Reed College in Portland is working to protect the rights of students impacted by the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Audrey Bilger, president of Reed College, was invited to a roundtable discussion at the White House on Monday hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss student’s rights.
”This is a landscape with a great deal of uncertainty as states continue to make changes to their laws,” Bilger said.
Though abortion access in Oregon is not severely impacted by the decision, Bilger said the university is still committed to supporting its students.
During the discussion, university presidents discussed the impact of the ruling on their students. Bilger said Harris emphasized the role students play in transformative movements in history.
“I couldn’t agree more that the voices of young people are going to be really critical to helping to get this changed,” Bilger said.
Currently, Bilger said she is focused on ensuring students at Reed know about their rights, especially out-of-state students, or students living outside of Oregon for internships or research.
“We believe that having good, accurate information is essential to a functioning democracy, and that higher education is one of the ways that we help to prepare educated citizens,” Bilger said,
For now, the college will provide resources to students that outline ways to protect their privacy when seeking abortion services. Classes at Reed begin Aug. 29.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a roundtable with college presidents about reproductive rights at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex, in Washington, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.
Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP