One Month Later: Updates on the Trump Administration’s Compact Agreement and University Responses
It has now been almost a month since the Trump administration issued its deadline for the proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence.” The compact was sent to nine institutions: the University of Arizona, Brown University, Dartmouth College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California (USC), the University of Texas, the University of Virginia (UVA), and Vanderbilt University. Below is a summary of the compact’s terms, the timeline of events, and the responses from each university.
Overview of the Compact Agreement
The Trump administration proposed increasing federal funding to participating universities if they agreed to the following requirements:
Admissions and Enrollment
- Cap international students at 15%, with no more than 5% coming from a single country
- Remove gender as a factor in admissions
- Require applicants to submit standardized test scores (SAT or ACT)
Tuition and Academic Policies
- Freeze tuition for five years
- Implement measures to reduce grade inflation
- Waive tuition for “hard STEM” students at institutions with endowments exceeding $2 million per student
Campus Governance and Operations
- Restrict employees from expressing political views on behalf of the university
- Close departments that “punish, belittle, or spark violence against conservative ideas”
- Conduct anonymous surveys on compact compliance and publish the results
- Commit to a “marketplace of ideas” to prevent dominance of a single ideology
Funding Offered in Exchange
Universities that signed the compact would receive:
- Increased federal research grants
- Higher overhead payments on certain federal funds
Statements From Universities
MIT
MIT was the first institution to decline. President Sally Kornbluth stated that while MIT already meets or exceeds many of the values outlined, the university chooses its policies independently. She wrote:
“Fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”
Brown University
Brown University also declined. President Christina Paxson wrote:
“I am concerned that the compact by its nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance.”
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth declined after meeting with the administration. President Sian Leah Beilock stated:
“I do not believe that a compact—with any administration—is the right approach to achieve academic excellence, as it would compromise our academic freedom, our ability to govern ourselves, and the principle that federal research funds should be awarded to the best, most promising ideas.”
American Council on Education
The organization issued a statement opposing the compact, saying it would negatively impact higher education.
University Decisions: A Timeline
Below is the order in which the universities responded:
MIT — First to decline
Brown University — Second to decline
University of Pennsylvania — Third to decline
USC — Declined on October 16
UVA — Declined after meeting with the White House
Dartmouth College — Declined after its meeting
University of Arizona — Declined, noting they seek no special treatment from the government
Vanderbilt University — Did not formally respond; communicated to its community that research-based awards should be merit-driven
University of Texas — Did not confirm or deny acceptance
Current Status
As of now, all responding universities have declined the compact. Vanderbilt University and the University of Texas did not issue direct acceptances or rejections.
Sources:
Dartmouth College – Dartmouth’s Feedback on the Compact:
American Council on Education – Statement on the Trump Administration Compact:
CBS News – White House Presses Nine Universities on Compact and Federal Funding:
Inside Higher Ed – White House Meets With Universities Regarding Compact:
