Mark Reed Signs Letter Denouncing Trump Administration

President Mark Reed added his name to a list of more than 550 signatures from higher education leaders nationwide in support of a letter criticizing the Trump administration’s action to restrict universities.

The letter, drafted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, focuses on financial practices and public research funding, but also points out a variety of other issues academic institutions are facing. 

“American institutions of higher learning have in common the essential freedom to determine, on academic grounds, whom to admit and what is taught, how and by whom,” the letter writes. “Our colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry where, in their pursuit of truth, faculty, students and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship or deportation.”

More than 10 Illinois schools have signed the letter as of Tuesday. Some Chicago universities, such as DePaul University and the University of Chicago haven’t signed, according to the AAC&U website. 

Neither DePaul University nor the University of Chicago responded to The Phoenix’s requests for comment. 

Erin Ryan, a fourth-year social work major, said she hates the Trump administration due to policies impacting her life. She said she interns at an LGBTQ+ center and her job has been impacted through Trump’s cuts to their funding. 

“We had to fire a lot of people,” Ryan said. “All of my clients who are trans are very, very terrified and constantly coming to us for help. We had to fire a bunch of people”

Ryan said she’s glad Reed signed the letter denouncing Trump’s actions. 

“I think it’s good that people are starting to actually stand up and protest what’s been happening, because I feel like a lot of people get scared and a lot of schools are getting scared because I know a lot of schools are at risk of losing their funding right now,” Ryan said. 

Despite this, Ryan said she thinks the school could be doing more, but also thinks the same is true of other American universities. 

Academic institutions were invited to sign alongside colleges and universities. Among them was Rev. Michael Garanzini, S.J., current president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and former president of Loyola. 

Jenny Smulson, vice president for government relations at AJCU, said the points outlined in the letter strike at the core of the Jesuit principles her organization operates on. 

“Engaging in constructive dialogue is at the foundation of a Jesuit education and is very needed in this moment,” Smulson wrote in an email to The Phoenix. “The statement clearly articulates the purpose and value of higher education, to an individual and collectively to our nation and AJCU was pleased to sign it for those reasons.”

Because Loyola isn’t a member of AAC&U, they weren’t informed of the letter until April 22 when it was released to the public to begin receiving signatures, according to Reed, who said he signed it the following day. 

Loyola spokespersons didn’t respond to The Phoenix’s requests for further comment on their decision to sign. 

Ellie Bertuglia, a fourth-year history major, said she thinks Trump’s attacks on higher education are “disgraceful.”

Bertuglia said Reed’s signing of the letter doesn’t feel like enough and the university should be doing more to maintain their DEI-focused scholarships and programs. 

This year, the university announced their plans to merge the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Black Student Excellence into one larger office, The Phoenix reported. 

Loyola also suspended a scholarship after the Department of Justice alleged it was discriminatory on the basis of race, The Phoenix reported. 

“Stuff like rolling back CDI and stuff like that is very harmful and kind of diminishes just tacking their name onto a paper,” Bertuglia said. “It’s good, but otherwise I kind of see it as an empty promise towards students and the community.”