Growing Resistance to Federal Education Proposal
The University of Virginia has become the fifth major institution to decline participation in the Trump administration’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, according to reports from multiple higher education sources. Interim President Paul Mahoney announced the decision Friday, joining MIT, Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Southern California in rejecting the proposal that was originally pitched to nine prominent universities earlier this month.
University Leadership Cites Academic Integrity Concerns
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and White House officials, Mahoney stated that while the University of Virginia agreed with many of the compact’s principles, the institution seeks “no special treatment in exchange for our pursuit of those foundational goals.” According to the university’s community message, Mahoney emphasized that “the integrity of science and other academic work requires merit-based assessment of research and scholarship.”
Analysts suggest the decision carries extra significance because UVA represents the first public university among the original nine recipients to decline the compact. Sources indicate the relationship between the Trump administration and UVA has been strained since former president James Ryan stepped down earlier this year under pressure from the administration, which was investigating the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Compact Details and Institutional Responses
The 10-page compact asks universities to agree to conditions representing much of President Trump’s conservative agenda for higher education, covering areas including admissions, hiring, academic governance, grading, athletics, foreign students, and campus speech. According to the proposal, institutions that sign would receive “multiple positive benefits,” including preferential treatment for federal funds, while those declining would face potential consequences.
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock has informed sources she “would not sign the compact as written,” though Dartmouth, Vanderbilt University, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Arizona have yet to officially respond to the October 20 deadline.
Administration Expands Approach Amid Resistance
As resistance mounted, the administration reportedly expanded its approach. According to The Chronicle’s Trump Agenda blog, President Trump announced on Truth Social that the compact was being offered to all institutions, representing what analysts suggest is a broadening of his pressure campaign on colleges and universities.
The White House then attempted a different tactic, inviting both the original recipients and three additional universities – Arizona State University, the University of Kansas, and Washington University in St. Louis – to participate in a virtual meeting to discuss the compact. Education Secretary Linda McMahon characterized the meeting as an “important step toward defining a shared vision.”
Higher Education Community Responds
Opposition to the compact appears widespread across the higher education sector. According to Inside Higher Ed, students and faculty at the nine institutions have spoken out strongly against the deal. On Friday, a coalition of 35 higher education organizations issued a statement criticizing the compact through the American Council on Education.
The statement argues that the compact “offers nothing less than government control of a university’s basic and necessary freedoms — the freedoms to decide who we teach, what we teach, and who teaches,” introducing “excessive federal overreach and regulation.” This perspective from independent educational organizations suggests deep concerns about academic autonomy.
Administration’s Mixed Messaging Strategy
The administration has reportedly vacillated between enticement and coercion in its approach. After Penn and USC rejected the compact, White House spokesperson Liz Huston issued a statement that some analysts interpreted as threatening universities that don’t sign, suggesting they “will find themselves without future government and taxpayers support.”
This development in education policy comes amid other recent technology and industry developments that reflect the administration’s broader approach to higher education and related policy areas. As the October 20 deadline approaches, observers are watching to see how remaining institutions respond and whether the administration will modify its strategy further.
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