MSU Faculty Senate urges leaders to form 'mutual defense compact'; UM faculty mull idea

Kim Kozlowski, The Detroit News on Apr 17, 2025

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DETROIT — The Faculty Senate at Michigan State University is urging university leaders to help form a "mutual defense compact" with other universities that would fight Trump administration actions such as research grant cuts and banning diversity initiatives, while the University of Michigan's faculty is considering advocating such a move.

The UM Faculty Senate on Thursday held a special meeting remotely and in person for its full body of 7,600 members to consider three resolutions. One urged UM to support international students and guard them from unwarranted detention, while the others advocated for the continuation of legally compliant diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and for university leaders to create a "mutual-defense compact."

The Faculty Senate also considered a statement supporting the core values and mission of universities, which is being considered by faculty senates across the country. The results of the vote will be released Sunday at 4 p.m.

"Private and public higher education institutions in the United States have for over three centuries contributed to the public good, and the nation’s global leadership position, through the advancement and sharing of knowledge, and by providing pathways for workforce development," the UM Faculty Senate statement said in part.

Some of UM's international students' visas have been terminated and the state's largest university shut down its eight-year, multimillion-dollar diversity, equity and inclusion effort. The resolution UM's faculty is considering calls for the reinstatement of those who were fired, saying UM's DEI program was "compliant with local, state, federal, and constitutional laws" and eliminating it "created a hostile institutional culture."

The UM votes came as MSU's Faculty Senate this week joined three other faculty groups at Big 10 schools that urged their university leaders to create “mutual-defense compacts.” First proposed and then passed by faculty at Rutgers University in New Jersey, the non-binding resolution suggests that all participating institutions "commit meaningful funding to a shared or distributed defense fund. This fund shall be used to provide immediate and strategic support to any member institution under direct political or legal infringement."

The compact "reflects many of the concerns that faculty across our nation are experiencing or feeling ... regardless of their political affiliation," said MSU chemistry professor Angela Wilson, chair of the MSU Faculty Senate.

"We are greatly invested in the training and opportunities for the current and future workforce, we consider our national security, our economy, our leadership in the world in science and technology, and so many other aspects of the future," Wilson said via email. "We see how the discoveries and training of today occurring at our universities will manifest decades into the future, and we have seen how discoveries and training in the past have impacted our nation positively through the years. Universities are investments — investments into the future of our nation, our national security, our future workforce, our science and technology, direct or indirect products of the future, and our economy."

MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz "meets regularly with the Faculty Senate and understands their valid concerns regarding the impact of federal policy and funding changes on higher education," spokeswoman Amber McCann said Thursday.

"Michigan State University is an active member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), the American Council on Education (ACE), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and other organizations as part of our ongoing advocacy efforts," McCann said. "The university has joined relevant litigation in support of critical research, is providing available support to international students impacted by recent visa revocations and is actively engaged with elected officials on behalf of our students, faculty and staff. The university will continue to work in support of our campus community in accordance with our values and in compliance with the law.”

Besides Rutgers, the other Big institutions that passed the defense compact resolution are Indiana University and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The faculty senate at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst also approved the pact idea in a resolution.

The compact encourages university presidents to work together and address some of the issues facing universities this year, though many are taking steps through the Association of American Universities and other organizations, Wilson said.

"The statement is encouraging presidents to support one another when we are facing issues that impact or can severely impact higher education," Wilson said.

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