The Rutgers University Senate passed a resolution Friday supporting the establishment of a mutual academic defense compact among the Big Ten Academic Alliance universities, which USC is a part of, to defend “academic freedom, institutional integrity, and the research enterprise” from the Trump administration. The resolution asked Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway to formally propose the compact.

The resolution alleged that the Trump administration has exerted improper control over academic inquiry and has threatened free speech as well as the integrity of scientific research, and asks Big Ten universities to defend each other against these “infringements.” 

“Recent and escalating politically motivated actions by governmental bodies pose a significant threat to the foundational principles of American higher education,” the resolution read. “The preservation of one institution’s integrity is the concern of all, and an infringement against one member university of the Big Ten shall be considered an infringement against all.”

If the proposed compact comes to fruition, USC will be asked to contribute to a shared pool of funding used to support any member University “under direct political or legal infringement” and make their legal counsel and public affairs officers available to any member university who requests them, the resolution read.