Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends of the College,
I hope that wherever you are, you are enjoying a pleasant end of April. Here in Northfield, more reliably spring-like weather in the last two weeks has been much appreciated by students, who are working hard at balancing the busy activities of the final term of the academic year: Comps presentations, arts exhibits and performances, awards celebrations, Rotblatt and Sproncert, summer planning, and for seniors, preparation for Commencement. We are looking forward to having journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson as our 2025 Commencement speaker.
Even as we enjoy a lively spring, our campus is experiencing the same uncertainty and anxiety that has permeated colleges and universities across the country as a result of the extraordinary pressure applied to institutions of higher education by actions of the new federal administration. Knowing that many of you are concerned about how the College is faring, I write to share an update on Carleton’s response, as well as my hope for your support and advocacy on behalf of the College.
As you may know, the actions directed against higher education under the new administration range from the extremely broad to the highly specific. The ideological framework behind these actions has been set out in executive orders, which do not carry the force of law, but define the administration’s intentions. At the structural level, we see sweeping efforts to eliminate the Department of Education; the defunding and dismantling of the federal grant system that supports academic research through the NSF, NIH, NOAA, NEH, and other agencies; and the recent executive order targeting the college and university accreditation system. At the programmatic level, we have a Feb. 14 guidance letter from the Department of Education outlining the types of “DEI” programs they consider discriminatory, and directives from federal grant agencies forbidding the use of specific words and concepts in federally funded programs.
At the institutional level, we have seen the initiation of investigations of 60 colleges and universities for alleged antisemitic discrimination and harassment, and the arbitrary cancellation of promised grant funding to Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern, and several other universities in advance of any investigations taking place. Columbia and Harvard received specific letters of demand outlining actions the federal government expected them to take, and their differing responses have been widely publicized.
Carleton is not among the specific colleges currently targeted for investigation, but all of these actions threaten the independence and academic freedom that is a foundational principle of American higher education. Carleton currently receives about $8 million a year in federal student aid, which if withdrawn would reduce our capacity to admit low-income students. While we are less dependent on federal grant funding than large research universities, Carleton faculty and staff do typically garner $3 million to $4 million a year in federal grants. We have already had several major grants cancelled, which will impact research and course development. Moreover, Carleton has long been one of the leading undergraduate feeder institutions for graduate programs, so the gutting of academic research infrastructure now taking place is likely to have a disproportionate impact on our alumni as well as current and future students. Even if Carleton is never specifically targeted, we are deeply implicated in the higher education ecosystem.
Because these actions represent a real threat to Carleton and its future, we believe it is important to stand with other institutions of higher education in opposing them. I was proud to be among the presidents who signed the statement that was released last Tuesday by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), opposing the federal government’s efforts to assert extraordinary control over institutions of higher education. It is the largest and most forceful statement by presidents to date, noting: “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.”
Most disturbingly, pressure is also being exerted on colleges and universities through the targeting of foreign and undocumented students. Reports of the widespread and capricious cancellation of student visas without due process, and the seizure of individual students off the streets without warning, have created fear among international students, faculty, and staff at Carleton. In late January, we formed an Immigration Task Force to centralize support for students and programming for the community. The Task Force has provided public presentations by experts on immigration law to analyze the current landscape, describe legal options, and discuss appropriate response protocols on campus. They have also arranged for community members to access free, confidential individual consultations with a local immigration attorney.
Recognizing the urgency of public advocacy on this front, we have also joined the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and eighty-five other institutions and associations in submitting an amicus brief in AAUP v. Rubio, a case that challenges the Trump administration’s revocation of visas and detentions of noncitizen students and scholars. The amicus brief supports the AAUP’s motion for a preliminary injunction to safeguard academic freedom and halt large-scale arrests, detentions, and deportations of students and faculty. The President’s Alliance also filed a lawsuit last week challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of student SEVIS (the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records certifying their visa status. Though the government announced on Friday that SEVIS records would be restored, they indicated that they still intend to revoke student visas.
I have heard from many members of the Carleton community that they understand the gravity of this moment and are eager to help.
If you would like to take action, I recommend that you contact your members of Congress to:
- call for their continued support of federal student aid and research grant funding, and
- register your opposition to attacks on academic freedom and autonomy at American colleges and universities.
An email, letter, or phone message of any length making these general points or focusing on a specific area of concern will help. While many of these issues are likely to be decided in the courts, political pressure can play an important role in how vigorously the administration seeks to defend these policies.
On Saturday, I attended a lecture on campus by Jennifer McCoy, a visiting scholar of political science, as part of the annual Foro Latinoamericano. Her topic was political polarization in Latin America, and audience questions raised parallels to American politics. She noted the critical role of “cross-cutting civic institutions,” such as universities, museums, and community organizations, in building trust across political differences. I hope that every member of the Carleton community, regardless of political affiliation, can agree that Carleton College represents exactly that kind of anchor civic institution, and is worthy of support.
Being part of this special community feels particularly meaningful in times like these. Many thanks for your dedication to Carleton and to our students.
President Alison Byerly