A week after Harvard University refused to comply with Trump administration demands, the presidents of Lewis & Clark College, Willamette University and Reed College are denouncing the cascade of federal actions that have thrown higher education institutions around the country into financial uncertainty.
The three presidents signed onto a public letter released by the American Association of Colleges and Universities Tuesday morning, joining more than 200 other higher education leaders in a statement that condemns “undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live and work on our campuses.”
The letter, called “A Call for Constructive Engagement,” says colleges and universities must maintain their freedoms regarding admissions, hiring and academic decisions in order for the schools to function as society expects them to.
The letter appears to be the first unified response from a group of higher education leaders to the barrage of federal policy changes aimed at universities. Under the Trump administration, federal agencies have paused or cancelled research grants worth billions of dollars, threatened to withhold education-related grants from institutions that do not comply with new federal priorities, and suddenly revoked visas from international students.
“Lewis & Clark recognizes the value that educational institutions like ours bring to Portland, to Oregon, and to the nation,” Lewis & Clark President Robin Holmes-Sullivan said in a statement. “As a collaborative leader, I know it is especially important that institutions join together as we work to ensure we can continue to serve students and communities.”
In a letter to the Reed College campus community, President Audrey Bilger said signing onto the public statement is just one of the actions she is taking to respond to the Trump administration.
“I firmly believe that education is the practice of freedom in an equitable and just democracy, and I will continue to work to protect and stand up for Reed College’s values,” wrote Bilger in the campus note.
Bilger said Reed has also signed onto an amicus brief supporting a federal case challenging recent student visa revocations, detentions and deportations.
Oregon State University, Portland State University and the University of Oregon are also members of the American Association of Colleges and Universities — the nonprofit organization behind the letter. But none of Oregon’s three largest universities signed on. Most of the colleges whose presidents signed in support are smaller, private colleges.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.