Miami University students and faculty gathered to protest the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education on Friday, Nov. 7 at the sundial on Central Quad. They marched silently to Roudebush Hall to deliver a letter and petition to faculty. The event was organized by the Ohio Student Association (OSA) at Miami.
The letter asked the university to reject the compact proposed by the Trump administration. It also asked it to protect students, faculty, staff and organizations, and defend the integrity and freedom of the institution, according to a press release from the OSA at Miami. The petition had 360 signatures.
“As a liberal arts institution, we greatly believe that well-rounded education and freedom for all majors to be explored is very important,” said Kali Barcroft, president of the Miami OSA chapter. “The Trump compact would greatly limit the things people are allowed to talk about in academic classrooms, and majors that are allowed to be available to students.”
The Compact is a lengthy proposal that demands equality in admissions and new hires, restricts departments that challenge conservative ideas and prioritizes federal funding for signatories, according to the proposal. Miami would need major reforms, and critics believe it would impede their academic freedom.
Barcroft said Miami's status as a liberal arts institution is valuable, and that Miami would lose that title if it limited the courses offered. She said she’s worried about a shift toward a STEM-focused institution, which would decrease the university’s prestige.
“My biggest issue is the suppression of speech,” said William Grosse, a first-year political science major who participated in the march. “I believe that you should not be suppressed on what you think, especially on a campus that’s meant to challenge how you think.”
Many universities have rejected the compact, which the Trump administration said would improve higher education.
Participants wore red to support higher education. Catherine Conner, a sophomore public administration major who marched, said the color also symbolized Miami’s core value, “Love and Honor.” She said it showed the participants stand with the university on this issue, and she hopes Miami will see that and respond respectfully.
This march is part of a larger movement, according to the press release. The “Student Rise Up” campaign is made up of about 1,000 colleges and high schools. It demands they reject Trump’s attempts to alter their institutions. The movement has sparked similar protests across the U.S.
Barcroft said she hopes Miami will have a positive response.
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