Minnesota colleges sign onto letter condemning 'government overreach'

[THEME MUSIC] EMILY BRIGHT: Our top story today, more than 300 college presidents and administrators from around the country signed on to a letter denouncing, quote, "unprecedented government overreach and political interference in higher education." So far, at least eight Minnesota colleges have signed on, with the list growing by the hour.

Since President Trump was elected to office, his administration has worked to revoke diversity, equity, and inclusion policies at colleges, launched investigations into anti-Semitism and trans athletes on campuses, and threatened to withhold universities federal funding.

The letter was released yesterday, by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. One of the signees is Suzanne Rivera. She is the President of Macalester College in Saint Paul, and is on the Board of the AACU, which sent the letter. She joins me now.

Dr. Rivera, thank you for coming on the program.

SUZANNE RIVERA: Thanks for having me.

EMILY BRIGHT: I want to start by just reading the beginning of this letter.

It says, quote, "As leaders of America's colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.", end quote.

What are you hoping this letter conveys?

SUZANNE RIVERA: Well, I think this letter is just one form of collective action that's being taken to demonstrate that the higher ED sector, which is made up of more than 4,000 colleges and universities, has a sense of shared purpose in this moment.

We exist to educate our students, but we do more than that. We also develop knowledge, and engage in creative production, and contribute to a thriving democracy. And so, the feeling is that to the extent policy changes or executive orders or other initiatives are interfering with our ability to deliver a quality educational experience, or for that matter, to promote free inquiry or support our students and employees to learn and discover together on our campuses, the signers feel that we have an obligation to protect our people and our institutions.

EMILY BRIGHT: Yeah. What actions from the administration do you see as endangering higher education in this country?

SUZANNE RIVERA: Well, first and foremost, I think not only me, but other college and university presidents are concerned about the well-being of members of our campus communities, who may feel vulnerable or targeted by some recent policy shifts. But we also are feeling concerned about promoting the missions and values of our institutions.

So to be more specific, we're concerned about the safety and well-being of students who are not US citizens perhaps, who are visa holders, and others who recently have been made more vulnerable in ways that are really challenging. But that's concern about the people in our communities.

We're also concerned about our institutions, with regard to intrusions into curricular decision-making, how we can be organized, what clubs and events we can have. Essentially, how we operate. So both principles of academic freedom, but also, constitutionally protected freedoms of expression and assembly, that we believe are so fundamental, in this moment, feel like they need to be defended.

EMILY BRIGHT: One thing that struck me, this letter was signed by presidents and administrators of both large public research universities and small private colleges. What's the significance of having so many leaders from so many different types of institutions signing this letter?

SUZANNE RIVERA: Well, I think it's one of the things that makes the US higher ed system really the crown jewel of the world. It's that we've got all these different kinds of institutions, so that everyone who wants post-secondary education can find it in the kind of place that's right for them.

Whether that's a community college, or a large state university, or a small liberal arts college like Macalester in Saint Paul, or a technical school, or a big comprehensive private university, including the Ivies, there's a place that's the right fit for everyone who wants post-secondary education.

And I think the beauty of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, which was the group that convened to create this letter, AACU is a global membership organization, but it's really dedicated to this shared sense of purpose around advancing democracy through education.

So I think it's a real show of force to have so many different kinds of higher ed institutions all unite in this effort and, as the letter says, "speak with one voice" about the public purpose of higher education, and why it's necessary to protect it.

EMILY BRIGHT: Yeah. And that number of signees has been growing throughout this morning even.

I know your research of late has focused on the role of college educators, that they play in fostering a healthy democracy. So just briefly, could you connect those dots between a public that has access to college education and healthy government?

SUZANNE RIVERA: Sure. We know that people who graduate from college improve their lives in many, many different ways that have been demonstrated empirically, in terms of things like lifetime earnings and lifespan and self-reported happiness.

But even people who don't get a college degree benefit from colleges and universities, because they really serve as anchor institutions in their communities. They employ a lot of people. They buy a lot of goods and services. They put on arts and culture events, and athletic contests, and other things that local residents enjoy. And in so doing, in educating people and in being conveners in their communities, they help contribute to a well-informed public, who can be better engaged citizens and participants in our democracy.

EMILY BRIGHT: Thank you for that. And I understand that on this list, nobody wants to get singled out as the voice of higher education. But I'm curious, were you concerned that Macalester would be targeted for your signing this letter, or do you find comfort that there are hundreds of other universities also on the list?

SUZANNE RIVERA: I think it always feels good to be in solidarity with other like-minded institutions when taking any kind of action. But I've been very well-supported by my board in Macalester's, really sticking with our mission, and amplifying what we're here for, and that is helping us to navigate this time of turbulence. We say in Macalester, education is to create a more just and peaceful world, and we're going to continue doing that.

EMILY BRIGHT: What repercussions is the board preparing for? If any?

SUZANNE RIVERA: Well, Macalester, like all higher ed institutions that accept federal funds, is aware that some of those funds could be vulnerable. We've already had at least one grant-- research grant canceled. And we're mindful, we're watching what's happening across the country, and we're mindful that other institutions are experiencing clawbacks of federal funds.

For us, the majority of federal funds come in the form of financial aid for students, and expanding access to higher education is a real priority for us. So we are watching closely, we're monitoring closely with concern, the possibility that changes in the US Department of Education and some of its programs that are designed to expand access by supporting students from lower income backgrounds could be affected.

So far, that's not the case, and we hope that our students can continue to enjoy taxpayer support of financial aid, because we know it will help them accomplish their goal of receiving a college degree and becoming contributing members of our society and democracy.

EMILY BRIGHT: Yeah. And you talked about working to support your students during this time. And I know we've been covering here, at MPR News, the instances in Minnesota when-- the instances of a few students getting their visas revoked. I know this hasn't happened, as far as I know, to any students at Macalester as of today, but I'm curious, how the University has been supporting its international students during this time?

SUZANNE RIVERA: Well, Macalester, for a long time, has emphasized global citizenship as part of our core mission. It's very important to us. Not only that we are welcoming to students from all around the world, but also that we give them the support they need to flourish and thrive when they arrive on our campus.

So we have a robust system for supporting them in times that are a little easier than the times we have right now. And we have redoubled our efforts in order to provide even more support, not just emotional support, given the anxiety at the moment, but specific advice about how to maintain their visas in good standing, and how to be able to continue their studies in order to make progress toward degree.

Of course, the ground shifts under our feet every day as we watch the news. So it's important for us to be really vigilant and to seek legal advice so that we can give the best possible support to our students.

EMILY BRIGHT: Well, Dr. Rivera, in our last minute or so left, I just want to mention, this letter is titled, "A Call for Constructive Engagement." I was really struck by that. So what does that mean to you, and what changes do you hope this letter provokes?

SUZANNE RIVERA: Well, what we mean by "constructive engagement" is deep, meaningful dialogue about how the higher ed sector can be made more effective, how we can expand access so that the benefits of post-secondary education can be made available to more students for strengthening our economy and our society. And that means, talking to each other across political differences, and agreeing on some-- some common ground, some sense of shared purpose, as opposed to being in a reactive more to unilateral policy shifts or pronouncements that are not always necessarily informed by people who have expertise in managing higher ed institutions or improving education for the purpose of making sure that it's available to the most people, so that we can all benefit from it.

EMILY BRIGHT: Well, it's a story we will continue to follow. I want to thank you for your time.

SUZANNE RIVERA: Thanks for having me.

EMILY BRIGHT: That was Suzanne Rivera, the president of Macalester College in Saint Paul.