Introduction to the Controversy
Some Northwestern University faculty members are calling on campus leaders to stand up to President Donald Trump’s administration, which has frozen $790 million in federal research funding to the Evanston school amid allegations that campus leaders fostered antisemitism. They say they oppose dealmaking with a “lawless” president.
Allegations of Exploitation
These Northwestern professors and some students have accused Trump of exploiting antisemitism in order to suppress First Amendment-protected speech and bring universities in line with his conservative agenda. Five Jewish senators have also directed this criticism at Trump.
Fear of Setting a Precedent
The professors fear their school will follow the examples of Columbia University and Brown University, both of which have made deals in recent days with federal officials to regain hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and contracts following similar claims. Columbia agreed to pay the federal government $200 million and adopt a controversial and broad definition of antisemitism that includes criticism of Israel. Brown agreed to pay $50 million to local workforce development programs and to restrict recognition of transgender students.
Call to Action
“We call on Northwestern’s leadership to resist the administration’s attack on fundamental democratic principles by refusing to ‘make a deal’ with the administration,” wrote Northwestern’s Concerned Faculty in a letter published this week. The group includes professors from the schools of arts and sciences, education and social policy, engineering, law and medicine.
Potential Consequences of Acquiescence
“Acquiescence to the administration’s tactics would make Northwestern complicit in an assault on institutions of higher education, which are an essential bulwark of civil society,” the professors wrote in the letter. Northwestern’s spokesperson did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment.
Support from Faculty Assembly
“There is a clear, incontrovertible record that the highest legislative body of Northwestern faculty overwhelmingly opposes the sort of capitulation of Columbia University recently announced,” wrote Jackie Stevens, president of Northwestern’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, in a separate letter to campus leaders. “Complying with unlawful demands of government officials is giving into extortion, as our members have pointed out.” Stevens cited an April vote in which a majority of Northwestern’s Faculty Assembly passed the following resolution: “The Board of Trustees, President, Provost, Deans, and the Faculty Senate shall actively defend academic freedom, including by publicly and steadfastly opposing an organized campaign that is bent on restricting our scholarly and public dialogues.”
Criticism of University Leadership
In an interview with WBEZ, Stevens said she is disappointed Northwestern President Michael Schill and the university’s trustees have not pursued legal actions in the face of Trump’s attempts to control campus policies. “The board [of trustees] is really prioritizing hoarding the funds in the endowment and hoarding the good relations with the federal government to fund contract research that is beneficial to their business interests,” Stevens said. “What they’re not interested in doing is preserving the university’s mission of education.”
Conclusion
The situation at Northwestern University highlights the challenges faced by institutions of higher education in the face of political pressure and allegations of antisemitism. The faculty members’ call to action and criticism of university leadership underscore the importance of defending academic freedom and resisting attempts to suppress protected speech.
FAQs
Q: What is the reason for the frozen federal research funding to Northwestern University?
A: The funding was frozen amid allegations that campus leaders fostered antisemitism.
Q: What do the Northwestern professors oppose?
A: They oppose dealmaking with the Trump administration, which they describe as “lawless”.
Q: What are the concerns of the professors?
A: They fear that their school will follow the examples of Columbia University and Brown University, which made deals with federal officials to regain funding.
Q: What is the stance of the Faculty Assembly?
A: The Faculty Assembly passed a resolution to defend academic freedom and oppose any attempts to restrict scholarly and public dialogues.
Q: What is the criticism of university leadership?
A: The leadership is accused of prioritizing business interests over preserving the university’s mission of education.
