Re: Dartmouth only Ivy to abstain from signing letter against Trump administration funding cuts
President Beilock,
I am deeply disappointed in Dartmouth’s absence from the American Association of Colleges and Universities “A Call for Constructive Engagement” letter. The coercive use of public research funding is a threat to academic freedom and scientific knowledge. That Dartmouth would be the only Ivy not standing with the academic community on this matter is shameful, and makes me feel embarrassed to be an alumna.
At Dartmouth, my master’s thesis research was supported in part by NASA Space Grant funds, and I can only imagine the vast number of my undergraduate professors whose work would be threatened by the use of research funding as a pawn. Education in our country is under attack at every level — even informal education. My field as a museum professional has been ravaged with the Institute of Museum and Library Services gutted and research programs that support our understanding of learners and build education practices imperiled at National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and other agencies. These are programs that nurture future students and spark interest in innovation and inquiry in communities across the country.
Dartmouth’s recent development campaign was titled “The Call to Lead.” If the College expects alumni to answer that call, it must be seen as a leader itself. America’s higher education institutions have a duty to stand up for academic integrity and act as leaders within the broader education community. Shrinking from that duty suggests Dartmouth has fallen behind its peers.
President Beilock, I hope you will reconsider your silence.
Sincerely,
Kendall Adams Bartholomew ’04 GR ’06
Kendall Adams Bartholomew is a member of the Class of 2004. Letters to the Editor represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.
