Mutual Defense Compact resolution

Forum Post

This message is to request that the WSU Faculty Senate consider a resolution in support WSU joining a Mutual Defense Compact with other institutions of higher education across the country. The proposed compact would establish mechanisms for institutions to provide financial, legal, organizational and/or strategic support to one another when confronted with politically motivated federal government actions that endanger academic freedom, institutional integrity, and the research enterprise. Faculty at some member institutions of the Big Ten conference as well as other universities nationwide have adopted resolutions urging their institutional administrations to enter into such a compact. The faculty at University of Massachusetts Amherst have called on all 250 land grant and public universities to join. This issue is particularly salient for WSU faculty, given our institution’s apparent decision to not sign the letter organized by the American Association of Colleges and Universities condemning political interference in higher education, despite requests from individual faculty members to do so. In order to actualize WSU’s land grant mission to engage in scholarly inquiry that benefits Washington State, we must stand together as a faculty to demand protection of our institutional values and decision-making processes. Examples of resolutions that have been adopted at other institutions can be located by searching the web for “resolution mutual defense compact”.

Response

The Faculty Senate Executive Officers have been notified of this forum post and will respond back once more information becomes available.

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