AAC&U Statement on the Trump Administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”Washington, DC, Oct. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In April, leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies called for constructive engagement with government in response to unprecedented overreach and political interference in higher education—expressing openness to constructive reform and acceptance of legitimate government oversight, while also affirming the core principles, shared values, and established legal framework on which the American system of higher education rests.
Leaders of America’s Colleges, Universities, and Scholarly Societies Call for Constructive Engagement in Response to Ongoing Government Intrusion into Higher EducationWashington, DC, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) today released a statement from college and university presidents and leaders of scholarly societies in response to ongoing actions by the Trump administration affecting higher education. Titled “A Call for Constructive Engagement,” the statement marks the first time current presidents have spoken out collectively in large numbers about these issues. “We speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education,” they said. The statement emerged from convenings of leaders organized by AAC&U and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences to take stock of the current situation and deliberate on possibilities for a unified defense of learning and higher education.
Free Speech Matters: A Statement on the Ongoing Campus Protests and the Upcoming Congressional HearingWashington, DC, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Academic freedom and freedom of expression are fundamental to higher education. Where these freedoms operate, ideas are shared, challenged, discussed, and debated without fear of retribution or censorship—even when those ideas are unpopular, even when those ideas are offensive. Through this free exchange of ideas in pursuit of truth, knowledge advances and expands. Learning and understanding result when different points of view and deeply held beliefs are expressed freely, questioned openly, and evaluated critically. This is the essential purpose of a college or university in a diverse, democratic society.
Institute for Democracy and Higher Education Transitions from Tufts University to AAC&UWashington, DC, Oct. 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) announced today the transition of the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education from the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University to AAC&U.
AAC&U Statement on the US Supreme Court’s Decision on Race-Conscious AdmissionsWashington, DC, June 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today’s decision by the US Supreme Court to prohibit the use of race as a factor in college admissions constitutes a major setback for higher education and for our democracy. It greatly complicates the efforts of colleges and universities to design holistic admissions policies that advance their distinctive missions and to create educational environments and experiences that produce the learning outcomes they seek for their students.
