Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 20h

Please, Texas Lege, say the same thing as Virginia! Texas universities serve Texas, not the federal government!

NightMar on Hicks Street, Part 4: The Rabbit’s Revenge @histoftech.bsky.social · 2d

The Virginia Senate just told UVA it’s not getting state funding if it accepts the compact since UVA exists to serve Virginia, its residents, & their interests—not be a tool of the federal govt. Scoop from our student newspaper, who’ve been doing vital reporting www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025...

1 3

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 20h

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

“It’s pretty vague what the advantages are of signing the compact,” said Teresa Sullivan, the former president of the University of Virginia, one of 9 colleges the Trump administration is trying to court. “If you’re thinking of this as a deal, it’s a one-sided deal.

‘One-sided deal’: College presidents see Trump offer rife with peril

MIT’s rebuke of the Trump administration’s compact presents an opening for other college presidents to resist.

www.politico.com

1 9 16

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Roberta Millstein 🌎🌱🐩🏊🏼‍♀🎶🥾 @cepaea.bsky.social · 16h

MIT was the first to reject the compact — who will be the second? If you are an alum of 9 targeted schools, and you want your school to follow MIT's lead, please sign this petition:

alumni.controlshift.app/petitions/tr...

STAND WITH YOUR SCHOOL: Trump attacks 9 universities. Sign the alumni petition now.

Are you an alum from one of the 9 schools the federal government just attacked? Sign this alumni petition now to support your school, defend democracy, and build a grassroots movement for campus freed...

alumni.controlshift.app

2 2

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 1d

AAUP will be marching g with TSEU! No Kings! No Loyalty Oaths! No Compact!

1 18 42

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 20h

www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outl...

P. Strong of the AAUP minced no words in her condemnation of the compact. “It trades autonomy for subservience, academic freedom for censorship, gender science and history for ideology, and the best interests of UT students and faculty…”

Joe Hollis agrees.

We’re UT, not TU. Just say no to Trump's ultimatum. | Opinion

Trump is dangling extra funding for universities that agree to his Compact for Academic Excellence. University of Texas risks becoming the University of Trump.

www.houstonchronicle.com

3 7

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Charles @charlesholm.substack.com · 1d

With other former graduate students, I stand in solidarity with Black Studies at @universityoftexas.bsky.social + Mexican & Latino Studies, Women's & Gender Studies, faculty & students across UT #saveUT @utaustinaaup.bsky.social #academic #freedom #education #UT #atx #blackstudies

1 5 9

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 3d

Marc Rowan says the "compact" will "protect free speech," but First Amendment scholars across the political spectrum are of one mind that the compact is flagrantly unconstitutional, and every major free speech org--from the ACLU to FIRE to PEN--agrees. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/o...

3 49 150

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 3d

New from @jeremymberg.bsky.social at Can We Still Govern:
"Silence may protect an institution from becoming an early target, but history shows that it increases the likelihood that that institution (and many others) will be become targets over time."
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/deafening-...

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

Leaders are underestimating the risks of not fighting back

donmoynihan.substack.com

5 82 240

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 3d

Also, a total lie that American students have been crowded out by international students. International students effectively subsidize the tuition of American students!

Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 3d

Quite a feat to go from this to "and therefore universities must ban faculty and students from belittling conservative ideas"

14 220 1.1K

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

USA TODAY Opinion @usatodayopinion.usatoday.com · 3d

"Underlying these attacks on LGBTQI+ people is a consistent refusal to take scientific, medical and historical evidence seriously," writes Haley Norris, an analyst for LGBTQI+ policy at @americanprogress.bsky.social. bit.ly/3ICEPnb

A photo of the Supreme Court with a rainbow gradient added to the background. Text added to the image reads: "Opinion by Haley Norris: Defending conversion therapy means ignoring science – again"

3 5

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Angela Pashia, ACC @angelapashia.com · 2d

And also, if you can’t stand on principle, stand on self preservation. Signing won’t stop this regime from attacking. Signing signals weakness, that you’re an easy target.

There is absolutely nothing to be gained by signing this.

Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 2d

More of this. Signing this authoritarian devil’s bargain would betray higher education’s independence and the pursuit of knowledge.

Jay D. Aronson @jaydaronson.bsky.social · 2d

MIT rejects "the Compact"
orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...

8 29

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Texas Conference of the AAUP @texasaaup.bsky.social · 2d

💔💔A powerful + heartbreaking summary of the attacks on student services, shared governance, teaching, learning + more from Prof. Lisa Moore who has taught @UTAustin more than three decades. It is not too late to reverse these changes and #SaveUT!

www.statesman.com/opinion/colu...

After 35 years at UT Austin, I hardly recognize my university | Opinion

What was once a beacon of access and discovery is now fighting for its soul and mission as political attacks upend norms, rules and rights, Lisa L. Moore writes.

www.statesman.com

3 4

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Larry Glickman @larryglickman.bsky.social · 2d

Most of this laundry list of "overwhelming evidence" is tendentious. Let's go through them.
1) A big driver of high costs at public universities has been a decrease in state appropriations. Many public schools have been forced to act on a public/private model as a result..../1

The evidence is overwhelming: outrageous costs and prolonged indebtedness for students; poor outcomes, with too many students left unable to find meaningful work after graduating; some talented domestic students and scholars have been crowded out of enrollment and employment opportunities by international students; and a high degree of uniformity of thought among faculty members and administrators, which can result in a hostile environment for students with different ideas.

3 52 140

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · 2d

@mit.edu has done an incredibly important service to the nation by being willing to be the first school to reject the administration's "compact."

President Kornbluth focuses—and she's right—on the principle that "scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone."

The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.

4 130 490

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

CarolCorbettBurris @carolburris.bsky.social · 2d

Their mission is to destroy public schools. Here is why and how. @lincolnproject.us @dianeravitch.bsky.social @itpi.bsky.social @texasaft.org @rweingarten.bsky.social

5 8

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Lawprofblawg @lawprofblawg.bsky.social · 2d

One wonders if TCU could teach a history class that included mention of Nazi persecution of LGBTQ, or whether that too would be banned.

wienerholocaustlibrary.org/2021/02/09/p...

cc: @aaup.org @texasaaup.bsky.social

6 5

AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 20h

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

“It’s pretty vague what the advantages are of signing the compact,” said Teresa Sullivan, the former president of the University of Virginia, one of 9 colleges the Trump administration is trying to court. “If you’re thinking of this as a deal, it’s a one-sided deal.

‘One-sided deal’: College presidents see Trump offer rife with peril

MIT’s rebuke of the Trump administration’s compact presents an opening for other college presidents to resist.

www.politico.com

1 9 16

AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 20h

Actually, so far the UT Regents have said, Thanks so much for including us! We are honored!

Debby33 ❌ 👑 @debby33.bsky.social · 1d

Dartmouth's and MIT's admins have already said "No."

UT-Austin's admin has said "Maybe!" 🤮

The other 6 are still silent, waiting for, what? A magical door allowing them to escape this moment?

Appeasement will get them nothing, as the 500 USC faculty warned their trustees.

Unanimously! 😲

🧵

USC faculty members denounce Trump compact that would shift university to the right

The USC Academic Senate held a special meeting to discuss the Trump administration's education compact, which was presented to the school last week.

www.latimes.com

1 1 2

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Will Smiley @will-smiley.bsky.social · 1d

This is exactly right. Academic freedom and autonomy SERVE states and their residents, which is why we have public universities in the the first place. The White House is attempting to hijack them. It’s anti-democratic and anti-federalism.

NightMar on Hicks Street, Part 4: The Rabbit’s Revenge @histoftech.bsky.social · 2d

The Virginia Senate just told UVA it’s not getting state funding if it accepts the compact since UVA exists to serve Virginia, its residents, & their interests—not be a tool of the federal govt. Scoop from our student newspaper, who’ve been doing vital reporting www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025...

2 2

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

suz-y-q.bsky.social @suz-y-q.bsky.social · 1d

"We will never compromise our academic freedom and our ability to govern ourselves" Sian Beilock. As Dartmouth & MIT stand firm may the other 7 institutes of higher education also find the same resolve to do so.
U of A president breaks silence on White House compact tucson.com/news/local/e...

U of A president breaks silence on White House compact

University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella sent an email to the campus community about the White House’s proposed higher education compact, a week after receiving it.

tucson.com

2 3

AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 20h

Yep. The Lege gets rid of Faculty Senates, and faculty lose control over what we teach.

Alan Dettlaff @alandettlaff.com · 1d

Yesterday I was told that the class I’m scheduled to teach this month, Confronting Oppression & Injustice, is no longer part of our curriculum. This is a required class yet there was no discussion, no faculty vote, just an email saying the class no longer exists. This is what it’s like in Texas now.

2

AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 20h

Another criticism of the Compact from the right.

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 2d

New from me at Cato: I go through the numerous and massive First Amendment and academic-freedom violations of Trump's proffered "compact" with universities and then talk about the mechanism by which it would be enforced, by way of what I describe as a "retroactive push-button guillotine."

Universities Must Defend Their Independence by Rejecting Trump's "Compact"

The Trump administration has proffered a “compact” to universities that would require them to surrender their independence and academic freedom. How many First Amendment violations can we identify in ...

www.cato.org

2 6

AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 20h

Please, Texas Lege, say the same thing as Virginia! Texas universities serve Texas, not the federal government!

NightMar on Hicks Street, Part 4: The Rabbit’s Revenge @histoftech.bsky.social · 2d

The Virginia Senate just told UVA it’s not getting state funding if it accepts the compact since UVA exists to serve Virginia, its residents, & their interests—not be a tool of the federal govt. Scoop from our student newspaper, who’ve been doing vital reporting www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025...

1 3

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Rebel Scum 🏴 @rebelscum5.bsky.social · 1d

Academic freedom is gone at my alma mater.

Alan Dettlaff @alandettlaff.com · 1d

Yesterday I was told that the class I’m scheduled to teach this month, Confronting Oppression & Injustice, is no longer part of our curriculum. This is a required class yet there was no discussion, no faculty vote, just an email saying the class no longer exists. This is what it’s like in Texas now.

1 3

Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin

Moomomo42@ @moomomo42.bsky.social · 1d

Nobel Warns: Academic Freedom in Peril
open.substack.com/pub/hanschri...

Nobel Warns: Academic Freedom in Peril

The Nobel Committee’s surprisingly direct criticism of the authoritarian US administration

open.substack.com

1 2