This ad hoc committee/taskforce was established in April 2025 in response to the Senate MADC Resolution approved on March 28, 2025. Its purpose is to advance the principles of mutual academic defense for Rutgers University – including collaborative and coordinated protection of Rutgers’ and other higher education institutions’ academic freedom, institutional integrity, and the research enterprise amid a changing federal and state landscape.
The taskforce continues that work by engaging Rutgers leadership, including the University President, Board of Governors, and senior administrators, to explore and principles and practices consistent with mutual academic defense aligned with Rutgers’ core values and strategic interests. The committee also collaborates with shared governance leaders at other New Jersey colleges and universities to build a statewide higher education coalition (NJ-MADC) that strengthens collective defense of academic freedom and representative governance; the Senate approved a resolution joining this body on October 17, 2025. In addition, it supports internal communication and educational efforts within Rutgers to deepen understanding of mutual academic defense principles and the University’s role in advancing them.