At the Nashville Scene, Julianne Akers reports on the Vanderbilt faculty senate passing a resolution opposing Trump’s so-called “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”.
The full text of the resolution reads:
WHEREAS the United States Secretary of Education has requested that Vanderbilt University enter into a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”, and
WHEREAS the Compact contains provisions antithetical to the mission and traditions of the University, and
WHEREAS the Compact contains provisions which endanger the independence and integrity of the University, and
WHEREAS the Compact likely violates state and federal law, and infringes upon the constitutional rights of members of the University community, and
WHEREAS Vanderbilt University exemplifies American academic values of the highest standard, including universal right to free speech and the cultivation of academic freedom; therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate of Vanderbilt University firmly opposes this Compact as written and calls upon Chancellor Diermeier and the Board of Trust to also reject this Compact outright as well as any similar proposal compromising the mission, values, and independence of the University.
I introduced the resolution, which was written by a group of law professors and modeled on a similar resolution adopted by the faculty senate of the University of Virginia.
Jonathan Gilligan, a professor at the university and senate member, introduced the resolution, which says the compact’s policies are “antithetical to the mission and traditions” of the university and threaten the school’s independence. It also says the compact may violate state and federal laws and endanger constitutional rights and free speech of university students and faculty.
“The Faculty Senate of Vanderbilt University firmly opposes this Compact as written and calls upon Chancellor [Daniel] Diermeier and the Board of Trust to also reject this Compact outright as well as any similar proposal compromising the mission, values, and independence of the University,” the resolution reads.
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The VU resolution passed 30-11 with one abstention. A majority of the faculty senate is made up of elected members employed at Vanderbilt. Twelve unelected deans also serve in the body.
In addition to the senate resolution, a petition opposing the commpact has been signed by more than 1000 members of the Vanderbilt community.