Pitt scholars urge resistance to Trump attacks on higher ed

Hundreds gathered at the Schenley Plaza in Oakland on Thursday to protest what they called an “all-out assault” on higher education, referring to federal actions that they believe undermine the mission of universities. 

The rally was one of many taking place around the country as part of a National Day of Action for Higher Education aiming to push back against what organizers called the Trump administration’s “educational gag orders.” Speakers criticized efforts to slash research funding, revoke international students’ visas and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion [DEI] initiatives. 

Above all, though, they want local university leaders to publicly commit to their “core values” and refuse to comply with federal guidance that could counter those principals, citing schools that have opposed federal demands. 

“We’ve seen [the] New York school system fight back. We’ve seen the University of California system fight back. We’ve seen Harvard University stand up to the federal government,” said University of Pittsburgh social work professor Kyaien Conner. 

Harvard University’s president made headlines this week after rejecting a proposal by the Trump administration for the university to submit to “a list of demands” in order to retain billions in federal funding. These included screening international students for viewpoints deemed hostile to “American values,” ending DEI and auditing programs and departments for antisemitic ideology.

“Right now, the question isn’t which other universities are going to stay silent or comply,” Conner said. “The question is: Which universities are going to stand up?” 

Pitt junior Olivia Pinocci-Wrightsman, co-president of the Pitt College Democrats, said she doesn’t believe the university has done enough to stand up for its international and immigrant students. Several Pitt students have seen their visas revoked this month, and the university said they were offered unspecified “direct support.” 

“When we bend a knee before there is any legal repercussions, we’re implying that we’re ready to go along with what this administration plans for,” she said.  

A petition and open letter have begun circulating asking Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel and other administrators at the university to defend the academic freedom of students, faculty and staff. One of the petitions’ asks is that federal requests for personal information of anyone affiliated with the university are challenged in court.

The open letter, which has garnered nearly 800 signatures since it went online April 13, asks for the creation of a University Crisis Task Force to respond to challenges facing higher ed. It also requests an imminent meeting between the authors and Pitt leadership. 

Several speakers at the rally also raised the topic of free speech, urging protection of the right to voice opinions about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza without fear of reprisal. 

Earlier this week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit against Pitt for suspending the school’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine [SJP]. The suit argues that the university violated the members’ constitutional rights. Because of SJP’s suspension, the university has been listed as a hostile campus by the Council on American-Islamic Relations. 

“People are scared, people are stressed, people are anxious,” said Michael Goodhart, a political science professor at Pitt and one of the rally organizers. He added that people are looking for opportunities to feel empowered and less helpless. 

Goodhart is helping to re-start the university’s inactive chapter of the American Association of University Professors because of the increased drive he’s witnessed in people to support higher ed. He said the chapter plans to include faculty from other schools in the city. 

Sarah Marsh, an English professor at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, showed up at the rally because of a belief she said she and the university share: Humans have fundamental dignity. Marsh said she’s concerned about rights violations under the Trump administration, especially toward students who have been taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at their homes without due process. 

As a professor, Marsh said it’s not her job to tell students what to think, but to help them develop their own beliefs. Right now, though, she’s urging them to “not forget the obligations they have to one another.” 

“If there’s a government asking us to have fidelity to them, but not to one another, we are no longer in a democracy,” she added. 

Though the central message of the rally was one of resistance, solidarity among campus workers was continually promoted as a way to inspire hope and enact change.  

“It’s going to be a long fight, but we’re going to win,” Goodhart said. 

Maddy Franklin reports on higher ed for PublicSource, in partnership with Open Campus, and can be reached at [email protected].

This story was fact-checked by Rich Lord.