This page is part of a resource collection on organizing against the second Trump administration.

Image: from Harvard Stands Up.

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Trump’s Authoritarian Assault on Universities & Academic Freedom.

News: 2025

January, 2025.   American Association of University Professors. Against Anticipatory Obedience.

March 24.   Rebecca Hamilton: The Imperative of Solidarity in Response to Assaults on Legal Services, Universities, and Independent Media

March 25.   Lexi Lonas Cochran: Education groups sue Trump administration over Columbia funding battle.

April 14.   Edward Helmore: Harvard says it will not ‘yield’ to Trump demands over $9bn in funding cuts: In a message, the university’s president said it will not ‘surrender its independence’ amid crackdown on education.

April 15.   Edward Helmore: Obama backs Harvard as Yale faculty members support standing up to Trump: Harvard faces funding freeze as Yale faculty asks leadership ‘to resist and legally challenge any unlawful demands.’

April 15.   The Hill: Harvard receives support from Yale, Stanford.

April 16.   Maya Yang: US universities’ faculty unite to defend academic freedom after Trump’s attacks.

April 17.   NPR: Wesleyan President Michael Roth discusses Trump’s pressure campaign on universities.

April 22.   The Guardian: Harvard sues Trump administration over efforts to ‘gain control of academic decision-making.’

April 22.   Alice Speri: Over 150 US university presidents sign letter decrying Trump administration.

April 23.   James Fallows: From Academia, a ‘Primal Scream.’ Watch in real time, as American higher ed goes on offense to defend itself.

April 25.   Bill McKibben: At Last, College Presidents Are Standing Up to Trump. A letter signed by more than 400 university heads offers a sharp rebuke to the bully-in-chief.

May 27.   NPR: As Trump targets elite schools, Harvard’s president says they should ‘stand firm’.

May 27.   NBC News: Trump’s fight with Harvard University is ‘mind-bogglingly crazy,’ says former education secretary.

June 11.  Edward Wong: Fulbright Board Resigns After Accusing Trump Aides of Political Interference. The board of the prestigious program told the State Department it had no right to cancel scholarships for nearly 200 American professors and researchers.

June 27. Leyland Cecco: University of Toronto agrees to host Harvard students facing Trump visa restrictions. Pact will help international students finish their studies amid Harvard’s legal battle with Trump administration.

August 11.   Andy Rose: These college leaders are keeping the heat on in battle with Trump administration – despite settlements by prominent schools.

August 19.   Ryan Quinn: ‘Higher Ed Alone Cannot Save Democracy’: More than a year into his presidency of the American Association of University Professors—including nearly seven months of Trump’s targeting of universities—Todd Wolfson is calling for a “multisector” fight that’s not just reactive.

October 17.   Alan Blinder: Universities Are Standing Up to Trump: A White House proposal for special funding treatment crossed a line for several schools. Some say it feels like a turning point in the federal government’s battle with higher education.

October 10.   Kimmy Yam: MIT is first school to reject Trump administration’s agenda in exchange for funding benefits.

October 16.   Alex Dash & Isha Chitirala: Penn rejects White House proposal for special funding treatment.

October 17.   Ryan Quinn: UVA, Dartmouth Latest to Reject Trump’s Higher Ed Compact: The University of Virginia is the first public, and Southern, institution to publicly turn down the administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”

October 20.   Susan Svrluga & Emily Davies: White House hits road block in effort to get top colleges to sign deal: Six of nine universities that were asked to sign an agreement in exchange for funding advantages have rejected the offer ahead of Monday’s deadline for responses.