Lee Bollinger presents his thoughts

I can’t comment specifically on current responses among universities, in part because they are facing an extremely difficult and, I would say, unprecedented political environment and, in part, because they are being put in a vise of dealing with an admittedly serious problem and being presented with an existential threat by forces unclear about what they really want. I can, however, make more general comments.

First, I believe universities must understand what their identity is, their role in the society, and then express and defend that identity. It is my view that the First Amendment should extend special protections to universities just as it arguably does for the press, as institutions of systemic importance serving the public’s interest in advancing understanding and knowledge and in informing the public about vital issues. Courts have afforded universities important protections because they are part of the bedrock of American values, reflected in the Constitution. Universities need to articulate that special role and defend it.

Second, I think that seeking shelter in the courts is most often the necessary path. I share the view of those who argue that the government cannot intrude into university decision-making without compelling reasons, whether directly or by placing unconstitutional conditions on funding. When I became president of the University of Michigan, I was immediately informed that we were the next target of the anti-affirmative action movement. This was an attack on a core value of the institution, and settlement or capitulation was not an option in my view. We ended up successfully making that case in the Supreme Court.

And, third, it is always important to take the long view, and we must make sure that when we emerge from whatever present crisis we are in, the choices we made will not make us ashamed. Universities last for centuries. . . .

We’re in the midst of an authoritarian takeover of the U.S. government. It’s been coming and coming, and not everybody is prepared to read it that way. The characters regarded as people to emulate, like Orban and Putin and so on, all indicate that the strategy is to create an illiberal democracy or an authoritarian democracy or a strongman democracy. That’s what we’re experiencing. Our problem in part is a failure of imagination. We cannot get ourselves to see how this is going to unfold in its most frightening versions. You neutralize the branches of government; you neutralize the media; you neutralize universities, and you’re on your way.

We’re beginning to see the effects on universities. It’s very, very frightening.

--Lee Bollinger, former president of Columbia University and the University of Michigan