The Battle for Academic Freedom and Institutional Sovereignty in Higher Education
The ongoing struggle over academic freedom and institutional sovereignty in higher education continues as another university has declined a White House offer tying federal funding to a series of administrative demands.
After meeting with White House officials on Friday, the University of Virginia (UVA) rejected a proposal from the Trump administration to join a compact aimed at granting preferential funding in exchange for policy changes. These required changes include no longer considering sex and ethnicity in admissions and capping international student enrollment.
The offer letter, sent to nine universities earlier this month, has been declined by a total of five institutions so far. According to the White House, the compact is designed to “proactively improve higher education for the betterment of the country.” Among those who have also rejected the offer are USC, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Dartmouth College, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Other schools, both public and private, have either stated they are reviewing the compact or have yet to comment publicly. Prior to UVA’s announcement, Trump administration officials convened representatives from UVA and several other universities at the White House, including three additional schools newly invited to join the compact, according to a White House official.
The White House characterized Friday’s discussions as “productive” and stated that the decision now rests with the universities. CNN has reached out to the remaining schools for their response.
What the Compact Entails
On October 1, letters were sent to nine universities requesting their agreement to a series of demands in return for expanded access to federal funding. The initial recipients included Vanderbilt University, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, University of Southern California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, Brown University, and the University of Virginia.
The Trump administration has previously engaged in funding disputes with several of these institutions.
Since then, three more schools—Arizona State University, University of Kansas, and Washington University in St. Louis—were also invited to participate in the agreement. Representatives from these universities attended the White House meeting on Friday, alongside those from Vanderbilt, Dartmouth, Texas at Austin, Arizona, and UVA.
The compact requires universities to implement ideological policies, including removing sex and ethnicity as factors in admissions to foster “a vibrant marketplace of ideas” with no dominant ideology, politically or otherwise. It also calls for assessments of faculty and staff viewpoints and adopting gender definitions based “on reproductive function and biological processes,” a copy of the document obtained by CNN reveals.
Signatories must also commit to reforming or closing “institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.” Other requested changes include a commitment to “grade integrity,” a mandatory five-year freeze on tuition increases, and capping international student enrollment at 15%.
In return, schools that join the compact would receive priority for federal grants, invitations to White House events, and meetings with officials, according to White House sources.
To monitor compliance, the compact mandates participation in an annual, anonymous poll of faculty, students, and staff on whether the university is adhering to the agreement.
While limited feedback was welcomed, the compact was described as “largely in its final form,” with an intended deadline for signatories by November 21, 2025. The initial draft dates back to December, with subsequent edits following President Trump’s return to the White House.
What Is at Stake for Universities
Colleges and universities have been a particular focus for the Trump administration during its second term. This compact represents one of several attempts to enforce ideological compliance through federal funding control.
Since the administration took office, some universities involved in these disputes have made concessions or negotiated agreements, while others remain resistant despite pressures such as government investigations or withholding of grants.
Universities targeted by the administration have increased their lobbying efforts, with data showing a 122% rise in spending in the second quarter of this year compared to last year, and nine of the fourteen institutions singled out have doubled their lobbying expenses.
A White House official highlighted that signing the compact would provide participating universities “a competitive advantage,” with benefits including increased overhead payments, enhanced federal grants, and other federal partnerships.
University Responses So Far
Of the nine universities initially contacted, six have formally declined the offer: MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, USC, Dartmouth College, and the University of Virginia.
Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock announced the college’s rejection on Saturday. Emphasizing the institution’s need to govern itself according to its mission and values, Beilock stated, “I do not believe that a compact—with any administration—is the right approach to achieve academic excellence, as it would compromise our academic freedom, our ability to govern ourselves, and the principle that federal research funds should be awarded to the best, most promising ideas.”
UVA declined just hours after its officials attended the White House meeting. Interim President Paul Mahoney noted that while there are areas of agreement, “the best path toward real and durable progress lies in an open and collaborative conversation.”
University of Pennsylvania President J. Larry Jameson informed the Department of Education on Thursday of the university’s decision to decline the compact following input from faculty, students, and trustees. Penn provided “focused feedback highlighting areas of existing alignment as well as substantive concerns,” Jameson shared in a statement.
USC’s Interim President Beong-Soo Kim also declined on Thursday, expressing concern that linking research benefits to the compact would ultimately undermine “free inquiry and academic excellence.” Kim warned that “other countries whose governments lack America’s commitment to freedom and democracy have shown how academic excellence can suffer when shifting external priorities tilt the research playing field away from free, meritocratic competition.”
In California, Governor Gavin Newsom has threatened to withhold state funding from universities that sign the compact.
MIT announced its refusal on October 10. President Sally Kornbluth acknowledged the importance of the issues raised but stated that the compact’s principles “would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution.”
Brown University President Christina H. Paxson echoed similar concerns in her letter, emphasizing that Brown intends to abide by a prior agreement reached on July 30 but feels that the new compact “by its nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance.”
Universities Still Considering
Vanderbilt University and the University of Arizona have stated they are reviewing the compact. Arizona’s president acknowledged that the proposal has generated a wide range of reactions, though neither university has indicated whether they intend to sign.
The University of Texas at Austin expressed a different tone. Though it has not confirmed whether it will join the compact, UT Austin welcomed the opportunity and stated it looks forward to working with the Trump administration on the proposal.