Letter to Leadership at ASU, NAU, UA

Below is our union's official open letter to Leadership at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona.

Approved by the UCWAZ CWA Local 7065 Executive Committee and released publicly on Monday, May 5th, 2025.

To the presidents of the three public universities in Arizona,

We, the members and Executive Committee of United Campus Workers of Arizona, CWA Local 7065, have looked on with growing alarm as the Trump administration has attacked the core principles of university education in America. Like you, we were horrified to see this administration meddle in the affairs of Columbia University, demanding that it place its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department under “academic receivership for a minimum of five years” and change a number of other policies or face the loss of millions of dollars from the federal government. Even worse, Columbia capitulated to these outrageous demands.

Now, hundreds of colleges and universities have banded together to sign a Call for Constructive Engagement demanding that the federal government cease its overreaching and politically motivated interference in the affairs of American higher education. As of today, these 594 academic leaders have rejected the Trump administration’s threats to cut off federal funds from universities that do not follow its rules. These include the presidents of some of the most renowned private universities in the Ivy League (Alan M. Garber, President, Harvard University; J. Larry Jameson, President, University of Pennsylvania; Maurie McInnis, President, Yale University) as well as the leaders of large state institutions comparable to UA, ASU, and NAU (Michael V. Drake, President, University of California System; Berenecea J. Eanes, President, California State University, Los Angeles; Howard Gillman, Chancellor, University of California, Irvine). They have taken a principled stand to protect international students, academic freedom, and open inquiry without fear of reprisals. 

And yet, we have heard nothing from you, the leaders of Arizona’s public universities, in support of this Call for Constructive Engagement. Now is not the time for hedging one’s bets, hoping that our institutions will not be targeted by the intolerance and drastic meddling of authoritarianism in Washington, DC. We expect more from you because, like you, we know the value of all the principles of university research, teaching, and service, and what these activities contribute to our nation. 

So today we issue this open letter, urging you to join the principled academic leaders of the nation and sign the Call for Constructive Engagement. In this way, you will signal your protection of the students, faculty, and staff on our campuses, keeping them safe from threats of intimidation, making it clear that you care about the welfare of our vital institutions. We look forward to hearing from you by Friday, May 30th and to seeing your names among the signatories of the Call, standing together with the hundreds of others who have pushed back against attempts at coercion.

For the faculty, staff, and student members of our union,

The Executive Committee

United Campus Workers of Arizona, CWA Local 7065

To read or download the statement as a PDF, click the button below.