News - May 7, 2025 - by Ray Hagar

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University of Nevada, Reno President Brian Sandoval is among hundreds of college presidents who signed a letter recently protesting the “unprecedented government overreach and political interference” that higher education is facing under the Trump administration.

Sandoval, in speaking about the letter on Nevada Newsmakers last week, voiced concerns about academic freedom on campuses and losses of research grants.

Sandoval, a former two-term governor of Nevada and federal judge, was joined in signing the letter by presidents of Ivy League institutions, state flagships, and small liberal-arts colleges.

Presidents at UNLV and Nevada State University also signed the letter, reported the Nevada Current. It marks the college presidents’ largest collective rebuke of the White House’s actions to date, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

"It's tough," Sandoval told host Sam Shad. "We've already lost approximately $35 million in research. And this is important research. This is water research, health care, science. I can go down the line."

The President has demanded changes in policies at some schools that deal with admissions of international students, transgender students participation in athletics and pro-Palenstinian demonstrations.

He has also threatened to cut federal funding and revoke tax-exempt status to schools that don't comply with his political agenda.

He has also shown an aversion to any policies associated with diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI).

"I joined with what is now 600 or 700 university presidents because it isn't just about the research," Sandoval said. "You know, there's also discussion with regard to what happens on a college campus and I believe that it's really important not to interfere with academic freedom. It's really important not to interfere with a student's right to be exposed to a lot of different ideas.

"These are very intelligent students, who need to be exposed to a lot of different things," he continued.

A recent poll published by The Associated Press, showed that a majority of adults in the U.S. oppose Trump's handling of issues related to colleges and universities.

Fifty-six percent disapproved of Trump's approach to higher ed, in the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Four in 10, however, approve of his approach.

Sandoval also mentioned Trump's new executive order on accreditation, "Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education."

It zeros in on "race-preferred admissions," asks accrediting agencies to root out “discriminatory ideology” and roll back DEI initiatives, according to reports.

"It just concerns me to have, for example, our accreditors told how they are going to approve curricula on a college campus," he said. "There's some really important rails there that I don't think we should cross."

Academic battles with the Trump Administration have moved to the justice system as Harvard filed a lawsuit against the administration, arguing its freeze on $2.2 billion in research funding is unconstitutional. It was described as "flatly unlawful" in the Harvard Gazette.

Yet that is not the only legal battle between aspects of higher education and the Trump administration. Consider:

* Thirteen schools, including MIT and Princeton have filed suit against the Trump administration to block steep cuts to federal research funding from the National Science Foundation.

* Two Oregon State international doctoral students are suing the Trump administration for quietly revoking their legal statuses and will be allowed to stay in the country at least until their cases conclude.

* The American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers are suing the Trump administration for cutting off $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University.

"This is an important time in the history of our country and the courts are going to play probably the most important role that they have played in perhaps a century or two with regard to executive power and the limits on executive power and the boundaries of what those will be," said Sandoval.

"So there are a lot of questions that are going to make their way through the federal courts, through the appellate courts, and ultimately up to the Supreme Court that will create precedents that will guide not only this administration but future administrations for decades to come."

Sandoval pushed back on an assertion that Shad mentioned was aired on CBS Television's "60 Minutes" -- that "the entire legal system is in jeopardy."

"I don't think I would go that far," Sandoval said. "I think that's a bit of hyperbole and I don't think the entire legal system is in jeopardy, but the role of a judge is important, as important now than it has ever been."

The Trump administration is also facing legal push-back on other issues, such as immigration, international trade and tariffs, which will certainly keep the courts busy.

"So I would anticipate that this next fall, there's going to be a pretty full agenda for the Supreme Court to consider this," Sandoval said. "And you will see these cases in the case books in the law schools for years to come."

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