Every once in a while, your alma mater does something that reminds you what higher education is supposed to stand for.

In a moment when academic freedom is under siege, when censorship is being repackaged as patriotism, and when political overreach is infiltrating the classroom, Stanford University rose above the noise. It didn’t just issue a statement—it made a stand. A constitutional one. A moral one. And one in clear, public solidarity with Harvard University, which has found itself in the crosshairs of a coordinated campaign of intimidation.

Stanford could have chosen silence. Instead, it chose principle.

Here’s what they wrote:

“America’s universities are a source of great national strength, creating knowledge and driving innovation and economic growth. This strength has been built on government investment but not government control. The Supreme Court recognized this years ago when it articulated the essential freedoms of universities under the First Amendment as the ability to determine who gets to teach, what is taught, how it is taught, and who is admitted to study.”

“Universities need to address legitimate criticisms with humility and openness. But the way to bring about constructive change is not by destroying the nation’s capacity for scientific research, or through the government taking command of a private institution. Harvard University’s objections to the letter it received are rooted in the American tradition of liberty, a tradition essential to our country’s universities, and worth defending.”

That’s not just a statement. That’s a line in the sand.

And while Stanford was drawing that line, my other alma mater, the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, was nowhere to be found. In fact, they have cancelled DEI on campus.

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When One Alma Mater Leads—and Another Lags Behind

I hold degrees from both Stanford and the University of Michigan. I’ve walked the Diag. I’ve studied under Michigan’s best. I owe much to that institution.

But today, I’m proud of one alma mater—and deeply disappointed in the other.

Stanford rose to the challenge with constitutional clarity and democratic purpose. Michigan shrank into silence while the values it claims to cherish—free speech, academic freedom, student activism—were put on trial in the national spotlight.

Where is Michigan’s leadership when it matters?

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Political Intimidation Is the Point

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about Harvard. Or Stanford. Or Michigan. This is about the right of universities to exist as independent institutions of inquiry and dissent.

The federal government, under the banner of “fighting antisemitism,” is now threatening to withhold funding, demand ideological compliance, and interfere with curriculum and personnel decisions at universities across the country. This isn’t about protecting Jewish students—many of whom are actively engaged in protest. This is about using the power of the purse to suppress political speech.

Stanford saw that—and called it out.

Michigan? Still reviewing its options, apparently.

But if you work in higher education—or care about democracy at all—you should recognize the stakes. These letters from the government aren’t inquiries. They’re ultimatums. And they’re part of a broader authoritarian playbook that aims to dismantle diversity initiatives, censor historical truth, and remake higher education in the image of political power.

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The Courage to Say No

Stanford’s statement was bold because it was specific. It referenced the First Amendment. It cited Supreme Court precedent. It named the threat. And it affirmed the right of universities to decide:

• Who teaches
• What is taught
• How it is taught
• And who gets to learn

That is the very essence of academic freedom.

Too many university leaders today have forgotten this. They confuse “neutrality” with moral cowardice. They issue “both sides” statements that satisfy no one. Or worse, they remain silent and hope the storm passes.

But as history has shown us—from McCarthyism to COINTELPRO to the recent attacks on critical race theory—silence is never neutral. It always benefits the oppressor.

That’s why Stanford’s example is so important. It reminds us that academic institutions don’t just exist to train workers or generate patents. They exist to defend democracy, especially when democracy is under attack.

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Michigan, What Are You Waiting For?

I know the University of Michigan. I know its history of student activism, its proud tradition of public scholarship, its claim to be a “leaders and best.”

But leadership is what you do when it’s hard—not when it’s easy.

So far, the administration at Michigan has been tepid, tentative, and tragically quiet in the face of this coordinated campaign to silence dissent and undermine institutional autonomy.

No bold statements. No legal analysis. No solidarity with the universities being targeted.

Just the bureaucratic hum of business as usual— plus cancelling DEI.

But business is not usual right now. And if Michigan continues to say nothing, it becomes complicit in everything.

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The Path Forward

Stanford showed us what’s possible. Michigan—and every other institution on the sidelines—should take notes.

Here’s what universities should do now:

1. Publicly defend academic freedom as a constitutional right and moral imperative.
2. Reject federal or state interference that seeks to dictate admissions, curriculum, or speech.
3. Stand with students and faculty facing retaliation for protest or political expression.
4. Join forces with other institutions to present a united front against political overreach.

Higher education is stronger when it remembers what it’s for—not just workforce development or research dollars, but democracy, truth, justice, and freedom.

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Final Thoughts

Stanford’s courage has given higher education a blueprint—and a mirror. It has reminded us that universities can still be places of principle, not just prestige.

Meanwhile, Michigan’s inaction highlights the consequences of institutional hesitation in the face of moral challenges

This isn’t just about reputation. This is about whether our universities will continue to function as free spaces for learning and dissent—or become hollowed-out shells serving political power.

I’m proud of Stanford today. Not because they’re perfect, but because they remembered who they are. Go Cardinal!

Michigan, it’s your move.