Faculties of Big 10 schools push to form 'defense compact' against Trump admin

Faculties at several Big Ten universities have approved resolutions urging their leaders to sign an agreement forming a NATO-style alliance with other members to defend against potential actions by the federal government. The effort comes as the Trump administration moves to crack down on radical left-wing policies on campuses and foreign students engaged in “known illegal” activity, according to a report by The Washington Post.

The proposed compact would allow universities to share attorneys and financial resources should the Trump administration target one of the member schools. The Post reported that many professors see the agreement as essential to protecting themselves from the administration's actions.

Faculty members at six universities have signed resolutions urging their administrations to agree to the alliance: Indiana University, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Rutgers University, and University of Washington.

The resolutions come as the Trump administration has threatened to freeze billions of dollars in federal funding to colleges over issues such as antisemitism on campuses, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and failure to disclose foreign donations. Ivy League institutions such as Harvard University, in particular, have recently faced scrutiny, but Big Ten universities appear to be acting cautiously.

“Big Ten institutions haven’t been in the crosshairs, but they can read the writing on the wall,” said Jon Fansmith, senior vice president for the American Council on Education, according to The Post.

Last month, nine Big Ten universities were among 60 institutions warned by the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights about "potential enforcement actions" regarding violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act related to antisemitic discrimination on campuses.

Rutgers University faculty were the first to back the Big Ten compact, passing a resolution on March 28. The resolution stated that “politically motivated actions by governmental bodies pose a significant threat to the foundational principles of American higher education, including the autonomy of university governance, the integrity of scientific research, and the protection of free speech.” Organizers at Rutgers are also planning a teach-in next week and May Day protests alongside other campuses.

At the University of Michigan, which has an endowment of more than $19 billion, the faculty senate overwhelmingly voted last weekend to support the compact.