LINCOLN, Neb. — Faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are advocating for a Mutual Defense Compact in response to significant federal funding cuts faced by Ivy League institutions, including Harvard and Columbia, under the administration of President Donald Trump.

Alexander Vazansky, president of UNL's American Association of University Professors, explained the motivation behind the proposal.

"The government essentially threatened, and then did implement large scale budget cuts," said Vazansky. "Basically, making certain demands that these universities didn’t do certain things in terms of institutes that they had, people that taught there, or students that study there. They would and they did cut the budget."

The proposed compact is a resolution from faculty senates at Big Ten schools, urging administrators to form a legal defense compact to protect against government interference in university governance, research, and teaching.

"It’s a resolution by the various senates from Big Ten schools, faculty senates, asking their administrators to form a compact, a legal defense compact, to defend against any kind of government interference in faculty governance, university governance, university research, university teaching," Vazansky said.

Currently, six or seven Big Ten schools have signed or passed similar resolutions, with hopes that all 18 schools will eventually join the initiative. Vazansky emphasized the importance of university autonomy for state economies and research.

"And threatening that autonomy could have very negative consequences for these schools and an economic impact in all states in the nation," he said.

The University of Nebraska system expressed its support in a statement: "Academic freedom is a cornerstone of higher education, enabling faculty to teach, conduct research, and engage with our Nebraska communities. The University of Nebraska firmly supports our faculty, staff, and learners."

Vazansky noted that it remains uncertain whether the compact will be temporary, as they await administrative action on the proposal.