Earlier this month, President Donald Trump sent nine universities, including University of Virginia (UVA), a Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. Under this agreement, universities would get preferential access to federal research funding; however, they must abide by certain terms.
Among these conditions are requirements for certain changes in school policy. This would influence undergraduate application processes, with demands for requiring standardized testing and banning the consideration of race, ethnicity, and sex in admissions decisions. Also impacted would be the environment on school campuses, with demands to abolish institutional units that ‘purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas’ and to define gender based on biological processes.
“Much of Higher Education has lost its way, and is now corrupting our Youth and Society with WOKE, SOCIALIST, and ANTI-AMERICAN Ideology,” Trump said on Truth Social. “My Administration is fixing this, and FAST, with our Great Reform Agenda in Higher Education.”
On Oct. 18, UVA became the fifth university to reject this compact. Interim President Paul Mahoney said, “We seek no special treatment in exchange for our pursuit of those foundational goals. The integrity of science and other academic work requires merit-based assessment of research and scholarship.”
However, Mahoney mentioned how he is open to potential future collaboration with the federal government. “We look forward to working together to develop alternative, lasting approaches to improving higher education,” he said.
Prior to UVA’s decision to decline the compact, an overwhelming number of faculty and students expressed their dislike of the compact’s conditions. On Oct. 3, the UVA Senate approved a resolution
directly opposing the compact, calling upon Mahoney to reject it.
Virginia Senate Leaders also urged UVA to refuse the agreement, warning consequences in future Virginia budget cycles.
An Oct. 8 letter to Mahoney from state senators Scott Surovell, L. Louise Lucas, and Mamie Locke stated, “The proposed compact represents an unprecedented federal intrusion into institutional autonomy and academic freedom.”
Specifically, the trio referenced the resignation of the former UVA President Jim Ryan amid federal pressure.
“President Ryan’s resignation was meant to spare the University from federal retaliation, yet here we are again, facing even more aggressive demands on institutional autonomy,” the senators said.
In the midst of college application season, I’m among many of the other West Po seniors who are currently applying to UVA. What made me personally interested in applying was not only their strong academic programs, but the university’s core values. UVA’s mission statement highlights three key points: a commitment to a vibrant and unique residential learning environment marked by the free exchange of ideas, support of a collaborative, diverse community, and a dedication to excellence and affordable access.
By declining the compact, UVA has decided to stick to honoring their mission statement, which has made me admire the university even more. However, now that six universities have announced they will not agree to the compact, the Trump Administration is starting to offer it to even more schools. Arizona State University, University of Kansas and Washington University in St. Louis are among these new offers.
I fear that more and more universities will be sent this compact, and they may agree to it because of the funding benefits. Although higher education may not be the path for everyone, it is a path for some and it should not be directly interfered with by the federal government. The conditions in this compact ask universities to implement policies based on ideology, creating politicized and tense academic environments for students.
As a student who plans to enter higher education for the next four years, I urge other universities to follow in the footsteps of UVA, and to decline the Trump Administration’s Higher Education Compact.
