Allegheny College President Ron Cole, ’87, has joined over 350 college and university presidents nationwide in signing a letter condemning the Trump administration’s recent attempts to wield influence over higher education institutions by withholding federal funding.
“As leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education,” the statement titled “A Call for Constructive Engagement” begins. “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.”
The letter, prepared by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, has been signed by all the Ivy League schools except Dartmouth and numerous state and private institutions, with student body sizes ranging from a couple of hundred to tens of thousands.
In an email to Allegheny employees Tuesday morning, Cole explained he decided to sign the letter after reaching a broad consensus of support from the Executive Committee of Allegheny’s Board of Trustees.
“This letter is in support of core values of American higher education, including principles of academic freedom and research — tenets that are central to our values at Allegheny and essential to deliver excellence in liberal arts education,” Cole wrote. “I believe, along with other higher ed leaders, that these tenets are at risk with recent government actions in higher education.”
“The focus of this letter is not a political ‘left’ or ‘right’ issue; presidents with different ideologies and from a range of institutions have signed the letter,” Cole added. “My goal is that we continue to strive for a campus culture that values respectful discourse across different ideologies.”
In response to the letter, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said the administration is “standing up for equality and fairness and will not be swayed by worthless letters by overpaid blowhards,” according to a report from NBC News.
The letter asserts that higher education institutions have the “essential freedom” to determine whom to admit and what is taught, how, and by whom. This freedom, the signers explain, is a large reason colleges and universities have proven integral to American prosperity.
“The price of abridging the defining freedoms of American higher education will be paid by our students and our society,” the letter concludes. “On behalf of our current and future students, and all who work at and benefit from our institutions, we call for constructive engagement that improves our institutions and serves our republic.”
The letter comes after weeks of several high-profile standoffs between the Trump administration and a handful of prestigious universities. In late March, after the administration threatened to withhold $400 million from Columbia University, the university acquiesced to a list of demands from the White House, which included overhauling its protest policies and placing the Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies Department under academic receivership. Just this week, Harvard University announced it is suing the Trump administration, alleging that the recent decision to freeze the institution’s $2.2 billion in federal grants is beyond the Trump administration’s authority.
The letter also condemns the Trump administration’s recent targeting of international students, stating that universities are centers of open inquiry where community members should be free to exchange ideas “across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation.”
As of April 22, over 265 colleges and universities have identified more than 1,700 international students and recent graduates who have had their legal status changed by the State Department, according to Inside Higher Ed. Many universities have said they do not know the reason behind revocations.
On several occasions, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has appeared to cite connections to pro-Palestinian protests as one justification. Additionally, some students’ visas have seemingly been revoked for past offenses, like DUIs.
This is the case at Gannon University in Erie, where five international students from Spain and India studying engineering or business have had their visas revoked. Chief of Staff Doug Oathout said he was told the rationale behind the decision was that the students had committed motor vehicle infractions, like speeding or rolling through a stop sign, according to The Erie Times-News.
Allegheny, which currently has 62 international students enrolled, has not reported any student visa revocations.
