BY DENISE L. DAVIS
As we at Brown University wait for the other shoe to drop, we are mobilizing in support of the university’s principles, as expressed by President Christina H. Paxson, and urging the university administration to take an uncompromising stance when it comes to preserving free inquiry, ensuring the safety of non-US citizens in our community, and using its considerable resources (including the endowment) to avoid taking emergency actions that might lead to permanent structural changes without faculty participation. The New York Times, among other news sites, announced on Thursday, April 3, 2025, that Brown is in the Trump administration’s crosshairs to cut $510 million to federal funding, although university leadership has reported that no specific demands have been communicated yet. In the meantime, several members of the campus community have circulated an open letter—enthusiastically endorsed by the Brown Chapter of the AAUP and as of April 10 signed by more than 800 signatories—addressing the Corporation of Brown University, Paxson, and the provost, Frances J. Doyle.
Brown has been unique in that several members of the Brown Corporation signed on to a statement, released by the leadership of Brown-RISD Hillel declaring that Brown has upheld the principles of religious and ideological tolerance. The statement attests to Brown’s “inclusive environment where Jewish life is deeply integrated into campus culture” and concludes: “Brown University is a place where Jewish life not only exists but thrives.” Others in the community have also stepped forward to encourage Brown to lead in the fight against Trump’s lawlessness: “Why shouldn’t Brown be confident in its legal position, take a stand against the Trump administration’s constitutional overreach and urge other universities to join us in halting this outrageous grab for power on the part of the executive branch of our government?”
Many have called for university presidents to take courageous public stands. For example, law professors David Pozen, Ryan Doerfler, and Samuel Bagenstos wrote in the Nation, “To protect both themselves and the entire educational system, then, university leaders should commit, collectively and immediately, to challenge unlawful demands that threaten academic freedom and university self-governance.” They cite as an example the resolution for a Mutual Defense Compact proposed by the Rutgers University Senate for Big Ten schools.
It’s no coincidence that the language of mobilization, defense, and alliances evokes times of war. We are under attack, and we are out-resourced. The only way we can stand fast is to stand together.
The letter, which can also be found on the Brown Chapter of the AAUP’s website, reads:
Dear President Paxson, Provost Doyle, and the Corporation of Brown University,
As faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Brown University, we fully support recent statements made by Brown University President Christina Paxson, and will stand together with our administration in defending these values in the face of intimidation and attack. We can do so only by standing united with other universities facing similar threats.
We particularly support this statement: “Brown will always defend academic freedom and freedom of expression, for the University as an institution and for individual members of our community. This means that our faculty and students must be able to study and learn academic subjects of their choosing freely and without fear of censorship. These freedoms have, since the time of Brown’s founding, been essential to our mission of advancing knowledge and understanding in a ‘spirit of free inquiry.’ As foundational principles, they ensure that members of our community have the ability to advance the institutional mission by engaging freely in teaching, research and scholarship, without external intrusion.”
As part of that mission, we must uphold our legal obligation as a university to protect all members of our community from harassment and discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Brown is a richer community due to its diversity. Brown must do all it can to ensure the safety of its non-U.S. citizens. Without a legal directive such as a warrant or subpoena, the university must not assist immigration authorities or provide them with information about any member of the Brown community.
Brown must mobilize its endowment and other resources to rise to the challenge of this unprecedented assault on higher education. Emergency measures taken in times of crises tend to become permanent. Therefore it is imperative that any changes to Brown academic programming be decided and implemented in partnership with the faculty.
Founded on the principle of religious freedom, Brown’s 1764 charter states that “all the members hereof shall forever enjoy full, free, absolute, and uninterrupted liberty of conscience.” Our dedication to these values, even though the most difficult times, is what has secured our community as one of free inquiry and inclusion for over 260 years. We stand together in protecting them.
Denise L. Davis is senior lecturer in gender and sexuality studies at Brown University, where she is also treasurer of the Brown University Chapter of the AAUP.
