Section I 

1.1  Whereas recent and escalating politically motivated actions by governmental bodies pose a significant threat to the foundational principles of American higher education, including the autonomy of university governance, the integrity of scientific research, and the protection of free speech; and

1.2  Whereas the federal government has signaled a willingness to target individual institutions with legal, financial, and political incursion designed to undermine their public mission, silence dissenting voices, and/or exert improper control over academic inquiry; and

1.3  Whereas the federal government is actively censoring curricula, undermining due process, targeting scholars and students, and carrying out politically motivated detentions; and

1.4  Whereas this has already resulted in the creation of oversight committees and offices to surveil intellectual and academic activities (1 and 2); and

1.5  Whereas the Big Ten Academic Alliance represents not only athletic competition but also a longstanding tradition of academic collaboration, research excellence, and commitment to democratic values and shared governance; and

1.6  Whereas the Big Ten Academic Alliance includes 18 universities with thousands of instructors serving over 600,000 students; and

1.7  Whereas 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;

Section II

2.1  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the University of Oregon Senate urges the President of the University of Oregon to help establish a Mutual Academic Defense Compact (MADC) among all members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance; and

2.2  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we affirm that participation in the Big 10 compact does not preclude collaboration among Oregon’s public colleges and universities, and we encourage the President to pursue and support such mutual efforts in the State of Oregon; and

2.3  BE IF FURTHER RESOLVED that under this compact, all participating institutions shall commit meaningful resources to a shared or distributed defense effort. This shall be used to provide immediate and strategic support to any member institution under direct political or legal infringement; and

2.4  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that at the request of the institution under direct political infringement, participating institutions shall make resources available to support a coordinated, unified and vigorous response including but not limited to strategic public communication; amicus briefs and expert testimony; legislative advocacy and coalition-building; related topical research as needed; and 

2.5  BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that this resolution be transmitted to the leadership of all Big Ten universities and their respective governing boards and shared governance bodies, and that the President of the University of Oregon take a leading role in convening a summit of Big Ten academic and legal leadership to initiate the implementation of this Compact.