California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday blasted President Donald Trump’s new university compact, a proposal that would give colleges priority for federal grants if they adopt sweeping policy changes. Newsom said the offer weaponizes Washington’s purse strings.
Newsom Threatens State Funding Over Proposed Compact
“IF ANY CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY SIGNS THIS RADICAL AGREEMENT, THEY’LL LOSE BILLIONS IN STATE FUNDING — INCLUDING CAL GRANTS — INSTANTLY. CALIFORNIA WILL NOT BANKROLL SCHOOLS THAT SELL OUT THEIR STUDENTS, PROFESSORS, RESEARCHERS, AND SURRENDER ACADEMIC FREEDOM,” Newsom said in a public statement.
According to an Associated Press report, the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” was sent to nine universities, including the University of Southern California and officials have indicated more schools could be invited later. Signers would get preferred access to “substantial” grants and other partnerships, while non-signers would still be eligible for federal money, officials said.
Trump’s Compact Promises Preferential Federal Grants
Under the 10-point memo, universities would pledge to foster “a vibrant marketplace of ideas,” freeze tuition for five years and limit foreign undergraduate enrollment to 15%, among other steps. The document also urges institutional neutrality and changes to units viewed as hostile to conservative viewpoints.
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The White House casts the plan as voluntary and aimed at elevating standards and viewpoint diversity. But, as per the AP report, critics across higher education, including Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, call it political coercion that intrudes on academic freedom and governance.
Court Ruling And Broader Funding Leverage
Newsom’s pushback comes as Trump has increasingly used federal funding as leverage to prod universities to adopt his administration’s priorities.
Separately, a Reuters report states that a federal judge on Sept. 22 ordered the Trump administration to restore more than $500 million in research funding it paused for the University of California, Los Angeles, ruling that termination notices lacked sufficient justification. UCLA said the decision also triggered the reinstatement of hundreds of grants across UC campuses.
Trump, this week, also revealed that his administration has reached a preliminary agreement with Harvard University, potentially bringing an end to the long-standing conflict between the two parties.
Photo Courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald on Shutterstock.com
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