The University of Virginia Student Council has signed a letter urging administrators of nine higher education institutions not to sign a “Compact for Academic Excellence” from the White House. The document lays out policies that each must sign in order to continue to receive federal funding.
“Although the compact’s full implications remain unclear, the document outlines unprecedented expectations universities must meet to receive federal benefits,” reads the letter signed by Clay Dickerson, Student Council President and student leadership at six other universities. “This could systemically alter the mission of higher education and erode the independence that has long defined our universities.”
Those other six universities are Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Arizona, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, and Vanderbilt University.
The Compact was proposed on October 1 in a letter from U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to the seven listed above as well as the University of South Carolina and the University of Texas at Austin.
Provisions in the compact include eliminating departments that “that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas” and freezing tuition rates for five years. International students would be capped at fifteen percent of total enrollment. Learn more about the Compact on Wikipedia.
“Our administrations have been presented with a false choice between their commitments to knowledge and education and our access to the resources that sustain them,” the letter from student leaders continues. “To preserve our status as world leaders in education, we must remain true to the foundation of academic freedom that has propelled us forward.”
The letter from Student Council follows an October 3 resolution adopted by the UVA Faculty Senate opposing the Compact.
“The Compact contains provisions antithetical to the mission and traditions of the University,” reads one whereas.
“The Compact contains provisions which endanger the independence and integrity of the University,” read another.
“The Compact likely violates state and federal law, and infringes upon the constitutional rights of members of the University community,” goes a third.
The vote was 60 for the resolution, two against it, and four abstentions.
A series of other groups will hold a rally Friday at noon at the Rotunda on the Lawn side.
“Since receiving the missive, the UVA Faculty Senate, the American Association of University Professors at UVA, General Faculty Council, faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences, faculty in the School of Nursing, faculty at the School of Education and Human Development, Student Council, and Wahoos4UVA, a coalition of some 14,000 influential alumni, have all urged the UVa Board of Visitors and interim President Paul Mahoney to reject the ‘Compact’ without any further negotiation with the Trump Administration,” reads an information release sent out today.
Top officials at UVA formed a working group to study the impacts of the Compact as announced in an October 6 email.
“It would be difficult for the University to agree to certain provisions in the Compact,” reads the email. “We write to assure you that our response will be guided by the same principles of academic freedom and free inquiry that Thomas Jefferson placed at the center of the University’s mission more than 200 years ago, and to which the University has remained faithful ever since.”
The President of MIT has rejected the Compact due to several concerns.
“The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution,” wrote Sally Kornbluth, MIT’s president. “And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”
On October 16, Brown University joined MIT in rejecting the Compact.
“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, critically compromising our ability to fulfill our mission,” wrote Brown University President Christina H. Paxson. “Additionally, a fundamental part of academic excellence is awarding research funding on the merits of the research being proposed. The cover letter describing the Compact contemplates funding research on criteria other than the soundness and likely impact of research, which would ultimately damage the health and prosperity of Americans.”
Today, the Daily Pennsylvania reports that Penn has also declined to sign the Compact.
The latest statement from the University of Virginia claims that the administration will not abandon the institution’s core principles.
“The University is evaluating the compact and soliciting input from our community so that we can make a decision that aligns with our principles of academic freedom, free inquiry, and shared governance,” reads the statement. “So far, we have heard from many people across the University community, and the working group is reviewing their input alongside other key data points drawn from their respective areas.”
The Compact comes just a few months after an investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice resulted in the resignation of UVA President Jim Ryan over the summer.
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