White House Seeks University Commitment to Trump’s Agenda
The White House has sent a document to nine major universities, asking them to commit to President Donald Trump’s political priorities in exchange for more favorable access to federal funding. The document, titled “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” outlines the administration’s vision for America’s campuses, including commitments to adopt the government’s priorities on admissions, women’s sports, free speech, student discipline, and college affordability.
The compact asks universities to accept the government’s definition of gender and apply it to campus bathrooms, locker rooms, and women’s sports teams. It also asks colleges to stop considering race, gender, and other student demographics in the admissions process and to require undergraduate applicants to take the SAT or ACT. The universities invited to sign the compact include Vanderbilt, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, the University of Southern California, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown University, and the University of Virginia.
The compact represents a shift in strategy for the Trump administration, which has previously been criticized for its approach to higher education. By offering incentives, such as increased federal funding, the administration hopes to encourage universities to adopt its priorities. However, critics argue that the compact undermines academic freedom and free speech on campus.
Restrictions on International Enrollment and Tuition Hikes
Under the compact, international enrollment would be capped at 15% of a college’s undergraduate student body, and no more than 5% could come from a single country. This restriction could have significant implications for universities with high international enrollment rates. Additionally, the compact requires universities to freeze tuition for U.S. students for five years and to provide free tuition for students pursuing “hard science” programs if the university’s endowment exceeds $2 million per undergraduate.
The compact also asks universities to ensure that their campuses are a “vibrant marketplace of ideas” where no single ideology is dominant. This would require universities to evaluate the views of students and faculty to ensure a diverse mix of perspectives. However, critics argue that this requirement could be used to suppress liberal or progressive viewpoints on campus.
Opposition to the Compact
The compact has drawn criticism from free speech groups, faculty associations, and former university presidents. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, urged universities to reject the deal, saying it violates campus independence and undermines free speech. Larry Summers, a former Treasury secretary and Harvard president, also criticized the compact, saying it is “ill-conceived and counterproductive.”
The terms of the compact would be enforced by the Justice Department, with violators losing access to the compact’s benefits for at least a year. However, critics argue that this approach could be used to intimidate universities into adopting the administration’s priorities, rather than promoting academic freedom and excellence.
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