The fall semester goes to show that while students, faculty, and staff are not the arbiters of WashU actions or policy, our opinions on them carry weight.

While Chancellor Martin may continue to be in talks with the Trump administration about the compact, we implore him and other members of the University’s administration to stand by the values and goals we have committed to as a University. Moreover, we call on him to take stances beyond the scope of this compact, as the Trump administration continues to make decisions impacting the WashU community, both on and off campus.

In an email sent to faculty midday Wednesday, Martin wrote that WashU will not sign the compact “or any document that undermines our mission or our core values, perhaps highest among these our commitment to academic freedom, access, free expression, and research integrity.”

Dean of WashU’s College of Arts & Sciences, Feng Sheng Hu, told faculty at a meeting on Tuesday that Chancellor Andrew D. Martin does not plan to sign the Trump administration’s compact for higher education in its current form, according to five faculty in attendance.

Chancellor Andrew D. Martin explained his decision to meet with Trump administration officials to discuss their proposed compact for higher education in a University-wide email sent Monday morning. He also noted in the message that his participation in the meeting does not mean WashU has endorsed or signed the document.