Central Michigan University Republicans and Democrats Unite to Defend Free Speech
Student leaders present joint First Amendment resolution to the CMU Board of Trustees.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — In a show of bipartisan unity, the Central Michigan University College Republicans and the CMU College Democrats have jointly approved a resolution condemning political violence and affirming their shared support for First Amendment protections on campus.
The joint resolution, signed November 20, 2025, outlines a shared commitment from both organizations to protect free expression at CMU and to denounce acts of political violence that have occurred nationally in recent years. Leaders from both student groups presented the document to the CMU Board of Trustees, requesting formal acknowledgment and support.
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“Our organizations came together to affirm something we all agree on,” said Steven M. Alec, president of the CMU College Republicans. “Free speech should never be met with violence, and students should feel safe expressing their beliefs.”
Parker G. Ward, president of the CMU College Democrats, co-signed the resolution. Both groups said their collaboration grew out of conversations held earlier this fall, when the student organizations met to discuss shared concerns about rising political hostility on college campuses.
According to the resolution, the two groups “affirm their commitment to condemning political violence” and support the right to free speech for all students, regardless of ideological viewpoint. The document cites several high-profile incidents of political violence nationwide as part of the reason for taking action.
The bipartisan partnership emerged shortly after the Michigan Republican Party’s Second District Committee encouraged students statewide to adopt free-speech resolutions in response to rising concerns from parents and local activists. CMU became the first university where both major political student organizations collaborated to draft and pass such a measure.
Student leaders from both groups presented their joint resolution to CMU trustees, as well as to campus media outlets, in hopes that university officials will formally adopt a similar statement.
“We don’t have to agree on policy to agree that violence is wrong,” the CMU College Republicans wrote in a public statement. “The fact that we worked with the College Democrats on this shows what is possible.”
Both student organizations said they hope the resolution encourages other universities, school boards, and student groups across Michigan to find areas of agreement and reinforce standards of civil engagement.
The Board of Trustees has not yet announced whether it will take up the resolution.