Dear Highline College Community,
Last week Highline College cosigned a public statement put out by The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in response to the government’s demands around higher education. More than 500 leaders from colleges, universities and scholarly societies across the US have signed the statement, which you can read here.
In summary, the statement speaks out “against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.” It asserts the importance of higher education in our country for the prosperity of the common good.
Leaders from at least 14 other colleges and universities across Washington state signed the statement. These institutions include Centralia College, Eastern Washington University, North Seattle College, Pacific Lutheran University, Peninsula College, Renton Technical College, Seattle University, The Evergreen State College, University of Puget Sound, University of Washington, University of Washington Bothell, University of Washington Tacoma, Western Washington University and Whitman College.
Of note, the statement highlights that, “colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry where, in their pursuit of truth, faculty, students, and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation.”
We hope this message of solidarity brings some reassurance to our community that Highline College is actively advocating for access to higher education in the face of extreme challenges.
If you have questions, concerns, or ideas please don’t hesitate to contact us. We want to hear from you! We have created an input form that can be used to share information as we continue to navigate this changing landscape together.
JOINT INFORMATION CENTER (JIC) INPUT FORM
In community,
Highline College Executive Cabinet and Joint Information Center (JIC)
(sent to Highline College faculty, staff, students, and trustees)