The Washington University Graduate Workers Union (WUGWU) organized a demonstration last Friday, May 1, to protest University funding cuts to College of Arts & Sciences graduate programs and demand increased protections for international students as part of nationwide May Day rallies and strikes calling for labor rights, among other causes.

At his annual State of the University address, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin expressed optimism for the future despite significant struggles during the past year. 

There has been a lot of discussion among students about the impacts of funding cuts on our daily lives, such as the lack of toilet paper and printers in some residential buildings. While these changes are significant, we must acknowledge that most of our places at WashU are secure. We must take actions to support those in our campus community who face a more uncertain future.

It is not a stretch to say that the future of innovation is being negotiated right now. If Congress caps research funding or goes through with NIH and NSF cuts, WashU’s labs, students, and communities will severely suffer. Now is not a time to be passive.
WashU students have a responsibility and an opportunity to advocate for the research that saves lives and strengthens communities.

In a Q&A with Student Life this Tuesday, WashU Chancellor Andrew Martin revealed that the University is planning to build a new dormitory on campus. Martin also reaffirmed the school’s commitment to financial responsibility and diversity of perspectives and backgrounds during a time of political uncertainty for universities.

Yet at the moment when the nation needs quality teachers most, WashU has chosen to eliminate its teacher education program. In an August email, the Education Department at WashU informed students that, “due to ongoing challenges and budgetary constraints,” the department will be discontinuing its teacher education programs for students entering WashU in fall 2025 and beyond.

In an email addressed to the WashU community last Monday, Chancellor Andrew Martin emphasized that the WashU administration was doing “all [it] can to advocate for the university” in light of the recent investigations and funding cuts under the Trump Administration.

Professors, researchers, graduate students, and PhD candidates stood across the street from the Barnes-Jewish Hospital on Friday afternoon holding signs that read “My research saves lives, cutting my funding will not” and “Science not silence.” As cars drove by and honked in support, the group of a few hundred protesters cheered and clapped.