President Carmen Twillie Ambar joined over 150 college and university presidents and administrators in the signing of a letter denouncing the Trump administration’s “unprecedented government overreach and political interference” into higher education in America.
The letter, published on Tuesday by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, has continued to gain endorsements from a growing number of universities, and includes a number of notable signatories, including every Ivy League school except Dartmouth College.
“We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight,” the letter reads. “However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses. We will always seek effective and fair financial practices, but we must reject the coercive use of public research funding.”
Oberlin College is one of a dozen Ohio schools to sign on, including Kenyon College, The College of Wooster, and Denison University. No presidents of Ohio’s public universities have yet signed.
In response to a request for comment from President Ambar, Director of Media Relations Andrea Simakis wrote that the College administration had nothing to add to what was already stated in the letter.
This letter came a day after Harvard University sued the Trump administration after it froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to the university, arguing that the administration has violated the university’s constitutional rights. This has come amid a broader pattern of attacks on higher education in America by the Trump administration, including executive orders targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives; investigations into alleged antisemitism and the detaining and visa revocations of international students who have engaged in pro-Palestinian activities and protests; and a pledge by Trump to dismantle the Department of Education.
The letter emphasizes the importance for faculty, students, and staff to be able to “exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation” and underlines the importance of higher education to American democracy and leadership.
“American institutions of higher learning are essential to American prosperity and serve as productive partners with government in promoting the common good,” the letter reads. “Colleges and universities are engines of opportunity and mobility, anchor institutions that contribute to economic and cultural vitality regionally and in our local communities. … Most fundamentally, America’s colleges and universities prepare an educated citizenry to sustain our democracy.”
Meanwhile, according to The Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration signed a new executive order Wednesday that targets the accrediting system for colleges and universities — something that is key to universities’ ability to access federal financial aid — thus continuing its assault on higher education.
