![Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. Gustavus Adolphus College was hit by a tornado in 1998 destroying 2,000 trees and 80 percent of the windows on campus buildings. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ ï cgonzalez@startribune.com ñ March 26, 2018, 20 the anniversary of Tornado that hit Minnesota River Valley in March 1998 hitting St. Peter and Comfrey, a city of 40.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/DBT7DEQVDGF3J7QLB454IHRYEE.jpg?&w=712)
Six more Minnesota college and university presidents signed a letter voicing opposition to Trump’s interference in higher education across the country on Wednesday.
That brings the total number of Minnesota schools that have signed on to the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) letter to 11 schools as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Metropolitan State University President Virginia “Ginny” Arthur, Gustavus Adolphus College President Rebecca Bergman, St. Catherine University President Marcheta Evans, Hamline University interim President Kathleen Murray, St. Olaf College President Susan Rundell and University of St. Thomas President Rob Vischer added their names to the letter that five other presidents had earlier signed.
More than 360 leaders of colleges, universities and scholarly societies nationwide have signed the letter calling for “constructive engagement” around issues in higher education rather than the “unprecedented government overreach” that it says has occurred since President Donald Trump took office for the second time.
The letter, which is continuing to gather more signatures, says that schools don’t oppose “legitimate government oversight” but must reject “undue government intrusion” and the “coercive use of public research funding.”
It’s one of the first public actions Minnesota’s higher education leaders have taken since Trump was inaugurated in January and began making dramatic changes, including cutting research funding, detaining or revoking international students’ visas without due process and cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
