A broad coalition of community members will gather on the Lawn at the University of Virginia on Friday for a rally and march to support academic freedom and free speech.
In addition to UVA, other schools that received the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” from the Trump administration will take part in similar demonstrations to collectively show support for intellectual truth over political fealty.
The letter and compact were also sent to Brown University, Dartmouth College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Arizona, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of Texas and Vanderbilt University.
The schools that sign the controversial compact have been promised priority access to federal grant funds in a “unique relationship” with the White House and Department of Education.
Virginia democrats drew a hard line on the compact threatening “significant consequences” to UVA if it signs the compact.
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“As the leadership of the Senate with responsibility for appropriations affecting higher education, we will work with our colleagues to ensure that the Commonwealth does not subsidize an institution that has ceded its independence to federal political control,” wrote Sen. Scott A. Surovell (D-34), Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-18) and Sen. Mamie E. Locke (D-23).
Day of action
The national day of action against the compact is being organized by student council leaders at each school.
UVA students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community have been invited to help set a strong example of resistance and to demand institutional leaders not to give in to the “unconstitutional and tyrannical demands.”
Student leaders will host a news conference at 11:15 a.m., followed by a rally starting at the Rotunda at noon. Participants will then march to Madison Hall to deliver a packet of statements against the compact to UVA interim President Paul Mahoney.
The day of action is sponsored by University of Virginia chapter of the American Association of University Professors, United Campus Workers-UVA, UVA General Faculty Council, Jewish Voice for Peace, Students for Justice in Palestine and the National Campus Jewish Alliance.
Growing resistance to compact at UVA
Since receiving the compact, multiple organizations have urged UVA leadership, the Board of Visitors and Mahoney to reject the compact. Those expressing opposition include:
- the UVA Faculty Senate
- the AAUP at UVA
- General Faculty Council
- faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Nursing and the School of Education and Human Development
- Student Council
- Wahoos4UVA, a coalition of 14,000 alums
Student representatives from seven schools also issued a joint statement of unity in opposition to the federal overreach of the compact.
On Monday, the UVA chapter of the AAUP called the compact “the most significant threat to the mission of higher education since the McCarthy era.”
In its position statement, the executive committee of AAUP asked UVA leaders to reject the compact outright and in its entirety.
“The compact represents a bright red line for academic freedom and free speech at universities that cannot be crossed,” the AAUP-UVA said in a statement.
Decision time
Feedback on the proposed agreement is due back to the White House by Oct. 20. A final decision is required by Nov. 21.
MIT was the first of the nine schools to reject the compact and the list of partisan demands.
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“In our view, America’s leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that free marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences,” wrote Sally Kornbluth, president of the school. “Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.”
On Wednesday, Brown University sent a letter to the administration declining the compact.
School President Christina H. Paxson said the decision “aligns with the views of the vast majority of Brown stakeholders.”
“I am concerned that the compact by its nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance, critically compromising our ability to fulfill our mission.”
Related stories
- UVA has not made a decision on Trump compact, but faculty strongly oppose it
- White House offers reward to nine universities, including UVA, that agree to toe the party line
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Crystal Graham
