AAUP Urges Yale to Reject Closed-Door Settlement with Trump Administration

Yale University Urged to Reject Closed-Door Settlement with Trump Administration

WASHINGTON–A coalition consisting of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), AFT Connecticut, Yale AAUP, and the national AFT has made a formal appeal to Yale University's Board of Trustees. The groups are advising against entering into any behind-the-scenes agreements with the Trump administration concerning the university's admissions policies.

The coalition's letter emphasizes that yielding to political demands could jeopardize academic freedom, shared governance, and the university's independence.

Furthermore, the letter expresses disapproval of any potential agreements that may allow federal officials to influence various aspects of university operations, including admissions, faculty hiring, curriculum decisions, research, medical practices, campus speech, student discipline, or faculty governance.

Currently, the Trump administration is conducting a comprehensive investigation that extends to Yale's School of Medicine, undergraduate admissions, and law school. Instead of threatening to cut research funding, federal authorities are using potential litigation as leverage to push for compliance. The letter states, "Yale has the resources, stature, and responsibility to stand firm. It should defend academic freedom in public in solidarity with the broader higher education community, and in accordance with the principles that make a university worthy of the name."

The full letter is available here.

About the American Association of University Professors:

The mission of the AAUP is to advance academic freedom and shared governance; to define fundamental professional values and standards for higher education; to promote the economic security of faculty, academic professionals, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and all those engaged in teaching and research in higher education; to help the higher education community organize to make our goals a reality; and to ensure higher education’s contribution to the common good. Founded in 1915, the AAUP has helped to shape American higher education by developing the standards and procedures that maintain quality in education and academic freedom in this country’s colleges and universities.

Key Organizations Involved

The AFT represents 1.8 million individuals, including pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals, school-related personnel, higher education faculty and professional staff, government employees, nurses and healthcare workers, and early childhood educators.