The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) denounced what it called federal “extortion” of universities, alleging the government has used threats to withhold research funding to demand sweeping changes to institutional autonomy. AAUP President Todd Wolfson said the federal approach pressures governance, hiring, curriculum, and campus policies rather than enforcing civil-rights law. AAUP released a report titled “Extorted Compliance: A Threat to Institutional Autonomy, Academic Freedom, and Shared Governance,” arguing the pressure on higher education has accelerated over the past decade. The report’s examples include the AAUP’s account of federal pressure on Columbia University through funding leverage and a proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” AAUP leaders warned that autonomy, academic freedom, and shared governance become conditional if money is used to compel ideological alignment. Wolfson and other speakers argued that this approach can narrow what universities teach and research. The White House did not respond to requests for comment, but the AAUP action increases scrutiny of how federal funding terms may translate into governance constraints—an issue boards and faculty leaders are already treating as high risk for campus independence.