American Jewish Committee (AJC), Association of American Universities (AAU), American Council on Education (ACE), and partner organizations express concern over federal actions that endanger government-campus scientific partnership, pledge to work together in unprecedented effort to combat campus antisemitism
New York, NY and Washington, DC –In a major breakthrough in the fight against campus antisemitism, American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Association of American Universities (AAU), and the American Council on Education (ACE), today released a joint statement, affirming the seriousness of antisemitism on campus and a pledge from these organizations, representing the full breadth of American higher educational institutions, to “continuing consequential reform and transparent action.” The statement also notes that, “[i]n the name of combating antisemitism, the federal government has recently taken steps that endanger the research grants, academic freedom, and institutional autonomy of America’s higher education sector.”
“This joint commitment to combat campus antisemitism is a major step forward in our efforts to create and foster the college experience that all students deserve: one that is free from hate, bigotry, and harassment, ensuring that all students — including Jewish, Israeli, and Zionist students — have the opportunity to grow and thrive,“ said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “Our ability to provide this guidance to campus leadership and the resources we have created are built on the trust that AJC’s Center for Education Advocacy has developed with administrators across the country, as we have helped them to institute reforms at all levels of education: from kindergarten through PhDs. Our democratic values are not at odds with our vision for classrooms and campuses free from antisemitism – in fact, each is necessary for the other. ”
President Barbara R. Snyder of AAU, an organization of 69 leading research universities in the United States, said, “Our member universities understand that we must fight antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of discrimination to ensure that all students feel safe to learn and thrive on our campuses – but cutting funds for life-saving research and threatening academic freedom and constitutional rights such as freedom of speech do nothing to make students safer. Fighting discrimination and supporting due process are two sides of the same coin; you cannot have one without the other.”
ACE President Ted Mitchell, whose organization represents the full spectrum of American higher education institutions, said, “The higher education community and our institutions stand against antisemitism, and we are gratified to enter into this joint commitment with AJC, AAU, and all of our partners. We call on the federal government to join us in fighting antisemitism effectively, fairly, and by following due process and the rule of law. Our efforts to stamp out hate should address real concerns and problems, not cause damage to cutting-edge and often life-saving research without actually working to protect Jewish and any other students subject to discrimination and harassment.”
Also co-signing the statement are the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU),
American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).
According to AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report ,roughly one-third (35%) of current American Jewish college students and recent graduates report having personally experienced antisemitism at least once during their time on campus, with 20% reporting that it happened more than once. One-fifth (22%) of Jewish students report feeling or being excluded from a group or an event on campus because they are Jewish. AJC previously published Confronting Campus Antisemitism: An Action Plan for University Administrators , which includes concrete steps to meet both the immediate needs of Jewish campus citizens and foster sustained, real change that will improve the learning and living environment for all students, faculty, and staff – including Jewish community members.
The joint statement reads:
America’s higher education and Jewish communities share and endorse the Trump Administration’s priority of eradicating antisemitism. We come together to ask the Administration to pursue this important goal in ways that preserve academic freedom, respect due process, and strengthen the government-campus scientific partnership that has made America stronger, healthier, and safer.
The proper and essential role for the U.S. government in addressing antisemitism is through the nation’s powerful anti-discrimination laws, which allow for vigorous enforcement while providing due process rights that are essential to ensure fair treatment of individuals and institutions.
In the name of combating antisemitism, the federal government has recently taken steps that endanger the research grants, academic freedom, and institutional autonomy of America’s higher education sector. AJC, the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, believes that when these actions are overly broad, they imperil science and innovation, and ultimately detract from the necessary fight against antisemitism while threatening the global preeminence of America’s research universities and colleges.
Antisemitism is a plague on humanity. It has found unacceptable expression on U.S. campuses in recent years, as it has elsewhere in American society, on both sides of the political spectrum. The universities and colleges represented by the Association of American Universities and the American Council on Education pledge continuing consequential reform and transparent action to root out antisemitism and all other forms of hate and prejudice from our campuses. AJC is committed to helping universities achieve these results.
About American Jewish Committee
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org .
About the Association of American Universities
Founded in 1900, the Association of American Universities is composed of America’s leading research universities. AAU’s 71 research universities transform lives through education, research, and innovation.
Our member universities earn the majority of competitively awarded federal funding for research that improves public health, seeks to address national challenges, and contributes significantly to our economic strength, while educating and training tomorrow’s visionary leaders and innovators.
AAU member universities collectively help shape policy for higher education, science, and innovation; promote best practices in undergraduate and graduate education; and strengthen the contributions of leading research universities to American society.
About the American Council on Education (ACE)
ACE is a membership organization that leads higher education with a united vision for the future, galvanizing our members to make change and collaborating across the sector to design solutions for today’s challenges, serve the needs of a diverse student population, and shape effective public policy. As the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities, our strength lies in our diverse membership of more than 1,600 colleges and universities, related associations, and other organizations in America and abroad. ACE is the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on X (formerly known as Twitter) @ACEducation and LinkedIn .