Dear university presidents and governing board members:

We urge you to unite in petitioning Congress for an immediate end to the Trump presidency.

Donald Trump's abuses of office—including his corrupt self-enrichment, his partisan manipulation of federal agencies, and his obstruction of investigations into himself and his associates—constitute an assault on the rule of law in the United States. Combined with his virulent bigotry, they pose an extreme threat to American democracy. In recent months, his gross mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the deaths of over 130,000 Americans and endangered the lives of many others.

His abuses should be of grave concern to the academic community, as they have done profound damage to American higher education. During Trump's tenure, his Department of Education has rolled back campus Title IX protections and hundreds of civil rights investigations. His negligent pandemic response has shuttered campuses and devastated the economy, causing massive cuts to education budgets. He has sought to suppress, distort, and discredit research for political reasons, even with lives at stake. Most recently, he has overseen a cruel ICE policy that will expel international students from the U.S. if their universities go online-only during the pandemic.

For all these reasons and more, Trump is unfit to serve the rest of his term and should be stripped of power immediately. U.S. officials and institutions, including universities, must join the chorus of voices demanding an end to his presidency. Specifically, we urge you to do the following:

1) State publicly that Trump is unfit to lead the Executive Branch (including the Department of Education) and must resign or be removed by Congress.

2) Direct this message to Congress on behalf of your institution.

3) Coordinate with other schools to amplify the message.

We believe universities cannot remain "neutral" in this crisis. Those that choose silence will reinforce an intolerable status quo. Those that speak out against ignorance, intolerance, and institutional corruption will affirm the highest ideals of academia. Please take a stand today.