Seven of nine targeted universities reject White House 'Academic Excellence' compact
Seven of the nine universities the White House approached — University of Arizona, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, USC and the University of Virginia — have declined to sign the administration’s "Compact for Academic Excellence," leaving the University of Texas at Austin and Vanderbilt noncommittal. The White House proposed preferential federal grants tied to commitments such as a five‑year tuition freeze, caps on international students and bans on race/sex considerations, but universities rejected the pact as threatening academic freedom, institutional independence and merit‑based research funding.
📌 Key Facts
- The White House invited nine universities to consider a proposed "Compact for Academic Excellence": University of Arizona, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of Texas at Austin, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Virginia.
- The compact offers "substantial and meaningful" federal benefits for signatories — including research funding, help with visas, preferential tax treatment, and access to student loans, grants and federal contracts — in exchange for policy commitments requested by the administration.
- Key proposed compact provisions include a five‑year tuition freeze; caps on international undergraduate enrollment (15% overall and a 5% cap from any single country); bans on considering race or sex in hiring, admissions, or aid; requiring SAT/ACT for undergraduates; adherence to the U.S. government’s definition of gender for bathrooms/locker rooms/women’s sports; and a waiver of tuition for hard‑science students at institutions with large endowments (as described in the White House memo).
- The outreach letter — obtained by media and signed by administration officials including May Mailman, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Vincent Haley — asked for feedback by Oct. 20 and indicated the administration would decide by Nov. 21, while Mailman signaled there was room for negotiation.
- By Oct. 22, seven of the nine originally approached universities had publicly declined to sign the compact (Arizona, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, Penn, USC and UVA); MIT was the first to formally reject it and said the compact would constrain free expression, institutional independence and that federal research funding should be merit‑based.
- Universities that declined (and critics including the American Association of University Professors, a coalition of education groups and some local/state officials) warned the compact risks federal interference in academic freedom and university governance; conservative analyst Frederick Hess also called it "profoundly problematic" and "ungrounded in law."
- Some invited institutions responded more cautiously or remained noncommittal: the University of Texas system said it was honored to be invited and indicated openness to engage, Vanderbilt said it would continue to provide input while stressing research awards should be merit‑based, and two schools remained noncommittal as of the feedback deadline.
- Separately, St. Augustine’s University (an HBCU) expressed interest in joining as an early‑engagement institution but flagged potential conflicts for historically Black colleges and universities — including bans on considering race in admissions/aid, a tuition freeze burden given smaller endowments, and limits on DEI and international partnerships.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (21)
"A Wall Street Journal editorial praises the goal of reining in campus ideological conformity and using federal funding as leverage, but criticizes the White House’s heavy‑handed 'compact' approach as overbearing and potentially counterproductive."
"A data‑driven critique arguing that a systematic examination of university syllabi reveals an entrenched ideological monoculture in course content that narrows viewpoint diversity and supports calls for curricular transparency and policy reforms."
"The piece critiques recent White House higher‑education interventions (like funding freezes and the compact) for risking vital university research, argues that concentrating essential science inside universities leaves it vulnerable to politicization, and calls for rethinking how basic research is housed and protected."
"An opinion piece using Saul Bellow’s 1980s–90s blacklisting to criticize cancel culture and warn that academic and cultural gatekeeping—exemplified by contemporary fights over universities and curricular control—silences important voices and impoverishes public discourse."
"A conservative critique arguing that progressive identity politics—exemplified by calls for 'citation diversity' and DEI—have corrupted the human sciences by replacing merit and empirical inquiry with moral‑political criteria, producing an academic culture that provokes public backlash and politicized responses."
"The column uses a Texas A&M incident to argue that, despite federal and state efforts like the White House 'Academic Excellence' push, DEI remains embedded across Texas public universities and isolated administrative reactions won't uproot it."
"An explicitly critical opinion piece that attacks contemporary gender theory and Gender Studies—arguing 'gender' is a non‑scientific construct and that academia has politicized sex/gender debates—commenting on the broader campus and academic controversies highlighted by reports of universities rejecting the White House 'Academic Excellence' compact."
"The City Journal piece argues that recent pushback by Boston-area institutions and others against identity‑based admissions and DEI excesses—illustrated by universities' responses to a White House 'Academic Excellence' compact—signals a comeback for merit‑based admissions, urged by political and financial pressure and welcomed by the author as a corrective to the 'Great Awokening.'"
"The WSJ opinion revisits Shelby Steele’s concept of 'white guilt,' arguing that events since his 2006 work — including DEI, BLM, political turnovers, and recent geopolitical shocks — require rethinking how racial guilt functions in contemporary institutional debates such as the White House’s academic compact."
"An opinion piece criticizing the Trump administration’s attacks on universities, cuts to education and research, and protectionist/tax policies as undermining the long‑run foundations of American technological and economic leadership, responding in particular to White House efforts to reshape higher education policy such as the 'Academic Excellence' compact."
📰 Sources (12)
- St. Augustine’s University (Raleigh, NC) became the first HBCU to formally express interest in joining the Trump administration’s Compact for Academic Excellence.
- A letter signed by Interim President Verjanis Peoples and Board Chair Sophie Gibson was sent Wednesday to Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education David Barker.
- SAU supports the compact’s goals but flags conflicts for HBCUs: bans on considering race/ethnicity in admissions and aid potentially conflict with Title III and HBCUs’ mission; a five‑year tuition freeze could be a hardship given smaller endowments; DEI prohibitions and foreign‑student caps may clash with SAU’s global partnerships.
- The letter asks to participate as an early‑engagement institution to help refine implementation.
- Fox reports most schools met the Monday feedback deadline and that none agreed to sign; two universities remain noncommittal.
- Brown President Christina Paxson’s letter to Sec. Linda McMahon says the compact would restrict academic freedom and undermine university governance.
- MIT President Sally Kornbluth’s Oct. 10 letter says MIT already meets or exceeds many of the compact’s stated values and abides by the law.
- UPenn President J. Larry Jameson’s Oct. 16 statement confirms Penn respectfully declined while providing areas of alignment and concerns.
- Dartmouth’s Oct. 17 response rejects the deal, arguing federal compacts are not the right way—regardless of administration—to focus universities on teaching and research.
- Axios reports seven of nine approached universities have now rejected the compact: University of Arizona, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, USC, and the University of Virginia.
- MIT (Sally Kornbluth), Arizona (Suresh Garimella), and Brown (Sian Leah Beilock) sent letters rejecting the pact and emphasizing merit-based federal research funding and institutional independence.
- Vanderbilt said it would continue to provide input and that research awards should be merit-based; the University of Texas has suggested it might be open to signing.
- White House referred Axios to May Mailman’s Fox Business interview; Mailman asserted many universities are not saying no, despite several outright declinations.
- A coalition of more than two dozen education organizations publicly opposed the compact, calling its conditions harmful to higher education.
- As of Sunday night, six of the original nine targeted universities indicated they will not sign the compact.
- After a White House virtual meeting Friday, the University of Virginia and Dartmouth College formally announced they will not sign.
- The White House meeting included UA, UT-Austin, Vanderbilt, Dartmouth and UVA; ASU, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Kansas were also invited (per WSJ).
- President Trump posted that any college — not just the original nine — may sign the compact.
- UVA Interim President Paul Mahoney and Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock issued letters explaining their refusals, with UVA citing merit-based funding concerns and declining 'special treatment.'
- MIT is described as the first university to formally reject the administration’s compact.
- Fox reports that none of the other eight invited universities have responded yet.
- Article details specific benefits in the White House memo: research funding, approval of student visas, preferential tax treatment, and access to student loans, grants and federal contracts.
- Article lists specific requested commitments: accept the U.S. government’s definition of gender for bathrooms/locker rooms/women’s sports; bar consideration of sex, race, etc., in admissions; require SAT/ACT for undergraduates.
- MIT President Sally Kornbluth’s letter explicitly cites concerns that the compact would limit free speech and institutional independence and says funding should be based on merit alone.
- University of Texas System leaders said they were honored UT-Austin was invited to consider the compact.
- University of Virginia leaders opened a campus feedback process and said it would be 'very difficult' to accept certain terms, pledging to be guided by academic freedom and free inquiry.
- Virginia Senate Democratic leaders warned UVA they would consider cutting state funding if the university signs the compact, calling it a 'trap.'
- Tucson’s mayor and city council formally opposed the compact as 'unacceptable' federal interference (affecting the University of Arizona).
- Conservative education analyst Frederick Hess (AEI) criticized the compact as 'profoundly problematic' and 'ungrounded in law.'
- Brown University previously reached a July agreement with the White House to resolve federal investigations; its president, Christina Paxson, commented on the compact on Friday.
- MIT President Sally Kornbluth sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon and White House officials stating MIT 'cannot support' the compact, citing free-speech and institutional-independence concerns.
- The letter emphasizes MIT’s view that scientific funding should be awarded on merit alone.
- University of Texas system leaders said they were honored UT Austin was invited to consider the compact.
- Tucson’s mayor and city council formally opposed the compact, calling it an 'unacceptable act of federal interference.'
- AEI’s Frederick Hess criticized the compact as 'profoundly problematic' and 'ungrounded in law.'
- AP reiterates the White House timeline: limited feedback by Oct. 20 and a decision by Nov. 21.
- MIT formally rejected the White House’s 'Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education' in a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
- MIT President Sally Kornbluth said the proposal would restrict freedom of expression and the school’s independence, arguing scientific funding should be based on merit alone.
- White House adviser May Mailman said the administration hopes many schools will view the compact as reasonable and indicated room for negotiation with feedback requested by Oct. 20.
- The compact promises 'substantial and meaningful federal grants' for signatories and includes provisions such as a five‑year tuition freeze, a 15% cap on international undergraduates, and bans on race or sex in hiring.
- Other invited schools offered cautious or critical statements: UVA said agreeing to certain provisions would be difficult; Dartmouth signaled concerns, while UT Austin indicated enthusiasm to engage.
- Marc Rowan (Apollo Global Management), who helped draft the compact, argued in a New York Times op‑ed that outside intervention is necessary because higher education governance has 'lost its way.'
- WSJ names the nine specific universities the administration solicited for feedback: University of Arizona; Brown University; Dartmouth College; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Pennsylvania; University of Southern California; University of Texas at Austin; Vanderbilt University; University of Virginia.
- WSJ reports that some elements of the proposed compact are consistent with existing university practices while other elements would require substantial changes to current policies.
- NPR names MIT and the University of Texas among the nine schools contacted and reports on initial university reactions (UT System Board of Regents said it 'welcomes the new opportunity').
- NPR highlights critics' responses, including the American Association of University Professors urging colleges not to sign the agreement, framing the letters as a free‑speech/academic‑independence concern.
- Identifies the nine recipient universities by name (Arizona, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, Penn, USC, Texas, UVA, Vanderbilt).
- Lists concrete compact provisions: 5‑year tuition freeze; 15% cap on foreign undergraduate enrollment; 5% cap of foreign students from any single country; waiver of tuition for hard‑science students where endowment exceeds $2M per undergraduate.
- Names the letter’s signers (May Mailman, Secretary Linda McMahon, Vincent Haley) and confirms CBS News obtained a copy of the letter.