Trump asks 9 colleges to commit to his political agenda and get favorable access to federal money

Passers-by walk and ride along a path on the campus of Brown University, in Providence, R.I., Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

WASHINGTON — The White House is asking nine major universities to commit to U.S. President Donald Trump’s political priorities in exchange for more favorable access to federal money.

A document sent to the universities encourages them to adopt the White House’s vision for America’s campuses, with commitments to accept the government’s priorities on admissions, women’s sports, free speech, student discipline and college affordability, among other topics.

Signing on would give universities “multiple positive benefits,” including “substantial and meaningful federal grants” and “increased overhead payments where feasible,” according to a letter sent to universities alongside the compact. The letter calls it a proactive effort as the administration continues to investigate alleged civil rights violations at U.S. campuses.

Called the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” it asks universities to accept the government’s definition of gender and apply it to campus bathrooms, locker rooms and women’s sports teams. It asks colleges to stop considering race, gender and a wide range of student demographics in the admissions process and to require undergraduate applicants to take the SAT or ACT.

The 10-page proposed agreement was sent Wednesday to some of the most selective public and private universities: Vanderbilt, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, the University of Southern California, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown University and the University of Virginia. It was not clear how these schools were selected or why.

The nine universities could become “initial signatories” and are being invited to provide feedback before the language is finalized, according to the letter. It asks for a decision by Nov. 21.

White House takes a new, incentive-based approach

The memo represents a shift in strategy as the administration offers a reward — not punishment — as incentive for adopting Trump’s political wish list. Many of the demands mirror those made by his administration as it slashed billions of dollars in federal money for Harvard, Columbia and others accused of liberal bias. A federal judge overturned cuts at Harvard in September, saying the government had overstepped its authority.

Several universities said they were reviewing the compact and had no comment.

Leaders of the Texas system were “honored” that the Austin campus was chosen to be a part of the compact and its “potential funding advantages,” according to a statement from Kevin Eltife, chair of the Board of Regents. “Today we welcome the new opportunity presented to us and we look forward to working with the Trump Administration on it,” Eltife said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said if any universities in his state sign the compact, they will lose access to state funding, including Cal Grants, a $2.8 billion student financial aid program. In an all-capital statement, Newsom, a Democrat, said California “will not bankroll schools that sell out their students, professors, researchers, and surrender academic freedom.”

Colleges would have restrictions on international enrollment and tuition hikes

Under the compact, international enrollment would have to be capped at 15% of a college’s undergraduate student body, and no more than 5% could come from a single country. All the universities invited to the compact appear to be within the 15% threshold, though Dartmouth and USC are close, at 14%, according to federal data. Many universities do not report breakdowns by individual countries.

Most other U.S. universities also fall within the 15% cap, but about 120 exceed it, including Columbia University, Emory University and Boston University, federal data show.

Some of the most sweeping commitments are aimed at promoting conservative viewpoints. Universities would have to ensure their campuses are a “vibrant marketplace of ideas” where no single ideology is dominant, the compact said. They would have to evaluate views among students and faculty to ensure every department reflects a diverse mix of views.

To accomplish that, it says universities must take steps, including “transforming or abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.”

It requires policies meant to counter the kind of protests that roiled U.S. campuses last year amid the Israel-Hamas war. It asks for a commitment to prevent any disruption to classes or campus libraries and to ensure demonstrators don’t heckle other students.

Campuses that sign the compact would have to freeze tuition for U.S. students for five years, and those with endowments exceeding $2 million per undergraduate could not charge tuition at all for students pursuing “hard science” programs.

Opponents see a threat to free speech

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, urged universities to reject the deal, saying it violates campus independence and undermines free speech.

“It’s not worth the compromises that they would have to make,” he said. “This is a Faustian bargain.”

The compact also drew criticism from free speech groups, faculty associations and from Larry Summers, a former Treasury secretary and Harvard president. Summers said he believes elite universities have lost their way, but he said the compact is like trying to “fix a watch with a hammer -- ill conceived and counterproductive.”

“The backlash against its crudity will likely set back necessary reform efforts,” Summers said.

The terms of the deal would be enforced by the Justice Department, with violators losing access to the compact’s benefits for no less than a year. Following violations bump the penalty to two years.

“Institutions of higher education are free to develop models and values other than those below,” the compact said, “if the institution elects to forego federal benefits.”

Aamer Madhani And Collin Binkley, The Associated Press