Mutual Academic Defense Compacts
Mutual academic defense compacts are agreements among colleges and universities to uphold core principles of higher education—academic freedom, institutional autonomy, scientific integrity, human and civil rights, and equitable access—by standing in solidarity when these values come under attack. Faculty governance bodies, AAUP chapters, even unions can adopt compact resolutions that call on their institutions to collaborate, speak out, and offer material or moral support when peer institutions come under coordinated political attack. These compacts are not merely symbolic; they are frameworks for action. They help ensure that no campus stands alone when federal or state actors target students, scholars, or research agendas for political gain.
Explore early MADC resolutions passed by various faculty senates below.
Use these for inspiration and adaptation in drafting your own campus resolution. Consult our toolkit for updated best practices for resolution language and ideas for building MADC Task Forces.
The Rutgers Model
The MADC movement started at Rutgers with the idea for building mutual defense among the Big 10 institutions.
UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst took inspiration from Rutgers, calling on the university to build MADCs with public/land grants across the country and with institutions of higher education across Massachusetts.
State University of
New York
SUNY’s resolution called for a MADC among SUNY, CUNY, and other higher education institutions across New York State.
