On Monday, May 5 at 3:30 p.m., the Stony Brook University Senate held its final meeting of the spring 2025 semester at the Charles B. Wang Center to address challenges to academic freedom and federal funding created by newly implemented federal policies.
Brenda Anderson, the president of the University Senate and a professor in the Department of Psychology, opened the meeting by addressing recent executive actions made by President Donald J. Trump.
Anderson called attention to Trump’s executive order, which removed civil service protections and enforced a list of “forbidden words” in federal departments.
“With the firing of [federal] employees [and] changes in the policy process and funding, we are seeing the [United States] funding agencies being ripped into shreds of their former selves,” Anderson said. “All the while this erodes academic freedom.”
She then cited New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ efforts to resist these federal changes and highlighted the university’s support toward these efforts.
“Our own administration has been working with SUNY to provide a steady stream of information to Attorney General James, and other like-minded attorney generals, in a powerful and focused legal strategy,” Anderson said.
She added that beyond legal efforts, the SUNY administration is also actively lobbying congressional representatives to oppose federal cuts to arts and science organizations. Anderson concluded by restating her personal view that changes to the federal budgeting landscape pose the biggest threat to academic freedom.
Interim President Richard L. McCormick later gave his final report on various topics, some of which included acknowledging recent demonstrations on campus, possible budgeting changes and affirmed Stony Brook’s goal to protect international students.
“We have had a very good experience on campus with the expression of strong political opinions within the bounds of rules and regulations [this academic year],” McCormick said. “Members of the Stony Brook community have expressed their views loudly and clearly as they have every right to do so, even views that others may find uncomfortable, that’s okay. With very few exceptions, that boundary has not been crossed.”
McCormick then explained that he is confident the University will receive the funding it requires from the New York State budget, meaning a tuition increase will not be necessary. He also expressed concerns about federal challenges to higher education, but believes they will not last long.
“For 80 years the United States government has partnered with research-based universities to create the society, nation, economy and healthcare that we enjoy today,” McCormick said. “I can’t see the American people walking away from that.”
McCormick then reaffirmed the University’s commitment to protecting international students and maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
“DEI is not illegal,”McCormick said. “We will obey the law, which says you cannot have opportunities available only to people of a certain race or category. If we had any such programs, they’re gone and none will be established.”
McCormick then shifted the conversation to discuss difficulties the University faces in advancing its scientific research goals. He emphasized the University’s commitment to doubling research expenditures by 2030 and shared that after this term as president, a report will be presented to incoming University President Andrea Goldsmith, outlining the investments and policies necessary to achieve this goal.
He then announced that as of Friday, June 13, Stony Brook will introduce the Future Scholars Program, which will select 100 eighth-grade students to support throughout high school, and those admitted to Stony Brook will receive free tuition. These students will be selected based on merit from five different Southampton school districts.
After his address concluded, a question and answer session began. Josh Dubnau, a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior and the director of the Center for Developmental Genetics, questioned University policy toward federal agents on campus.
Dubnau urged McCormick to replace the current policy instructing University staff and students to contact the University Police Department if approached by federal agents with a hotline for legal advice. He also requested Stony Brook post signs identifying areas where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents need a warrant to enter.
“ICE cannot go around campus without a valid judicial warrant,” Dubnau said. “But [what concerns me] is that students and faculty are not aware of which places have legal protection that prohibits ICE from going in there without a valid warrant.”
McCormick responded by emphasizing existing policies toward federal agents on campus.
“We haven’t had an ICE agent on this campus or any other SUNY campus,” McCormick said. “If they arrive, then everyone on this campus should know by now to call the Stony Brook police, and you do not exceed any request that an ICE agent makes.”
Hanna Nekvasil, the director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Geosciences, expressed her concerns about the 15% funding cap placed by the National Science Foundation on indirect research costs.
“We’re getting these [email] notifications that all [research] proposals must have that 15% cap,” Nekvasil said. “What will that mean for research at a public university that [would be left] underfunded by this cap?”
McCormick called the proposed funding cap deeply flawed and explained the University is pursuing all available legal avenues to oppose it. He also shared his hope that the U.S. Congress will reject this policy if it comes to a vote.
McCormick concluded his address by debating whether the University would issue an apology to the staff and student protestors arrested last year on Wednesday, May 1.
“We’re not here to re-litigate what happened. That unfortunate episode is behind us and will remain behind us,” McCormick said.
The meeting soon concluded after Executive Vice President and Provost Carl Lejuez gave a brief report, emphasizing the University’s commitment to continuing its recruitment of faculty.
“We are aware of the impact of things that are happening at the federal level,” Lejuez said. “Right now we are really focused on recruitment [of new faculty], and we are trying to ensure that we are able to keep our recruitment strong despite a lot of external pressures at the undergraduate and graduate level.”
He added the administration will try its best to support students and faculty that are affected by canceled grants and will remain open to suggestions over the summer on how it can better address these ongoing challenges.
