Protecting universities

As expected, the Trump administration is going after more universities with almost-certainly-illegal grant freezes. Below is a message I sent to my Senators just now (I called my House rep and talked to a staffer; the Senators’ staff did not pick up).

I urge all my U.S. readers to call their members of Congress (and follow up by email if they don’t pick up). Feel free to use a version of the text below.

I am an Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Illinois, and I am outraged by the Trump administration’s illegal and short-sighted attacks on U.S. universities. Freezing funding without due process is not only unlawful but also threatens the unparalleled excellence of our institutions. U.S. universities lead the world in both education and cutting-edge research, which strengthens our country.

I urge Congress to stand against these threats. Losing faculty, students, and research momentum could take decades to recover, if at all-not to mention the invaluable innovations that would be lost along the way.

Don’t fall for the “antisemitism” angle, it’s just a cover story. What the administration really wants is what authoritarian governments always want: control over universities and their faculty.

Originally published at https://mytwocentsandcounting.substack.com.