The University of Arizona has become the seventh U.S. institution to reject the Trump administration’s proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” Through this proposal we intend to make profound shifts in campus culture, hiring and admissions practices, and foreign student enrollment. The Compact’s goal is to create a more favorable campus climate for the right. In doing so, it has drawn unprecedented criticism and praise for going beyond restricting CRT, regulating diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The Compact also calls for changes to how race and ethnicity are used in both college admissions and hiring practices. The law forces universities to interpret the definition of gender narrowly. They further require them to freeze tuition for five years and cap the number of international undergraduates at 15 per cent of the student body. The intent is to create a “dynamic marketplace of ideas” at campuses, yet help create an environment that is welcoming to conservative perspectives.
Universities only have until October 20th to send in any first-cut feedback on the implementation draft of the Compact. As a result of this initiative, the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has been invited to sign the Compact. They haven’t rejected the proposal outright either. In the meantime, six major university systems have already beaten it. These include Brown University, Dartmouth College, MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, and the University of Virginia. Vanderbilt University has opted not to outright reject the proposal, expressing a willingness to offer further feedback on the future of higher education.
Suresh Garimella, president of the University of Vermont, expressed his institution’s support in their letter supporting the Compact. He highlighted the need to return to more basic academic fundamentals.
“Our North Star has always been that academic freedom, free expression and independence are essential for universities to make their vital and singular contributions to society.” – Suresh Garimella
Garimella stressed that the Compact aims to establish a merit-based system for higher education. He added that it should never come at the expense of what really matters.
“This merit-based approach has enabled the scholarly and scientific excellence that has driven American health, security and prosperity for decades. It must be preserved.” – Suresh Garimella
Former president Donald Trump lambasted today’s higher education in his statement supporting the Compact.
“Much of Higher Education has lost its way, and is now corrupting our Youth and Society with WOKE, SOCIALIST, and ANTI-AMERICAN Ideology.” – Donald Trump
The ambitious proposal has already stirred a fierce backlash from university leaders and different other stakeholders. One petition appealing to UT Austin not to sign the joint proposal has more than 1,400 signatures. This overwhelming public support underscores the broad concern about what this proposal would mean for academic freedom and diversity on campus.
The invitation was underwritten by the Trump Administration, drawing other universities to join. Among them were Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Kansas and Arizona State University. Kevin Eltife, Chair of UT Austin’s Board of Regents, took to Twitter today to announce the news that the Texas public institution has been invited to join this exclusive initiative. He failed to explain why they would sign the Compact.