense issued over 100 stop-work orders to university researchers. Several current and former NU students’ visas have also been terminated by the Department of Homeland Security.
Fears of the freeze have caught administrators in a balancing act of cost-cutting measures and opening streams of funding.
Last week, NU announced that it would continue to fund research affected by the stop-work orders until the future of NU’s federal funding becomes more clear.
“The University continues to engage with the federal government,” the University spokesperson wrote. “We are hopeful we will arrive at an equitable resolution that protects academic freedom, restores funding for our research and ensures our campuses are free from discrimination and harassment.”
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— Federal government freezes $790 million in funding for Northwestern
