July 9, 2025 Advocacy Update

The American Council of Learned Societies’ 81 member societies represent an extraordinary range of fields across the humanities and social sciences. While each society focuses on distinct areas of study, all are united by a shared commitment to supporting scholars, fostering the creation and circulation of humanistic knowledge, and advancing our understanding of the past and present that will shape our future  

At a time when scholars of the humanities and social sciences are facing heightened social and political challenges—including restrictions on academic freedom, and threats to inclusive educational practices and fundamental human rights—ACLS member societies are engaging the moment with creative, sustained advocacy efforts aimed at empowering scholars, safeguarding scholarly freedom, strengthening academic communities, and protecting the vital exchange of scholarly knowledge.

The work of the eight member societies featured below reflect the rich and varied forms of advocacy flourishing across all ACLS societies, from person-to-person care and community gatherings to national policy efforts and international support.  

• In response to rising attacks on higher education and global academic collaboration, the African Studies Association (ASA) has called on members to submit Impact Statements demonstrating the value of African studies to national competitiveness and public understanding, which are shared with congressional staffers to strengthen policy support. Through its15-Minutes Online Teaching Series, ASA engages members in public-facing scholarship to  reinforcing the relevance of African studies in contemporary discourse. Additionally, the newly launched Directors Fund supports professional development grants for junior faculty at US non-R1 institutions most at risk from funding cuts.

• Through its Advocacy Program and action alerts, the American Political Science Association (APSA) mobilizes members to protect federal funding for social science research, including the National Science Foundation and Title VI/Fulbright-Hays programs, and to defend voting rights and democratic practices. The association also advocates for international scholars and global exchange, working with partners such as the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) and the Scholars at Risk Network.

• The American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS) maintains a dedicated Humanities and Nonprofit News page to keep members informed about policy and sector developments affecting scholarship and the humanities. A key example of ASECS’s commitment is its emphasis on creative outreach and collaborative solution-building: when a funding disruption eliminated a vital professional development opportunity for a graduate student, ASECS helped identify and connect the student to a comparable opportunity so the student could still gain essential experience.  

• Through targeted statements and its new Advocacy and Action Alert page, the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) mobilizes members to respond to policy threats and strengthen research infrastructures. Its strong advocacy for US Department of Education Title VI funding underscores a commitment to sustaining advanced language training, area studies programs, and global expertise critical to national and international understanding. The recent Board Letter to ASEEES Members reaffirms the importance of scholarly mobility and international collaboration, emphasizing the role of transnational dialogue in a shifting geopolitical landscape.
  
• Through its Board of Directors and its Committee on Academic Freedom (CAF), the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) issues urgent public letters and statements defending scholars, educators, and students under threat across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as North America. Their Task Force on Civil and Human Rights extends this work across borders, challenging discriminatory policies and supporting members with resources. MESA’s Advocacy Resource Center and the newly launched Academic Freedom Initiative provide practical tools and research data to equip members for effective action, further enhancing education and intellectual exchange. Its Global Academy embodies this mission by supporting displaced and at-risk scholars from the MENA region, ensuring they can continue their vital research and teaching, and reinforcing MESA’s dedication to fostering scholarship and defending academic freedom worldwide. In addition, MESA has filed amicus briefs and serves as a plaintiff in litigation such as American Association of University Professors v. Rubio and International Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump.   

• The National Council on Public History (NCPH) approaches advocacy through community-powered, grassroots methods. NCPH’s action alerts empower members in defending humanities funding, supporting public lands and equitable access, and promoting accurate, inclusive interpretation at historic sites. Their innovative postcard-writing Zoom sessions and summer “Postcards with Purpose” initiative encourage joyful, collective participation, making advocacy accessible and communal. Recent efforts emphasize sustainable, year-round advocacy through impactful actions while also uplifting self and community care as essential to long-term engagement. Through comprehensive online resources and a strong commitment to inclusivity outlined in its Shared Values Statement, NCPH empowers historians to be active, public advocates and stewards of collective memory.

• The National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) emphasizes a care-centered, community-driven approach to advocacy, including their Women of Color Leadership Project and collaborations with Puerto Rican feminist collectives. Through timely public statements and its robust Resource Library, which includes guides for resisting legislative threats, addressing online harassment, and navigating institutional censorship, NWSA offers concrete strategies to protect Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and support vulnerable scholars. The organization has also expanded accessibility initiatives, including enhanced accommodations and travel support for scholars facing immigration surveillance and increased precarity. Healing-centered programming, such as sound bowl sessions and public conversations on trans joy and defiance with activists and artists like Tourmaline and Dean Spade, sustains scholar well-being and fosters community connection.

• The North American Conference on British Studies (NACBS), has hosted recent events such as “What Can I Do?” and “Getting and Keeping a Job in the Current Anti-DEI Climate,” which created space for members to discuss ways to support students and colleagues, and to navigate growing restrictions on academic freedom and content. NACBS has also affirmed its commitment to supporting research under threat by increasing the Judith R. Walkowitz Article Prize to $1,000, emphasizing the value of scholarship investigating how cultural, political, and social contexts shape gender and sexuality. Additionally, its month-long Pride blog series highlighted LGBTQ+ histories and addressed contemporary threats, including book bans and moral policing.

We hope to share more advocacy updates from additional ACLS member societies as the year unfolds.   

Camilo Villalpando
ACLS Director of Member Society Relations