In a recent address at Hamilton College in upstate New York, former President Barack Obama urged universities to uphold their academic freedom amid mounting pressures from the federal government. He emphasized the importance of self-assessment for educational institutions, stating,
Obama’s remarks come in response to the Trump administration’s recent actions threatening substantial funding cuts to major universities. In March, Columbia University saw $400 million in grants and contracts revoked. Subsequently, the University of Pennsylvania faced a suspension of $175 million, and Harvard University is currently under review for approximately $9 billion in federal arrangements.
These financial measures are part of the administration’s broader initiative to address alleged antisemitism on campuses, particularly following pro-Palestinian protests linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Over 60 universities are under investigation by the Department of Education for purportedly failing to protect Jewish students, with the Justice Department probing incidents at ten institutions.
In light of these developments, Obama encouraged universities to stand firm against intimidation, suggesting that endowments could serve as a buffer during such times.
“If you are a university, you may have to figure out, are we in fact doing things right? Have we in fact violated our own values, our own code, violated the law in some fashion?,” Obama said during the conversation. “If not, and you’re just being intimidated, well, you should be able to say, ‘That’s why we got this big endowment. We’ll stand up for what we believe in, and we’ll pay our researchers for a while out of that endowment, and we’ll give up the extra wing or the fancy gymnasium — that we can delay that for a couple of years because academic freedom might be a little more important,’.”
Echoing Obama’s sentiments, Lawrence Summers, former President of Harvard University and Obama’s top economic adviser, advocated for utilizing endowment funds to uphold institutional principles.
“Believe me, a former president of Harvard, when I say that ways can be found in an emergency to deploy even parts of the endowment that have been earmarked by their donors for other uses,” Summers asserted in a recent New York Times guest essay.
The Trump administration’s scrutiny has extended to other prestigious institutions. Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber labeled the targeting of Columbia University “the greatest threat to American universities since the Red Scare of the 1950s.”
Obama also addressed the legal community, urging law firms facing governmental pressure to uphold their principles, even at the risk of losing business. He emphasized the importance of defending free expression, stating that everyone should stand up for the rights of others to say wrong and hurtful things.
As universities navigate these challenges, Obama’s call to action underscores the critical balance between maintaining academic freedom and addressing governmental concerns, highlighting the enduring importance of open dialogue and institutional integrity in higher education.
