The nearly 14,000 nuclear weapons in the world today pose an existential threat to every living being on earth. Universities would be complicit in the U.S. use of these inhumane and immoral weapons. Working on producing and maintaining them directly contradicts many university mission statements to equip students to make the world a better place.
Most universities keep much of their nuclear weapons work secret from students and faculty by allowing classified research and not disclosing details from Defense Department and Energy Department contracts.
Meanwhile, 122 countries have adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which bans nuclear weapons, including their research and development, for the countries that join it. University activities shouldn’t contradict international law.