Colorado State University students and faculty descended on the Lory Student Center Plaza Nov. 7 for the National Day of Action for Higher Education, an event that was hosted by over 100 universities across the United States, many in partnership with workers’ unions like the American Association of University Professors.

CSU AAUP collaborated with several student activist organizations to collect mutual aid donations and march in protest of actions taken by President Donald Trump’s administration, which many view as an attack on higher education. Organizations including CSU Young Democratic Socialists of America, Students for Justice in Palestine, CSU Stem Interdisciplinary Ram Alliance, The People United, CSU Students for Emancipation and Social Liberation, Indivisible NOCO and more participated in the march.

“We joined the Day of Action because advocacy isn’t just an individual skill, it’s a collective responsibility,” SIRA Co-President Victoria Silva said. “Whether a student is developing a clinical trial, applying for a grant or negotiating a raise, understanding how to advocate benefits everyone.”

The day of action was held in response to the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, a partisan proposal sent by the Trump administration to nine universities in early October. CSU was not among the universities to receive the compact.

The nine-page proposal offered select universities priority access to federal funding and other benefits if they agreed to numerous requirements, including freezing tuition, banning consideration of race or sex in hiring and admissions processes, adopting strict gender definitions and removing diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Signing the compact would also require universities to agree to limit enrollment of international undergraduate students and bring policies that ban personal political opinions and statements from employees.

“The importance of this (event), from AAUP’s perspective in particular, is to demand that we not only protect higher education from the kinds of threats posed by the Trump administration, but also to insist that higher education is accessible financially, culturally and in every way to all members of society.” -Mary Van Buren, CSU AAUP President 

Although CSU was not a direct recipient of the compact, the document states that all higher education institutions can develop the models and values the compact holds.

According to CSU AAUP, CSU has been carrying out Trump’s compact by altering free speech policies for faculty and students, by endangering undocumented and immigrant students by not denouncing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on campus and by removing pronouns and gender markers on RAMweb, among other things.

“We have already seen CSU, to some degree, kind of comply with the Trump administration in terms of the free speech policy that was unilaterally imposed earlier in the semester,” said Kemal Perdana, SJP co-chair and faculty adviser.

Participants expressed concerns that federal actions impeding access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, housing, medical care and education expenses will have consequential negative impacts on the community. CSU AAUP worked with several CSU and Fort Collins organizations in gathering donations for the community.

“The importance of this (event), from AAUP’s perspective in particular, is to demand that we not only protect higher education from the kinds of threats posed by the Trump administration, but also to insist that higher education is accessible financially, culturally and in every way to all members of society,” CSU AAUP President Mary Van Buren said.

With collections of hygiene and first-aid products, nonperishable food, warm jackets, socks, hats and camping gear, the march highlighted mutual aid as a way to make a difference in students’ higher education.

“I hope that this continues to be a stepping point for people to take more action,” said Addison Nord, CSU SESL social media manager. “It’s really cool to see all these groups gathered here today, and I hope that it inspires people to continue moving forward after this.”

Along with the fight for academic freedom, organizations stood in protest of several other issues. Information tables advocated for a number of issues, including the liberation of Palestine, reproductive freedoms and equal access to voting.

“We’re tabling for Palestine, but other folks are tabling for their own issues that they care about,” Perdana said. “We’re all here in the community, fighting for a better world, which gives me a lot of hope for where we’re going, despite what’s happening federally.”

CSU’s Faculty Council proposed a new compact May 6, entitled, The Mutual Defense Compact for Colorado Institutions of Higher Education to Defend Academic Freedom, Institutional Integrity and the Research Enterprise. The compact states that “all participating institutions shall commit meaningful funding to a shared or distributed defense fund,” and establishes that the fund may be used toward any case of a Colorado institution that is under direct political or legal attack.

Although the Day of Action was a step toward academic freedom, many participants said the fight for higher education continues each day. Several students and faculty members said they will continue to gather in protest until a change is made.

“Despite all these challenges, locally, from CSU’s administration, despite challenges nationally with the Trump administration, we’re all here gathering in the community supporting each other,” Perdana said.

Reach Jenna Espinoza at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.