A crowd of over 200 students and faculty surrounded the Magic Stones on Oct. 20, collecting printed copies of the Trump administration’s “compact” handed out by members of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). During the next hour, students and faculty gave speeches regarding the consequences of Trinity’s student and educational life if Trinity were to sign onto the compact. The Trump administration delivered the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” to nine major universities on Oct. 1, with President Donald Trump inviting all universities “who want to quickly return to the pursuit of Truth and Achievement” to sign the compact on Truth Social. In response, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) organized a campus-wide teach-in, where faculty and students explained the consequences if Trinity signs.

Many students and faculty expressed that its restrictions and mandates are an overstep of federal power. The “compact” requires that signatories enforce binary definitions of “man” and “woman,” use “lawful force” to restrict students’ protesting rights, prevent all university employees from partaking in “actions or speech relating to societal and political events” as university representatives and “abolish institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.”

Representatives from multiple student organizations, such as PRIDE, the Black Student Union (BSU), Trinity University Latino Association (TULA), Revolución Violeta, Trinity Students for Justice in Palestine (TSJP), Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA) spoke alongside faculty on the proposed compact.

Many of the representatives said that their identities are “inherently political” and that the compact restricts their freedom to exist. President of Trinity’s AAUP chapter Sarah Beth Kaufman, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, told the Trinitonian that AAUP organized the event because these issues have been building up for a long time.
“There’s an interest both at the state and federal level, trying to control student and faculty research,” Kaufman said. “But this is the first time that we’ve seen such interventions from the federal government directly asking universities — individual universities — to sign on.”

Kaufman said that the event had an incredible turnout — that students and faculty did an amazing job voicing their concerns with little time to prepare.

Aaliyah Jones, senior political science major and president of BSU, spoke at the teach- in. She said that federal bribery has no place in higher education institutions. She questioned how her advisors could support political and social issues without “stepping on fascism’s toes.”

“I naively thought that being a private, small liberal arts college might protect us from the rats of this current administration, but I was wrong,” Jones said. “The Trump administration’s college compact is an inherent, nefarious threat to the existence of organizations like BSU … I don’t know how many of you know this, but being Black is inherently political in America.”

Erin Pake, senior music and Spanish double- major and president of PRIDE, spoke at the event, and said she wanted to do everything she could in her position to ensure Trinity does not sign the compact. She told the audience that the compact’s promise to deny funding to universities that don’t define “woman and man, according to reproductive function and biological processes” is a deliberate attack on LGBTQ+ communities.

“To anyone who says that being gay or trans or an immigrant or any other marginalized identity is a political statement, I raise you that we did not all choose to be political, but rather were made to be political,” Pake said. “Our identity is weaponized by politicians to distract from their failure to support the needs of their constituents.”

Jessica Edonick, associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, attended the event and said she was excited about the passion of students and faculty. She acknowledged students’ concerns regarding whether or not Trinity is planning on signing the compact.
“We’re going to hold true to mission, so if we’re holding true to mission and the compact does not work with that mission and our current course of action, then I think people can deduce what would happen if [the compact] did reach our door,” Edonick said.

Regarding students expressing that the administration’s lack of response was political, Edonick said that the administration has more trust to build with the community. She said that Trinity will not put out a statement unless something directly impacts the community.

“That’s something to think on and reflect on how we better do that. Students’ concerns are not lost,” Edonick said. “They are definitely heard.”

Julia Williams, junior international studies major and president of TSJP, gave a speech at the teach-in, saying that the Trump administration’s suppression of student voices contradicts what American universities are supposed to represent.*

“We are not a threat to academic order. We are its conscience. Our organization embodies the very principles that make universities worth defending: Education, critical thinking and moral courage. Silencing us in the name of civility or security would betray the intellectual freedom that Trinity University claims to cherish,” Williams said in her speech.

Trinity states in the student handbook that the “freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom.” Lara Lashus, senior sociology and global health double-major, is a qualitative research assistant for Amy Stone, professor of sociology and anthropology, who asked Lashus to speak at the event. She said in an interview that it was shocking that there has been no statement from the Trinity’s administration regarding the compact. She stated that members of higher administration did not show up. Edonick was present at the event, and she stood towards the back of the crowd.

“I think that [Trinity is] very comfortable in their complicity and that they are benefiting from feigning nonpartisanship,” Lashus said. “No response is political. So we should understand that is political from them. They’re aligning themselves with the current administration.”

*Julia Williams is the advertising director for the Trinitonian. She is not on the Trinitonian’s editorial team and did not read this piece prior to publication.

*This article was updated on Oct. 24. The second sentence in the fourth paragraph was rephrased to “…AAUP organized the event…” from “…she organized the event…” to accurately represent Kaufman’s interview with the Trinitonian and the group effort behind the teach-in. The Trinitonian apologizes for this mistake and is committed to sharing accurate, reliable and unbiased news.

” With contributing reporting from Eve Slemp.