University Senate speaker urges protection of academic freedom as part of ‘global university’ agenda

Professor Linda Herrera of the University Senate Conference told the Board that defining and sustaining a "global university" requires ongoing deliberation, protection of academic freedom and concrete institutional support for international programs and vulnerable students.

Herrera said international enrollment is an important part of the system's global character but that recent declines — especially among international graduate students — present both a challenge and an opportunity. "We are a global university in a fraught world," she said, and urged trustees to balance the values of academic freedom, rigorous inquiry and ethical standards even as political pressures and funding threats mount. Herrera also warned that some Title VI language and area-studies centers face federal funding uncertainty and called for creative local support.

Trustees asked how the university should balance "truth and accuracy" in fraught campus debates and how to mitigate geopolitical risks while recruiting preeminent faculty. Herrera said methodology, ethical norms and adherence to the standards of scholarship are central: "So I do believe as someone who is a fierce advocate of academic freedom ... as long as we are being rigorous, providing ... abiding by the ethics of our professions, we should be able to explore different truths." The session closed with trustees thanking Herrera and noting the need for continued shared governance and consultation across campuses.

The presentation and follow-up questions placed emphasis on academic-governance strategies rather than immediate policy changes; trustees did not take a formal vote on the presentation.