The Form That Fractured a Campus

By the time the deadline arrived, Stephanie Shepherd had spent a lot of time scrutinizing the form Auburn University asked her to sign.

Less than two weeks earlier, in the middle of the fall 2025 semester, the provost’s office had told faculty members to “review and certify” the legality of their courses. Specified in the form was Alabama legislation banning public universities from endorsing “divisive concepts,” including that “moral character” is determined by race, sex, or religion and that meritocracy is racist or sexist. It also referenced Trump-administration guidance asserting that many campus practices related to race and identity violate civil-rights statutes.