Bryn Mawr College President Wendy Cadge and Haverford College President Wendy Raymond signed a public statement issued on April 22 by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU) disavowing “unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.”
The letter, signed by the presidents of 226 American colleges and universities, comes in response to a crackdown on the liberties of higher educational institutions by the Trump Administration. These actions have included threatening to revoke universities’ tax-exempt statuses that allow endowments to grow and contribute private funding, and threatening to withhold or withholding federal funding from universities and colleges that refuse to comply with the administration’s demands. Trump’s administration has primarily targeted seven leading private research universities, six of which are in the Ivy League. Trump has threatened to withhold or has withheld varied amounts of funding across these schools, ranging from a minimum of $175 million for the University of Pennsylvania to a maximum of $2.26 billion for Harvard University. This funding is allegedly being withheld due to the universities’ enabling of antisemitism in their academics and handling of pro-Palestinian protests. In some cases, notably in their threats to Harvard University, Trump’s administration has issued a list of demands schools must follow to regain their funding, including limiting protests and overseeing and editing curriculum to prevent what they have described as antisemitic biases.
The letter by the AACU seems to allude to the administration’s strategies to allegedly address antisemitism on campuses. It reads, “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.” It states that its signees reject the manipulation of federal funding for a political agenda.
The letter also mentioned the diversity of the AACU’s membership. “It includes research universities and community colleges; comprehensive universities and liberal arts colleges; public institutions and private ones; freestanding and multi-site campuses.” Despite the variety of schools represented by the association, the letter said members are united in the goal of education, and all campuses serve as centers of “open inquiry”. It emphasized that the right to freely choose who is admitted and why, and what is taught and why, is deeply important to the function of universities. Additionally, the letter said the freedom of faculty, students, and staff to “exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation” is essential. It concluded with a call for “constructive engagement” from the government with educational institutions.
The Bryn Mawr College official Instagram posted a photo of Taylor Hall with the caption, “President Wendy Cadge has joined nearly 200 other college and university presidents in denouncing the ‘unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education’ in a letter released by the American Association of Colleges and Universities this morning.”
The post in question received significant backlash in the comment section, with many students and community members voicing their disapproval of President Cadge’s decision to suspend the campus chapters of Student Justice for Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). Critics found it contradictory as the move stifled student activism and silenced political expression in contrast to administrative sentiments expressed in the AACU article.
Haverford College released a statement announcing President Wendy Raymond’s signature to the letter on April 23, along with a series of updates to College policies and the Honor Code.
