(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – As of Tuesday afternoon, eight Illinois university and college leaders have added their names to the list of more than 200 who have signed a statement criticizing government overreach by the Trump administration in higher education.

The statement by the American Association of Colleges and Universities called “A Call for Constructive Engagement”, states the institutions of higher learning are “open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight.” However, the online document states it “opposes undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses.”

The statement rejects the “coercive use of public research funding.” It points out that whether large or small and public or private, American institutions of higher learning “have in common the essential freedom to determine, on academic grounds, whom to admit and what is taught, how, and by whom.”

It calls the country’s colleges and universities “centers of open inquiry” where faculty, students and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions “without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation.”

The following Illinois university presidents have signed the statement:

Jay D. Gatrell, President, Eastern Illinois University

Katrina Bell Jordan, President, Northeastern Illinois University

Daniel Mahony, President, Southern Illinois University

Aondover Tarhule, President, Illinois State University

Zaldwaynaka Scott, President, Chicago State University

Patricia A. Lynott, President, Rockford University

Lisa Freeman, President, Northern Illinois University

Michaele Whelan, President, Wheaton College

The statement can be viewed at https://www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-call-for-constructive-engagement