Several leading US universities have quietly formed a private collective to push back against the Trump administration’s efforts to control research funding and academic policies, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The group, made up of about 10 prestigious institutions including Ivy League schools and major private research universities, has been meeting privately to plan strategies. Their discussions intensified after the administration presented Harvard University with a list of demands viewed widely across academia as a threat to university autonomy.
The collective includes university presidents, trustees, and other senior leaders. They have discussed setting clear boundaries for negotiations with the government and have prepared for different scenarios if funding is cut or regulations are tightened. The goal is to prevent individual schools from making separate deals that could set precedents affecting the entire sector, sources familiar with the effort said.
The Trump administration has used the threat of freezing or cancelling billions in research grants to pressure schools, citing a need to address antisemitism on campuses. According to a source familiar to The Wall Street Journal, the government's task force said that the administration had warned at least one university leadership group not to coordinate with others in resisting these demands.
The universities have agreed that they will not compromise on core issues such as control over admissions, faculty hiring, and academic curriculum. One participant in the discussions pointed out, "Several of the schools have been around for 300 years, while President Trump has been in office for three months."
Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, said he was aware of the talks. “I’m encouraged that they’re going on,” he said. “This kind of exchange helps institutions understand the impacts of government actions across campuses and to identify critical non-negotiables that have no place in government regulation.”
The Trump administration created a Task Force to Combat Antisemitism that has focused on university policies. Columbia University has already accepted several of its demands. Other schools worry that the government may move to block international students and faculty, which would affect both tuition revenue and research programs, as per a report by The Wall Street Journal.
University leaders expect more institutions to join their efforts over time. Members see themselves as the center of resistance against what they describe as government overreach. During his campaign, President Trump promised “to reclaim our once great educational institutions from the radical Left.”
In February, the administration ordered a cap on research overhead funds, which a federal judge later froze. After the task force withheld funds at Columbia, Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber wrote in The Atlantic, “The attack on Columbia is a radical threat to scholarly excellence and to America’s leadership in research. Universities and their leaders should speak up and litigate forcefully to protect their rights.”
Though many leaders were cautious about making public statements, conversations about a coordinated response grew during meetings and conferences. Their sense of urgency increased after Harvard went public with a government demand list that included audits of its hiring, admissions, and political diversity on faculty. Harvard President Alan Garber rejected these demands, leading to a $2.26 billion cut in research funding and additional government probes. Harvard has since filed a lawsuit, with an initial court hearing scheduled in Boston.
The formation of the private collective adds a new dimension to public resistance efforts. Over 500 higher education leaders have signed a petition led by the American Association of College and Universities, criticizing government interference. Faculty groups at Big Ten universities, including Michigan, Rutgers, and Indiana, have also passed resolutions encouraging resistance.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The group, made up of about 10 prestigious institutions including Ivy League schools and major private research universities, has been meeting privately to plan strategies. Their discussions intensified after the administration presented Harvard University with a list of demands viewed widely across academia as a threat to university autonomy.
The collective includes university presidents, trustees, and other senior leaders. They have discussed setting clear boundaries for negotiations with the government and have prepared for different scenarios if funding is cut or regulations are tightened. The goal is to prevent individual schools from making separate deals that could set precedents affecting the entire sector, sources familiar with the effort said.
The Trump administration has used the threat of freezing or cancelling billions in research grants to pressure schools, citing a need to address antisemitism on campuses. According to a source familiar to The Wall Street Journal, the government's task force said that the administration had warned at least one university leadership group not to coordinate with others in resisting these demands.
The universities have agreed that they will not compromise on core issues such as control over admissions, faculty hiring, and academic curriculum. One participant in the discussions pointed out, "Several of the schools have been around for 300 years, while President Trump has been in office for three months."
Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, said he was aware of the talks. “I’m encouraged that they’re going on,” he said. “This kind of exchange helps institutions understand the impacts of government actions across campuses and to identify critical non-negotiables that have no place in government regulation.”
The Trump administration created a Task Force to Combat Antisemitism that has focused on university policies. Columbia University has already accepted several of its demands. Other schools worry that the government may move to block international students and faculty, which would affect both tuition revenue and research programs, as per a report by The Wall Street Journal.
University leaders expect more institutions to join their efforts over time. Members see themselves as the center of resistance against what they describe as government overreach. During his campaign, President Trump promised “to reclaim our once great educational institutions from the radical Left.”
In February, the administration ordered a cap on research overhead funds, which a federal judge later froze. After the task force withheld funds at Columbia, Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber wrote in The Atlantic, “The attack on Columbia is a radical threat to scholarly excellence and to America’s leadership in research. Universities and their leaders should speak up and litigate forcefully to protect their rights.”
Though many leaders were cautious about making public statements, conversations about a coordinated response grew during meetings and conferences. Their sense of urgency increased after Harvard went public with a government demand list that included audits of its hiring, admissions, and political diversity on faculty. Harvard President Alan Garber rejected these demands, leading to a $2.26 billion cut in research funding and additional government probes. Harvard has since filed a lawsuit, with an initial court hearing scheduled in Boston.
The formation of the private collective adds a new dimension to public resistance efforts. Over 500 higher education leaders have signed a petition led by the American Association of College and Universities, criticizing government interference. Faculty groups at Big Ten universities, including Michigan, Rutgers, and Indiana, have also passed resolutions encouraging resistance.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment, according to The Wall Street Journal.
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