University of California: Reject the federal government's political control

We, a network of alumni and friends of the University of California, call on UC’s President and Regents to vigorously and publicly defend the core values that make higher education a cornerstone of American democracy: academic freedom, learning and inquiry free from undue government interference, and educational opportunity for all.

The Trump administration’s escalating campaign against American colleges and universities threatens not only these values but the very foundation of higher education itself. Its goal is not legitimate government oversight, but rather to reshape the core functions of higher education — including admissions, hiring, governance, and curriculum — in order to impose control over what people are allowed to study, write, say, think, and do. 

While a handful of elite private universities draw the most headlines, all of higher education is under siege, including our internationally renowned UC system. Among American universities, UC uniquely expresses our nation's democratic promise. The University of California serves more low-income and first-generation students than any other top-ranked university in the nation, and these graduates go on to power California's hospitals, schools, businesses, local governments, and cultural institutions, driving the fifth largest economy in the world.

No university is immune to the effects of this administration’s attacks. UC must stand united with the broader higher education community and resist political coercion. This is not the time to stay silent or stand alone. 

Specifically, we ask that you:

1) Publicly reaffirm UC’s commitment to free expression, academic independence, and the university’s mission to advance knowledge without political interference.

2) Reject and resist any illegitimate federal pressure to control curricula and hiring, suppress faculty or student speech, or alter admissions or governance policies.

3) Join peer institutions to form a united front defending higher education from politically motivated attacks.

4) Maintain transparency and accountability with alumni, students, faculty, staff, and the broader public about how UC is addressing these threats.

Decades from now, let the University of California be remembered for standing firm for higher education’s mission and values, for all members of its community, and for the democratic freedoms it was founded to uphold.

Sincerely,

UC Unbowed, and our allies and supporters across California and the country, including: