Draft:Mutual Academic Defense Compacts
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Mutual Academic Defense Compacts
[edit]In response to President Donald Trump's perceived threats to funding, research, and academic freedom at colleges and universities during his second term in office, faculty senates and councils at multiple universities in the Big Ten Conference have called for the creation of a Mutual Academic Defense Compact (MADC), a collective initiative aimed at defending academic freedom and institutional autonomy. The Rutgers University Faculty Senate passed the first such resolution on April 6, 2025,[1] and urged the other Big Ten Academic Alliance institutions to follow suit; many have passed the resolution or are currently considering it.[2][3] This compact aims to unite universities in resisting political interference and safeguarding academic freedom, institutional integrity, and the research enterprise.
Federal Threats to Higher Education Funding and Autonomy
[edit]Observers have claimed that the second Trump administration's overall education policies have threatened colleges' and universities' academic freedom and funding,[4][5] including broad funding for scientific research[6] and student financial aid,[7] based on:
- the administration's investigations of higher education institutions and its demands that they end or limit programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within their walls[8][9]
- allegations of campus antisemitism[10] connected with student protests of the Gaza War[11]
- targeting international students via arrests, deportations, and revocations of international student visas.[12][13]
The federal administration has threatened and acted on threats[14] to cancel funding for scientific research if colleges and universities don't agree to restrictions on their academic freedom and on freedom of speech.[15]
Under the MADC, member institutions agree to share legal and financial resources to resist federal actions such as cuts to research funding, visa revocations for international students, and directives on curricular content.
MADC Formation and Objectives
[edit]Faculty calls for a MADC were initiated in early 2025 by the Rutgers University Senate in response to the escalating political pressures from the Trump administration, including threats to academic freedom and institutional autonomy.[1] The compact aims to establish a collective defense mechanism among member institutions to safeguard against federal actions such as research funding cuts, visa revocations for international students, and directives influencing curricular content.[16]
The compact is modeled after mutual defense agreements, drawing parallels to NATO's collective defense principle. It aims to create a unified response to external threats, ensuring that an attack on one institution is considered an attack on all. This solidarity is seen as essential for maintaining the integrity and autonomy of academic institutions in the face of political interference.
Similar to a NATO mutual defense agreement, the MADC would allow member institutions to share legal and financial resources in the event that any one institution is targeted by federal actions. This collaborative approach is designed to provide a unified response to external threats, ensuring that an infringement on one institution is considered an infringement on all.
Objectives of the MADC include:
- Legal and Financial Support: Pooling resources to provide legal representation and financial assistance to member institutions facing federal actions.
- Collective Advocacy: Coordinating efforts to advocate for policies that protect academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
- Public Solidarity: Demonstrating a unified stance against political interference in higher education.
While some faculty at Big Ten schools are advocating for institutional solidarity and assertive defense of academic freedom, others warn such alliances may provoke further backlash or appear politically motivated.[3]
Content of the MADC
[edit]The Rutgers MADC[16] reads:
Resolution to Establish a Mutual Defense Compact for the Universities of the Big Ten Academic Alliance in Defense of Academic Freedom, Institutional Integrity, and the Research Enterprise
Whereas, recent and escalating politically motivated actions by governmental bodies pose a significant threat to the foundational principles of American higher education, including the autonomy of university governance, the integrity of scientific research, and the protection of free speech;
Whereas, the Trump administration and aligned political actors have signaled a willingness to target individual institutions with legal, financial, and political incursion designed to undermine their public mission, silence dissenting voices, and/or exert improper control over academic inquiry;
Whereas, the Big Ten Academic Alliance represents not only athletic competition but also a longstanding tradition of academic collaboration, research excellence, and commitment to democratic values and shared governance;
Whereas, the Big Ten Academic Alliance includes 18 universities with thousands of instructors serving over 600,000 students;
Whereas, the preservation of one institution’s integrity is the concern of all, and an infringement against one member university of the Big Ten shall be considered an infringement against all;
Be it resolved that, the Rutgers University Senate urges the President of Rutgers University to formally propose and help establish a Mutual Academic Defense Compact (MADC) among all members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance;
Be it further resolved that, under this compact, all participating institutions shall commit meaningful funding to a shared or distributed defense fund. This fund shall be used to provide immediate and strategic support to any member institution under direct political or legal infringement;
Be it further resolved that, participating institutions shall make available, at the request of the institution under direct political infringement, the services of their legal counsel, governance experts, and public affairs offices to coordinate a unified and vigorous response, including but not limited to: Legal representation and countersuit actions; strategic public communication; amicus briefs and expert testimony; legislative advocacy and coalition-building; related topical research as needed.
Be it finally resolved that, this resolution be transmitted to the leadership of all Big Ten universities and their respective governing boards and shared governance bodies, and that the President of Rutgers University take a leading role in convening a summit of Big Ten academic and legal leadership to initiate the implementation of this Compact.
How Big Ten Faculty Senates Have Voted or Participated
[edit]The table below shows how university faculty senates have voted on resolutions to advocate for their university to be part of a mutual defense agreement.
| Big Ten School | MADC action by faculty senate/council |
|---|---|
| Rutgers University | Approved (March 28, 2025) |
| Indiana University Bloomington | Approved (April 8, 2025) |
| University of Washington | Approved (April 17, 2025) |
| University of Michigan | Approved (April 20, 2025) |
| Michigan State University | Approved (April 21, 2025) |
| University of Nebraska–Lincoln | Approved (April 23, 2025 |
| Ohio State University | Approved (April 24, 2025) |
| University of Maryland | Approved (April 24, 2025) |
| University of Minnesota | Approved (April 24, 2025) |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Approved (April 28, 2025) |
| Pennsylvania State University | Approved (April 29, 2025) |
| University of Oregon | Approved (April 30, 2025) |
| University of Southern California (USC) | Vote scheduled (May 7, 2025) |
| University of Wisconsin–Madison | Vote scheduled (May 5, 2025) |
| Purdue University | Did not pass |
| Northwestern University | No public action reported |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | No public action reported |
| University of Iowa | No public action reported |
Other institutions of higher education
[edit]Some colleges and universities outside of the Big Ten Academic Alliance have considered or passed similar mutual defense agreements.[17][18] The faculty senate of University of Massachusetts Amherst, for instance, approved a resolution asking university leaders to create both a “Public and Land Grant University Mutual Academic Defense Compact” and a “Massachusetts Higher Education Mutual Academic Defense Compact."[19]
| Institution | MADC action by faculty senate/council |
|---|---|
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | Approved (April 10, 2025) |
| State University of New York | Approved (April 26, 2025) |
| Kennesaw State University | Approved (April 28, 2025) |
| University of New Mexico | Approved (April 29, 2025) |
Official actions by university leadership
[edit]While faculty senates at Big Ten universities continue to consider and in many cases pass resolutions to participate in these mutual defense agreements, no university president has yet officially committed to the arrangement. Forbes reported on April 6, 2025, that "it may be that chancellors and presidents will shy away from forming such an alliance, fearing that it could provoke retaliation by the administration or sanctions by conservative state legislators."[20]
- ^ a b Hoffman, Ruby (April 6, 2025). "U. Senate calls for Big Ten defense coalition to protect academic, institutional integrity". The Daily Targum (Rutgers student newspaper). Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ Zahneis, Megan (14 April 2025). "These Faculty Senates Are Trying to Band Together to Stand Up to Trump". Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ a b Lonas Cochran, Lexi (18 April 2025). "Big Ten schools creating a 'mutual defense compact' against Trump actions". The Hill. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ Blake, Jessica. "What to Know About Trump's Strategy Targeting Colleges' Grants and Contracts". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ Bender, Michael C.; Blinder, Alan; Swan, Jonathan (April 14, 2025). "Inside Trump's Pressure Campaign on Universities". New York Times. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ Lurye, Sharon; Gecker, Jocelyn (March 28, 2025). "How U.S. colleges are navigating cuts to grants for research after Trump restricts federal funding". PBS.org. Associated Press. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ Lonas Cochran, Lexi (6 April 2025). "FAFSA had been struggling for years. Then Trump cut the Education Department in half". The Hill. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ U.S. Department of Education (January 23, 2025). "U.S. Department of Education Takes Action to Eliminate DEI". U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Binkley, Collin (March 14, 2025). "More than 50 universities face federal investigations as part of Trump's anti-DEI campaign". Associated Press. Associate Press. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ "Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Takes Forceful and Unprecedented Steps to Combat Anti-Semitism". The White House. 2025-01-30. Retrieved 2025-05-03.
- ^ Gedeon, Joseph (April 24, 2025). "Jewish senators accuse Trump of exploiting antisemitism to target universities". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ Drenon, Brandon (April 9, 2025). "Why has Trump revoked hundreds of international student visas?". BBC.com. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ News, A. B. C. "What we know about the foreign college students targeted for deportation". ABC News. Retrieved 2025-05-03.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Garisto, Dan; Tollefson, Jeff; Witze, Alexandra (2025). "How Trump's attack on universities is putting research in peril". Nature. doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01289-4. PMID 40275087. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ "'Don't fight alone': Universities band together to defend against Trump attacks". MSNBC.com. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
- ^ a b "Resolution to Establish a Mutual Defense Compact for the Universities of the Big Ten Academic Alliance in Defense of Academic Freedom, Institutional Integrity, and the Research Enterprise" (PDF). Rutgers Faculty Senate. rutgers.edu. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ "More and More Faculty Groups Want Their Colleges to Stand Together Against Trump". The Chronicle of Higher Education. 2025-04-28. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
- ^ "MADCs Tracker : Faculty Senate : UMass Amherst". www.umass.edu. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
- ^ Keene, Art (2025-04-19). "UMass Faculty Senate Adopts Mutual Defense Compact - Amherst Indy". Retrieved 2025-05-02.
- ^ Nietzel, Michael T. "Half Of Big Ten Faculty Senates Have Voted For Mutual Defense Compact". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-05-02.