Statement of Support for all Research Universities

Founded in 1900, the Association of American Universities (AAU) is composed of America’s leading research universities. AAU member universities help shape policy for higher education, science, and innovation. Both Columbia and Harvard are members of AAU. Harvard, the current target of the Trump administration’s efforts to regulate American universities, is being heavily penalized for resisting many of the administration’s demands. Columbia, which attempted to comply with some of the demands, saw its president booed during commencement. Recalling the phrase, “united we stand, divided we fall,” why doesn’t the AAU issue a public statement affirming the commitment shared by all member universities, including Columbia and Harvard, to combat antisemitism and all other forms of discrimination on their campuses? This statement would urge the Trump administration to stop canceling research funds awarded to universities, to immediately restore all funds previously canceled, to maintain the tax-exempt status of all universities, and to maintain the ability of all universities to enroll international students. The Jerusalem Post reported that while the international student population in the United States had a 15% drop in enrollment during the 2020-2021 academic year, the number of Israeli students had a 10% rise from the previous year. At the request of Harvard, a federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked implementation of a Trump administration ban on the enrollment of international students in American universities.