University of Arizona becomes seventh US college to reject Trump’s ‘compact’ | US news
The University of Arizona became the seventh US university to reject a Trump administration proposal that would have given schools priority funding if they agreed to support the administration’s conservative agenda.
The decision follows the administration’s push for nine universities to sign the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” which aims to make sweeping changes to campus culture, recruiting and admissions practices, and foreign student enrollment. Demands from the Trump administration’s 10-point agreement include reforms to the use of race or ethnicity in admissions and hiring practices, as well as adherence to strict definitions of gender, among others.
The deadline for universities to submit their initial feedback on the draft contract is 20 October.
One letter In a letter to the Department of Education on Monday, University of Arizona president Suresh Garimella said “principles such as academic freedom, merit-based research funding, and institutional independence are fundamental and must be protected.”
“We are not seeking special treatment and believe in our ability to compete for federally funded research based strictly on merit,” Garimella said in his letter.
In addition to rejecting the administration’s contract, the university included a “Statement of Principles” that included its adherence to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and other federal and state anti-discrimination laws.
The move came after six other universities (Brown University, Dartmouth College, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, and University of Virginia) also rejected the offer; Vanderbilt University and the University of Texas at Austin have not yet rejected the offer.
Vanderbilt chancellor Daniel Diermeier did not reject the offer outright and instead said the university would provide more feedback to the government on the future of higher education. Diermeier said Vanderbilt attended a meeting held by Trump officials on Friday, which brought together universities to gather input and feedback from schools on the proposal.
Diermeier argued that Vanderbilt’s core principles conflicted with the contract’s demands.
“Our North Star has always been that academic freedom, freedom of expression, and independence are essential for universities to make their vital and unique contributions to society,” he said in a statement. “We also believe that research awards should be made based solely on merit. This merit-based approach has enabled the scientific and scholarly excellence that has driven America’s health, safety, and prosperity for decades. It must be protected.”
UT Austin did not immediately respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.
Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT system board of trustees, said the system was honored to have UT Austin selected as part of the Trump administration’s bid. Texas Tribune. Students and faculty at UT Austin voice concerns about academic freedom, calling on alumni petition We urge the university not to sign the proposal. The petition received more than 1,400 signatures.
The agreement also requires universities to freeze tuition fees for five years, impose a 15% international undergraduate cap on students, ensure a “vibrant marketplace of ideas on campus” and create a more welcoming environment for conservatives. Universities that decide to sign the agreement are promised “numerous positive benefits,” including “significant and meaningful federal grants.”
Amid the wave of rejections, the Trump administration extended the invitation to other universities, including Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Kansas and Arizona State University. Wall Street Magazine.
Earlier this month, Trump wrote: social media “Much of Higher Education has lost its way and is now corrupting our Youth and Society with WOKE, SOCIALIST and ANTI-AMERICAN Ideology” and “Institutions seeking a rapid return to the pursuit of Truth and Success” are “invited to enter into a forward-looking Agreement with the Federal Government to assist in bringing about a Golden Age of Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”
