On April 22, APA CEO Dr. Arthur C. Evans, Jr. joined over 400 higher education leaders in signing a statement from the American Association of Colleges and Universities urging constructive engagement with the government to strengthen higher education:

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. We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight. However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses. We will always seek effective and fair financial practices, but we must reject the coercive use of public research funding.

America’s system of higher learning is as varied as the goals and dreams of the students it serves. It includes research universities and community colleges; comprehensive universities and liberal arts colleges; public institutions and private ones; freestanding and multi-site campuses. Some institutions are designed for all students, and others are dedicated to serving particular groups. Yet, American institutions of higher learning have in common the essential freedom to determine, on academic grounds, whom to admit and what is taught, how, and by whom. Our colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry where, in their pursuit of truth, faculty, students, and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation.

Because of these freedoms, American institutions of higher learning are essential to American prosperity and serve as productive partners with government in promoting the common good. Colleges and universities are engines of opportunity and mobility, anchor institutions that contribute to economic and cultural vitality regionally and in our local communities. They foster creativity and innovation, provide human resources to meet the fast-changing demands of our dynamic workforce, and are themselves major employers. They nurture the scholarly pursuits that ensure America’s leadership in research, and many provide healthcare and other essential services. Most fundamentally, America’s colleges and universities prepare an educated citizenry to sustain our democracy.

The price of abridging the defining freedoms of American higher education will be paid by our students and our society. On behalf of our current and future students, and all who work at and benefit from our institutions, we call for constructive engagement that improves our institutions and serves our republic.

Signed,

• Andrés Acebo, Interim President, New Jersey City University
• Kimo Ah Yun, President, Marquette University
• Jonathan Alger, President, American University
• Barbara K. Altmann, President, Franklin & Marshall College
• Carmen Twillie Ambar, President, Oberlin College
• Suzanne Ames, President, Peninsula College
• Michelle J. Anderson, President, Brooklyn College
• James J. Annarelli, President, Eckerd College
• Michael D. Anthony, President, Prairie State College
• Joseph E. Aoun, President, Northeastern University
• Virginia "Ginny" Arthur, President, Metro State University
• Valerie Sheares Ashby, President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Michael Avaltroni, President, Fairleigh Dickinson University
• Lynn Babington, President, Chaminade University of Honolulu
• Denise A. Battles, President, SUNY Geneseo
• Ian Baucom, Incoming President, Middlebury College
• Rebecca M. Bergman, President, Gustavus Adolphus College
• Corey Bradford, Interim President, Governors State University
• Thomas R. Bailey, President, Teachers College, Columbia University
• John C. Bravman, President, Bucknell University
• Allan Belton, President, Pacific Lutheran University
• Hubert Benitez, President, Saint Peter's University
• Joanne Berger-Sweeney, President, Trinity College (CT)
• Jay M. Bernhardt, President, Emerson College
• Michael A. Bernstein, President, The College of New Jersey
• Joe Bertolino, President, Stockton University
• Audrey Bilger, President, Reed College
• James Birge, President, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
• Erik J. Bitterbaum, President, SUNY Cortland
• Robert E. Bohrer II, President, Hiram College
• Sarah Bolton, President, Whitman College
• Mary H. Bonderoff, President, SUNY Delhi
• Leon Botstein, President, Bard College
• Eric Boynton, President, Beloit College
• Vincent Boudreau, President, The City College of the City University of New York
• Elizabeth H. Bradley, President, Vassar College
• Frances Bronet, President, Pratt Institute
• Brian Bruess, President, College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
• Joshua C. Brumberg, President, The Graduate Center, CUNY
• Andrew Burton-Jones, President, Association for Information Systems (AIS)
• Adam Bush, President, College Unbound
• Alison Byerly, President, Carleton College
• Wendy Cadge, President and Professor of Sociology, Bryn Mawr College
• Christopher Callahan, President, University of the Pacific
• Nancy Cantor, President, Hunter College CUNY
• Alberto Jose Cardelle, President, SUNY Oneonta
• Seamus Carey, President, Iona University
• John Carmichael, President, The Evergreen State College
• Laurie A. Carter, President, Lawrence University
• Brian W. Casey, President, Colgate University
• Ana Mari Cauce, Professor and President, University of Washington
• Andrea Chapdelaine, President, Connecticut College
• Julie Chen, Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Thom D. Chesney, President, Southwestern College (NM)
• E. LaBrent Chrite, President, Bentley University
• Christina Clark, President, La Roche University
• Daisy Cocco De Filippis, President, Hostos Community College/CUNY
• Bryan F. Coker, President, Maryville College
• Ronald B. Cole, President, Allegheny College
• Soraya Coley, President, Cal Poly Pomona
• Jennifer Collins, President, Rhodes College
• Michael F. Collins, Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
• John Comerford, President, Otterbein University
• Katie Conboy, President, Saint Mary's College (IN)
• Marc C. Conner, President, Skidmore College
• Joy Connolly, President, American Council of Learned Societies
• Jane C. Conoley, President, California State University, Long Beach
• Melanie Corn, President, Columbus College of Art & Design
• La Jerne Terry Cornish, President, Ithaca College
• Grant Cornwell, President, Rollins College
• Jennifer Coyle, President, Pacific University
• Isiaah Crawford, President, University of Puget Sound
• Ann E. Cudd, President, Portland State University
• Lindsay Currie, CEO, Council on Undergraduate Research
• Janine Davidson, President, Metropolitan State University of Denver
• Fernando Delgado, President, Lehman College
• Gregory G. Dell'Omo, President, Rider University
• Nora Demleitner, President, St. John's College
• Kent Devereaux, President, Goucher College
• Jim Dlugos, Interim President, Landmark College
• Bethami Dobkin, President, Westminster University
• Peter Donohue, OSA, President, Villanova University
• Susan M. Donovan, President, Bellarmine University
• Tawny Dotson, President, Yuba College
• Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., President, University of Notre Dame
• Suri Duitch, President, Kingsborough Community College
• Harry Dumay, President, Elms College
• Bonita R. Durand, Interim President, Buffalo State University SUNY
• Raj Echambadi, President, Illinois Institute of Technology
• Pam Eddinger, President, Bunker Hill Community College
• Christopher L. Eisgruber, President, Princeton University
• Michael A. Elliott, President, Amherst College
• Alexander Enyedi, President, SUNY Plattsburgh
• Kristin G. Esterberg, Chancellor, University of Washington Bothell
• Arthur C. Evans, Jr., Chief Executive Officer/Executive Vice President, American Psychological Association
• Marcheta P. Evans, President, St. Catherine University
• Jane Fernandes, President, Antioch College
• Roland Fernandes, General Secretary, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
• Damian J. Fernandez, President, Warren Wilson College
• David Fike, President, Golden Gate University
• David Fithian, President, Clark University
• Michael L. Frandsen, President, Wittenberg University
• Lisa C. Freeman, President, Northern Illinois University
• Julio Frenk, Chancellor, UCLA
• John Fry, President, Temple University
• Montserrat Fuentes, President, St. Edward's University
• Mark A. Fuller, Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
• Robert Gaines, Acting President, Pomona College
• Lawrence Galizio, President and CEO, Community College League of California
• James Gandre, President, Manhattan School of Music
• Alan M. Garber, President, Harvard University
• Jay D. Gatrell, President, Eastern Illinois University
• Michael H. Gavin, President, Delta College
• Mark D. Gearan, President, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• Robert Gervasi, President, Mount Saint Mary College
• Melissa Gilliam, President, Boston University
• Howard Gillman, Chancellor, University of California, Irvine
• Jeff Gingerich, President, St. Bonaventure University
• Mark R. Ginsberg, President, Towson University
• Lane A. Glenn, President, Northern Essex Community College
• Jorge G. Gonzalez, President, Kalamazoo College
• Janet L. Gooch, Chancellor, University of Illinois Springfield
• Ellen M. Granberg, President, The George Washington University
• Mary K. Grant, President, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
• Jonathan D. Green, President, Susquehanna University
• David A. Greene, President, Colby College
• James J. Greenfield, OSFS, President, DeSales University
• James Grossman, Executive Director, American Historical Association
• Robert M. Groves, Interim President, Georgetown University
• William R. Groves, Chancellor, Antioch University
• Jeremy Haefner, Chancellor, University of Denver
• Merodie Hancock, President, Thomas Edison State University
• Robyn Hannigan, President, Ursinus College
• Yoshiko Harden, President, Renton Technical College
• David Harker, Executive Director, Partners for Campus-Community Engagement (PCCE)
• Kathleen E. Harring, President, Muhlenberg College
• Anne F. Harris, President, Grinnell College
• David Harris, President, Union College
• James T. Harris, President, University of San Diego
• Marjorie Hass, President, Council of Independent Colleges
• Susan Hasseler, President, Muskingum University
• Antoinette Hays, President, Regis College
• Peggy Heinrich, President, Elgin Community College
• Richard J. Helldobler, President, William Paterson University
• Wendy Hensel, President, University of Hawaii
• James Herbert, President, University of New England
• Alejandro (Alex) Hernandez, President, Champlain College
• Doug Hicks, President, Davidson College
• Mary Dana Hinton, President, Hollins University
• John L. Hoffman, President, Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College
• Danielle R. Holley, President, Mount Holyoke College
• Jonathan Holloway, President, Rutgers University
• Robin Holmes-Sullivan, President, Lewis & Clark College
• Jessica Howard, President/CEO, Chemeketa Community College
• David C. Howse, President, California College of the Arts
• Robert H. Huntington, President, Heidelberg University
• Nicole Hurd, President, Lafayette College
• Elaine Ikeda, Executive Director, LEAD California
• Wolde-Ab Isaac, Chancellor, Riverside Community College District
• Karim Ismaili, President, Eastern Connecticut State University
• Farnam Jahanian, President, Carnegie Mellon University
• J. Larry Jameson, President, University of Pennsylvania
• Bruce Jarrell, President, University of Maryland, Baltimore
• Lisa Jasinski, President, Associated Colleges of the Midwest
• Jonathan Jefferson, President, Roxbury Community College
• Garry W. Jenkins, President, Bates College
• Larry D. Johnson, Jr., President, Stella & Charles Guttman Community College
• Paula A. Johnson, President, Wellesley College
• John E. Jones III, President, Dickinson College
• Robert J. Jones, Chancellor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Katrina Bell Jordan, President, Northeastern Illinois University
• Tuajuanda C. Jordan, President, St. Mary's College of Maryland
• Cristle Collins Judd, President, Sarah Lawrence College
• David L. Kaufman, President, Capital University
• Colleen Perry Keith, President, Goldey-Beacom College
• Marisa Kelly, President, Suffolk University
• Robert D. Kelly, President, University of Portland
• Pradeep K. Khosla, Chancellor, University of California San Diego
• Julie Johnson Kidd, President, Endeavor Foundation
• Timothy Killeen, President, University of Illinois System
• Walter M. Kimbrough, Interim President, Talladega College
• Heather Kirkpatrick, President & CEO, Alder Graduate School of Education
• Erica Kohl-Arenas, Faculty Director, Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life
• Jonathan Koppell, President, Montclair State University
• Sally Kornbluth, President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Julie Kornfeld, President, Kenyon College
• Michael I. Kotlikoff, President, Cornell University
• Paula Krebs, Executive Director, Modern Language Association
• Robert D. Krebs, President, Lake Forest College
• Sunil Kumar, President, Tufts University
• Susan Lamb, President, Diablo Valley College
• Lee D. Lambert, Chancellor, Foothill-De Anza Community College District
• Sheila Edwards Lange, Chancellor, University of Washington Tacoma
• Cynthia Larive, Chancellor, University of California, Santa Cruz
• Bobbie Laur, President, Campus Compact
• Frederick M. Lawrence, Secretary and CEO, Phi Beta Kappa Society
• William P. Leahy, SJ, President, Boston College
• Linda M. LeMura, President, Le Moyne College
• Bethany Letiecq, President, National Council on Family Relations
• Arthur Levine, Interim President, Brandeis University
• Teik Lim, President, New Jersey Institute of Technology
• James M. Limbaugh, President, West Los Angeles College
• Hilary L. Link, President, Drew University
• Lisa A. Lori, President, Marywood University
• Timothy G. Lynch, President, College of Staten Island, CUNY
• Patricia A. Lynott, President, Rockford University
• Richard Lyons, Chancellor, University of California Berkeley
• Heidi Macpherson, President, SUNY Brockport
• John Maduko, President, Connecticut State Community College
• Joanne Mahoney, President, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
• Lynn Mahoney, President, San Francisco State University
• Daniel Mahony, President, Southern Illinois University
• Maud S. Mandel, President, Williams College
• Sarah C. Mangelsdorf, President, University of Rochester
• Christine Mangino, President, Queensborough Community College
• Andrew P. Manion, President, Edgewood College
• Amy Marcus-Newhall, President, Scripps College
• Joseph Marina, SJ, President, The University of Scranton
• Earl F. Martin III, President, Drake University
• Lizbeth Martin, President, Notre Dame de Namur University
• Karol Mason, President, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Felix V. Matos-Rodriguez, Chancellor, City University of New York (CUNY)
• Gary S. May, Chancellor, University of California, Davis
• Anne E. McCall, President, The College of Wooster
• Cheryl McConnell, President, Saint Joseph's University
• Richard L. McCormick, Interim President, Stony Brook University
• Thayne M. McCulloh, President, Gonzaga University
• Michael McDonald, President, Great Lakes Colleges Association
• C. Andrew McGadney, President, Knox College
• James McGrath, President and Dean, Cooley Law School
• Patricia McGuire, President, Trinity Washington University
• Maurie McInnis, President, Yale University
• Shari McMahan, President, Eastern Washington University
• Elizabeth M. Meade, President, Cedar Crest College
• Marty Meehan, President, University of Massachusetts
• Mojdeh Mehdizadeh, Chancellor, Contra Costa Community College District
• Scott D. Miller, President, Virginia Wesleyan University
• Marie Lynn Miranda, Chancellor, University of Illinois Chicago
• Jennifer Mnookin, Chancellor, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Robert Mohrbacher, President, Centralia College
• Chris Moody, Executive Director, ACPA-College Student Educators International
• Tomas Morales, President, California State University San Bernardino
• Milton Moreland, President, Centre College
• Kathryn Morris, President, St. Lawrence University
• John R. Mosby, President, Highline College
• Ross Mugler, Board Chair and Acting President and CEO, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
• Juan S. Munoz, Chancellor, University of California Merced\
• David C. Munson Jr., President, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Anthony E. Munroe, President, Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY
• Kathleen Murray, Acting/Interim President, Hamline University
• Daniel J. Myers, President, Misericordia University
• Lizette Navarette, President, Woodland Community College
• Harriet B. Nembhard, President, Harvey Mudd College
• Frank Neville, President, Millsaps College
• Krista L. Newkirk, President, University of Redlands
• Ellen Neufeldt, President, California State University San Marcos
• Nancy S. Niemi, President, Framingham State University
• Stefanie D. Niles, President, Cottey College
• Cheryl L. Nixon, President, Berea College
• Maureen O'Connor, President, Palo Alto University
• Judy Olian, President, Quinnipiac University
• Claire Oliveros, President, Riverside City College
• Santa J. Ono, President, University of Michigan
• Douglas B. Palmer, President, Siena Heights University
• Thomas A. Parham, President, California State University-Dominguez Hills
• Robyn Parker, Interim President, Saybrook University
• Marc Parlange, President, University of Rhode Island
• Lynn Pasquerella, President, American Association of Colleges and Universities
• Laurie L. Patton, President, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Beth Paul, President, Nazareth University
• Christina Paxson, President, Brown University
• Rob Pearigen, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of the South
• Deidra Peaslee, President, Saint Paul College
• Milagros (Milly) Peña, President, Purchase College, SUNY
• Eduardo M. Peñalver, President, Seattle University
• Ora Pescovitz, President, Oakland University
• Fred P. Pestello, President, Saint Louis University
• Sarah Pfatteicher, Executive Director, Five College Consortium
• Rhonda Phillips, President, Chatham University
• Darryll J. Pines, President, University of Maryland
• Nicola Pitchford, President, Dominican University of California
• Richard Plumb, President, Saint Michael's College
• Shael Polakow-Suransky, President, Bank Street College of Education
• Kevin Pollock, President, Central Carolina Technical College
• Andrew David Pomerville, President, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
• Susan Poser, President, Hofstra University
• Paul C. Pribbenow, President, Augsburg University
• Vincent Price, President, Duke University
• Robert Quinn, Executive Director, Scholars at Risk Network
• Ravi Rajan, President, California Institute of the Arts
• Patricia Ramsey, President, Medgar Evers College (CUNY)
• Sabah Randhawa, President, Western Washington University
• Wendy E. Raymond, President, Haverford College
• Christopher M. Reber, President, Hudson County Community College
• Mark C. Reed, President, Loyola University Chicago
• Andrew Rehfeld, President, Hebrew Union College
• Joseph Reilly, S.T.L., President, Seton Hall University
• Mary Lou Retelle, President, Anna Maria College
• Javier Reyes, Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap, Chancellor, Seattle Colleges
• Christine M. Riordan, President, Adelphi University
• Britt Rios-Ellis, President, California State University, Stanislaus
• Suzanne M. Rivera, President, Macalester College
• Ronald S. Rochon, President, California State University, Fullerton
• Havidán Rodríguez, President, University at Albany
• Christopher F. Roellke, President, Stetson University
• Kimberly R. Rogers, President, Contra Costa College
• Beth Ross, President, Emmanuel College
• Michael S. Roth, President, Wesleyan University
• Vincent Rougeau, President, College of the Holy Cross
• Sue Ott Rowlands, President, Randolph College
• Paulette Granberry Russell, President and CEO, National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education
• James Ryan, President, University of Virginia
• Cathy Sandeen, President, Cal State East Bay
• Terrence Sawyer, President, Loyola University Maryland
• Michael Schill, President, Northwestern University
• Kurt L. Schmoke, President, University of Baltimore
• Carol Geary Schneider, Acting Executive Director, Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement Coalition
• Karl Scholz, President, University of Oregon
• Claudia Schrader, President, York College, CUNY
• David Scobey, Director, Bringing Theory to Practice
• Sean M. Scott, President and Dean, California Western School of Law
• Zaldwaynaka Scott, President, Chicago State University
• Charles F. Seifert, President, Siena College
• Claire Shipman, Acting President, Columbia University
• Frank Shushok, Jr., President, Roanoke College
• Susan Rundell Singer, President, St. Olaf College
• Philip J. Sisson, President, Middlesex Community College (MA)
• Joianne Smith, President, Oakton College
• Suzanne Smith, President, SUNY Potsdam
• Valerie Smith, President, Swarthmore College
• Paul Sniegowski, President, Earlham College
• Barbara R. Snyder, President, Association of American Universities
• Stephen Snyder, Interim President, Middlebury College
• Kristen F. Soares, President, Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU)
• Rachel Solemsaas, President, North Seattle College
• Mike Sosulski, President, Washington College
• Weymouth Spence, President, Washington Adventist University
• Eric F. Spina, President, University of Dayton
• Terri Standish-Kuon, President and CEO, Independent Colleges of Washington
• G. Gabrielle Starr, President, Pomona College
• Harvey Stenger, President, Binghamton University
• Amy Storey, President, Keuka College
• David M. Stout, President, Brookdale Community College
• Karen A. Stout, President, Achieving the Dream
• Steve K. Stoute, President, Canisius University
• Tom Stritikus, President, Occidental College
• Daniele Struppa, President, Chapman University
• Marcelo Suarez-Orozco, Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Boston
• Julie Sullivan, President, Santa Clara University
• Aondover Tarhule, President, Illinois State University
• Glena Temple, President, Dominican University
• Steven J. Tepper. President, Hamilton College
• Kellye Y. Testy, CEO, Association of American Law Schools
• Tania Tetlow, President, Fordham University
• Strom C. Thacker, President, Pitzer College
• Gloria D. Thomas, President, HERS (Higher Education Resource Services)
• Scott L. Thomas, President, Sterling College
• Linda Thompson, President, Westfield State University
• Adela de la Torre, President, San Diego State University
• Stephen Thorsett, President, Willamette University
• Sylvia Torti, President, College of the Atlantic
• Joel Towers, President, The New School
• Deborah Trautman, President and CEO, American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• Satish K. Tripathi, President, University at Buffalo, SUNY
• James Troha, President, Juniata College
• Kyaw Moe Tun, President, Parami University
• Matthew Turk, President, Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago
• Brad Tyndall, President, Central Wyoming College
• LaTanya Tyson, President, Carolina Christian College
• Matthew P. vandenBerg, President, Ohio Wesleyan University
• James Vander Hooven, President, Mount Wachusett Community College
• Rob Vischer, President, University of St. Thomas
• Jeannine Diddle Uzzi, President, Thomas College
• Laura R. Walker, President, Bennington College
• Grace Wang, President, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Yolanda Watson Spiva, President, Complete College America
• Phil Weilerstein, President, VentureWell
• Adam Weinberg, President, Denison University
• Steven A. Weiner, President, Menlo College
• Kevin C. Weinman, President, Marist University
• Lamont A. Wells, Executive Director, Network of ELCA Colleges And Universities
• Susan R. Wente, President, Wake Forest University
• Darrell Wheeler, President, SUNY New Paltz
• Michaele Whelan, President, Wheaton College (MA)
• Manya C. Whitaker, Interim President, Colorado College
• Julie A. Manley White, Chancellor and CEO, Pierce College
• Kim A. Wilcox, Chancellor, University of California, Riverside
• Crystal Williams, President, Rhode Island School of Design
• Sarah Willie-LeBreton, President, Smith College
• Ed Wingenbach, President, Hampshire College
• Mitchel L. Winick, President, Monterey College of Law
• Jim Wohlpart, President, Central Washington University
• Luke Wood, President, California State University, Sacramento
• Lynn Perry Wooten, President, Simmons University
• Frank H. Wu, President, Queens College, CUNY
• S. David Wu, President, Baruch College
• Henry T. Yang, Chancellor, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Richard Yao, President, California State University Channel Islands
• Madeline Yates, Executive Director, Transform Mid-Atlantic
• Leocadia I. Zak, President, Agnes Scott College
• Safa R. Zaki, President, Bowdoin College
• Mark Zupan, President, Alfred University