Dear Stanford leadership,

We must create systems of open dialogue between Stanford affiliates from a broad range of backgrounds, departments and career stages. To defend our community and its values and break the silence fallen across campuses nationwide, we urge you to release an official, public statement that affirms Stanford’s commitment to (1) protecting graduate workers, postdocs, students, faculty and staff and (2) safeguarding the principles of academic freedom. 

On March 21, 2025, Columbia University agreed to a list of preconditions by the Trump administration in an attempt to restore $400 million in federal funding currently being withheld. These new policies exacerbate student surveillance, asking the University to sacrifice the safety and well-being of its students, freedom of speech and fundamental principles of academic freedom. The Trump administration has also promised to suspend $175 million in federal funding from the University of Pennsylvania because of its athletic policy on transgender athletes. Stanford may be next.

We write this letter because we don’t want Stanford to capitulate to the Trump administration. In 2020, the university released a statement on systemic racism and established an exhibit in support of Black Lives Matter. However, the banner promoting this exhibit was recently removed due to an institutional neutrality policy. We see these actions like these as sacrificing the safety of students and workers for standing in good favor with the Trump administration. 

We urge Stanford to defend the safety of its community, to honor the mission and values of the university and to lead the charge for academic freedom. The Trump administration has waged a devastating campaign to censor academic research, including putting out a list of terms deemed forbidden. This censorship is emblematic of authoritarian tendencies. Our request of Stanford leadership is not partisan. The Kalven Report on the University’s Role in Political and Social Action from the civil rights era — often a benchmark for institutional neutrality during politically challenging environments — makes it clear that when “the very mission of the university and its values of free inquiry” are threatened, it is the “obligation of the university as an institution to oppose such measures and actively to defend its interests and its values.” 

1) Stanford must reaffirm its commitment to protect all graduate students

We appreciate that the Stanford administration, including University president Jonathan Levin ’94 and Provost Jenny Martinez, have stood up to the Trump administration to protect research funding. However, there is a resounding silence around the attacks on members of our community, especially international and LGBTQ students, as well as those who work on or participate in DEI programs. This silence today, in contrast to Stanford leadership’s statements during the first Trump administration, speaks volumes and sends the message that Stanford does not stand behind their students and workers. We call on Stanford to:

• Protect the immigration status of students as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and adhere to Article 13 on international graduate workers, which states that “the University shall not release information regarding Graduate Worker immigration status to the Department of Homeland Security unless legally required to do so.” 
• Protect students and workers by refusing to cooperate with ICE and refusing to facilitate illegal arrests and deportations. Stanford must clarify whether the Department of Public Safety will act in accordance with Santa Clara County’s sanctuary jurisdiction.
• Reaffirm their support of all students without “regard to their immigration status, religion, nationality, ethnicity or other characteristics,” as well as fulfill its promise to provide nondiscrimination protections.
• Reaffirm their commitment to maintain the funds of the Weiland Health Initiative and use them for their original stated purposes, which include care specific to the LGBTQ community, as promised in a letter from James Jacobs, the executive director of Vaden Health Services.
• Uphold the contract and promises to the Stanford Graduate Workers Union (SGWU) regardless of the state of research grants and federal funding, including:
  • Provide at least five years of 12-month funding to all enrolled PhD students in good academic standing, as confirmed in a letter from Provost Martinez in November 2024.
  • Maintain workers’ compensation rates as set in the Compensation Article through 2027.
  • Abstain from terminating funding during an appointment, as stated in the Appointment Security Article.
  • Ensure that no program, department or faculty member will require a doctoral student to obtain external funding or to self-fund as a condition of admission, entry to or continuation in the degree program.
• Document the discussions, justifications and decision-making processes related to federal orders and involve discussion and feedback from non-leadership members of the community. Stanford should hold town halls and provide anonymous surveys to facilitate communication between the administration and workers and students.
• Provide the Stanford community with resources and trainings regarding the rights of and protections for international students, faculty and staff. Stanford should provide rights trainings and guidance to un- or under-documented Stanford affiliates, and international, students, faculty and staff, especially in light of recent announcements such as a potential reinstatement of travel bans. 

2) Stanford must reaffirm academic freedom as one of its core policies.

In 1974, the Senate of the Academic Council adopted and approved the Statement on Academic Freedom. The preamble of this statement reads: “Stanford University’s central functions of teaching, learning, research, and scholarship depend upon an atmosphere in which freedom of inquiry, thought, expression, publication and peaceable assembly are given the fullest protection.” The Trump administration’s attack on academic freedom directly contradicts this statement, and Stanford must respond accordingly. We ask Stanford to:

• Reject any requests from the Trump administration that jeopardize academic freedom and/or freedom of speech. This includes preventing censorship in curricula or research, refusing to allow curricula to be monitored by political appointees and refusing to pause research with scientific merit that is attacked by the Trump administration. 
• Support programs, initiatives, scholarships or other endeavors related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Stanford must recognize, as Georgetown Law Dean William Trenor has, that the threat to reduce or destroy these programs and to deny students employment options on this basis are both violations of the First Amendment and Stanford’s core policy of academic freedom. 
• Protect the existence, funding and infrastructure of targeted departments deemed by the Trump administration to be related to DEI or “too woke.” We expect Stanford to receive similar requests as those placed on Columbia which demands to place the “Middle East, South Asian and African Studies under academic receivership for a minimum of five years.” Stanford must staunchly refuse to obey such illegal orders.

Compliance will buy only temporary relief but come at the expense of our safety and integrity. As our leaders, we urge you to honor your commitment to protect the Stanford community and its values as we collectively navigate the challenging times ahead.

Emily Chen is a graduate student in materials science and engineering and communications secretary for Stanford Graduate Workers Union (UE Local 1043). Additionally, 232 Stanford affiliates as of April 7, 2025, including undergraduate students, graduate students and workers and postdoctoral scholars, have signed this letter.

This letter has been modified from the original version prior to publishing.