The American Political Science Association (APSA) is deeply concerned by recent attacks on the independence of colleges and universities in the United States. Over the past few weeks, there have been instances of hundreds of millions of dollars of federal grants and contracts for colleges and universities being cancelled or suspended, paired with promises of reinstating funding in return for compliance with a list of demands for institutional overhaul. Some of the funding being withheld had already been appropriated and distributed to the institutions. Furthermore, the Department of Education has circulated a list of institutions of higher education that will be under investigation, and therefore, likely candidates for possible future funding cancellations. While the Administration’s reasoning for the withdrawals of funding and investigations varies by institution, they are primarily in retaliation for university handling of campus protests about Gaza, policies regarding transgender athletes, and support for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
The withholding of federal funds and the threat of withholding funds, without relevant and proper investigation into alleged violations or protections of due process, is a dangerous strategy used to discipline institutions of higher education for perceived political noncompliance. These tactics and decisions jeopardize the independence of colleges and universities and undermine the basic principles of academic freedom. These actions implicitly threaten the ability of scholars to freely engage in scientific research and may stifle the advancements of science in our society.
It is imperative that institutions of higher education retain their independence and academic freedom in order to serve as effective leaders in innovation, producers of evidence-based knowledge, and drivers of workforce development. Attempts to destabilize the pursuit of scientific inquiry will cause serious harm to the scholarly leadership and competitive edge of the U.S. for years to come. APSA calls on the current administration to cease these needless attacks on institutions of higher education and to reaffirm federal support for research, education, and innovation.
Taeku Lee
APSA President
Susan Stokes
APSA President-Elect
Mark Warren
APSA Past President
Kimberly A. Mealy
APSA Executive Director