ST. LOUIS — St. Louis University’s Fred Pestello this week joined over 300 college and university presidents in a public rebuke of the Trump administration and its “unprecedented government overreach.”

Pestello was one of 328 higher education leaders to sign on to a public statement organized by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. The “ Call for Constructive Engagement “ lambasted federal authorities for political interference in college admissions, research funding and academics as the second administration of President Donald Trump works to conform universities to his political agenda.

“We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight,” the statement reads. “However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live and work on our campuses.”

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Pestello’s signature marks the first public criticism of the Trump administration from the leader of a local university since U.S. President Donald Trump started his second term.

Local university leaders have addressed executive orders and threats to federal research funding through various messages and statements , but none have been so openly critical. Washington University Chancellor Andrew Martin advocated for university leaders to refrain from taking positions on political matters “not directly connected to the university’s core function” in a February op-ed co-authored by Vanderbilt University President Daniel Diermeier.

The “Call for Constructive Engagement” was released Tuesday but had a growing number of signatories by Wednesday afternoon.

Its release comes after the Trump administration held billions in federal funding, mostly from elite schools such as Harvard and Columbia, for their tolerance of pro-Palestinian demonstrations or refusal to satisfy certain government demands.

There’s also been continued uncertainty surrounding federal research funding, which university leaders rejected the “coercive” use of.

Last year, SLU received $26 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health. The NIH has faced significant cuts in the last few months, and on Monday said it would ban future grants to universities with diversity, equity and inclusion programs or “boycotts“ of Israel.

University leaders’ statement also addressed recent issues faced by international students. Students in St. Louis and across the country have seen their visas or legal statuses revoked by federal authorities, sometimes without clear cause .

Students, faculty and staff should be able to exchange their opinions “without fear of retribution, censorship or deportation,” university leaders said.

Pestello plans to leave SLU in June following the March 2024 announcement of his departure. He’ll have led the Jesuit university as president for 11 years.

Southern Illinois University System President Daniel Mahony also signed the statement.

Post-Dispatch photographers capture hundreds of images each week; here's a glimpse at the week of April 13, 2025. Video edited by Jenna Jones.

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