URBANA — University of Illinois faculty members are urging the school to join an effort to protect Big Ten universities from being targeted by the Trump administration.
Under the “mutual academic defense compact,” participating schools would share financial and legal resources in the face of any challenges from the federal government. The U of I faculty, staff and student senate became the ninth out of 18 Big Ten faculty bodies to voice support for the idea.
“The read of the room was one of hope and excitement. It was unlike any other Senate meeting this year,” said U of I education professor Jon Hale.
Hale said the campus is being attacked on multiple fronts — from researchers losing large grants to student visas being temporarily revoked.
The idea of a mutual defense compact started with professors at Rutgers University. English teaching professor Shawn Gilmore organized the resolution in Urbana.
“It’s going to be very easy for each school to feel isolated if something comes their way in the near future,” he said. “Amongst the schools like Columbia and Harvard, they have a lot of money to help with that issue. Some schools in the Big Ten are just not as well funded as others.”
University spokesperson Robin Kaler said the U of I already collaborates with peer institutions through groups like the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the Association of American Universities. She said administrators value the opportunity to engage with the university senate on the issue.
Gilmore said he hopes the university reads the resolution as encouragement to keep going with those alliances.
The Senate approved a second resolution on Monday about defending the university’s core values and academic freedom. For example, the resolution calls on the university to resist reorganizing or closing academic departments in response to political pressure.
Both resolutions are non-binding. Hale said faculty will now get to work convincing administrators to make the compact a reality.