More than 550 college and university presidents and other educational leaders across the country have signed a letter calling for constructive engagement with the Trump administration. These institutions are speaking out against what they call “unprecedented government overreach and political interference.”
Jim Troha, the president of Juniata College in Huntingdon County, is one of hundreds of signatures on the letter.
“It was the right thing to do," Troha said.
Troha said he signed the letter to start a dialogue between higher education institutions and the federal government.
“It was to get college leaders together and not necessarily, you know, try to take swings at the federal government," Troha said.
Troha said he has heard from many people who are concerned about the threat to how universities operate.
“There's some things that we can improve upon," Troha said, "but we also are asking for some mutual collaboration as they think about what they want to do with higher education. We think we should be at that table.”
The letter comes after federal funding freezes to major higher education institutions like Columbia University and Harvard.
More than half of the Big Ten universities also signed onto the letter, not including Penn State. But, Penn State is a member of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, which published the letter.
