With all that’s happening right now, it’s hard to keep up. We at the Coalition are here to help.
We covered last week how federal attacks on research won’t just affect universities like UNC, but will have lasting consequences on all of our lives when we lose the next generation of researchers and scientific progress stalls.
This week we want to share some recent headlines so you can catch up on what’s happening in the world of education and what that means for our communities and our future. Many of these articles discuss federal cuts to NIH and USAID, and others tackle the broader landscape of academia at this moment.
Some of these are long reads, but they’re worth it.
The Cost of the Government’s Attack on Columbia
The End of the University as We Know It
New York Times (Opinion) | March 16, 2025
‘It Is Facing a Campaign of Annihilation’: Three Columnists on Trump’s War Against Academia
New York Times (Opinion) | March 15, 2025
‘We’re in the Midst of an Authoritarian Takeover’
The Chronicle of Higher Education | March 11, 2025
Will Harvard Bend or Break?
The New Yorker | March 3, 2025
Grad School Is in Trouble
The Atlantic | February 27, 2025
A New Kind of Crisis for American Universities
The Atlantic | February 10, 2025
Universities across the country having to enact spending cuts and hiring freezes is overwhelming, but here is a local story and a Wall Street Journal article you might find especially relevant:
Duke to implement staff hiring freeze, series of cost-cutting measures amid federal funding threats
The Chronicle | March 13, 2025
Universities Scramble to Avoid Being Trump’s Next Target
Amid DEI backlash and funding threats, universities nationwide cancel events, rescind grad school offers
The Wall Street Journal | March 14, 2025
Finally, we love when UNC makes national news for its accomplishments and accolades. If only recent events didn’t land us in the realm of satire:
Despite Massive Cuts to Higher Ed, We Faculty Are Thrilled about Our New Multi-Million-Dollar Football Coach
McSweeney’s Internet Tendency | March 18, 2025
If you haven’t already, please reach out to your elected officials in Washington and tell them to defend research and fight back against cuts to NIH and USAID. Or, if you have reached out to them … reach out again!
U.S. Senator Thom Tillis
113 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-6342
U.S. Senator Ted Budd
304 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-3154
If you live outside of North Carolina and want to contact your home state senators, you can find their info here.
You can find your representative in the U.S. House here. If you already know who your representative is, you can call their office directly or ask to be connected to their office by calling the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A full list of House member websites can be found here. You can typically find a mailing address at the bottom of a member’s website or on a contact page on their website.