American higher education wants less political interference

170 American higher education institutions are pushing back against the political interference of the Trump administration. They demand a free exchange of ideas ‘without fear of retribution, censorship or deportation’.

Leaders from institutions including Princeton, Yale and MIT have voiced their opposition to ‘the unprecedented government meddling and political interference that is currently threatening American higher education’. The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) published a letter today, which was signed by 170 institutions.

Demands

For months, the Trump administration has been trying to enforce its demands on American educational institutions, such as the abolition of diversity measures and the exclusion of foreign students deemed “hostile to American values.” If an institution does not comply with these demands, its financial support is suspended.

The president of Harvard has also signed the letter. He stated last week that he would not yield to the long list of demands from President Donald Trump. In response, the administration froze 2.2 billion dollars in government subsidies. This weekend, an additional billion was added to the total. Harvard is filing a lawsuit, the president announced on Monday.

Open research

Columbia University has not signed the letter. Last month, the Trump administration threatened to cut around 400 million dollars in funding from the prestigious university. To prevent this, Columbia quickly agreed to the administration’s demands.

However, the 170 American institutions that signed the letter refuse to bend. They want to determine themselves ‘who they admit and what they teach’. They also advocate for open research and a free exchange of ideas.

Chances are slim that the letter will make a significant impact. The White House responded mockingly to Harvard’s lawsuit.