Professors Demand End to Political Coercion in Higher Education Policy

WASHINGTON

In a significant move, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have jointly challenged Education Secretary Linda McMahon's initiative known as "A National Call to Action to University Presidents and Governing Boards," often referred to as “Compact 2.0.”

In their letter, titled "A National Call to Action to the Secretary of Education," AAUP President Todd Wolfson and AFT President Randi Weingarten urge the Trump administration to stop using taxpayer money and civil rights enforcement as tools to politically influence higher education institutions into complying with their policies.

The letter from Wolfson and Weingarten calls for the cessation of arbitrary cancellations of grants and funding threats. It emphasizes the need for explicit protections of academic freedom and free speech for all members of the academic community, as well as a rejection of any government-imposed ideological censorship. Furthermore, the letter demands safeguards for artificial intelligence and protection for students and scholars, irrespective of their research topics or viewpoints being in line with the administration's stance.

A 30-day deadline has been set by AAUP and AFT for Secretary McMahon to provide written confirmation that no educational institution will suffer federal retaliation or receive preferential treatment based on their response to McMahon’s Compact 2.0.

To read the full text of “A National Call to Action to the Secretary of Education”, click here.

AFT's Representation

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