The White House has issued a memorandum to nine major US universities, including MIT and USC, requesting them to sign an agreement promising comprehensive reforms to their academic culture, recruitment and admissions processes, and international student enrollment policies in exchange for more favorable federal funding. This move aims to combat the influence of liberalism in higher education.
The Wall Street Journal reported on October 1 that the White House sent letters to the first batch of nine universities, urging them to sign the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” agreement and stating that signing this agreement would bring “significant and tangible federal aid benefits.”
The letter states that signing the agreement would “demonstrate to students, parents, and donors that a conducive and equitable environment for learning is a priority for universities” and also reassure the federal government that these schools will comply with civil rights laws and “actively advance federal priorities.”
May Mailman, a senior consultant specializing in the agreement, mentioned that the purpose of this agreement is to encourage universities to take the lead on certain initiatives that may not be difficult but challenging to implement individually, such as stabilizing tuition hikes. Mailman is currently leading White House initiatives regarding universities, including combating campus anti-Semitism and diversity programs.
According to reports from multiple media outlets, signing the agreement would prioritize universities in accessing federal funding applications, but the government funding will not be limited to these schools alone. Universities that sign the agreement will have priority in participating in White House events and discussions with officials.
The memorandum has not yet been posted or released on the White House or Department of Education websites. White House officials confirmed this news to Epoch Times in English on October 2.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt mentioned that the letters had been sent out and emphasized that the White House encourages collaboration between schools and the federal government to ensure “freedom of speech, prevent anti-Semitism, and illegal activities that occurred on campuses last year.”
The memorandum was sent two days after Trump announced nearing an agreement with Harvard University. According to the agreement between the White House and Harvard University, Harvard will invest $500 million in vocational school projects to restore the allocated $24 billion federal funding, including teaching artificial intelligence.
The content of the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” agreement, as reported by various media outlets and disclosed in the memorandum, includes:
– Prohibiting the consideration of race or gender in hiring and admissions processes;
– Maintaining tuition fees unchanged for five years;
– Setting a maximum international student (undergraduate) enrollment ratio of 15%, with no more than 5% from a single country;
– Requiring university applicants to take the SAT or a similar exam;
– Ensuring student grades reflect true academic achievements unaffected by other factors;
– Restricting staff from expressing political views on behalf of the university, unless related to school affairs;
– Defining males and females based on reproductive capacity and biology to ensure student equality;
– Requiring all universities to comply with anti-money laundering policies, “know your customer,” disclose foreign gifts to prevent and counter foreign crimes and terrorism.
Mailman stated that the selection of these nine schools in the first round was due to the White House’s belief that they would cooperate. “They either have a reform-minded president or a board expressing a commitment to improving education quality.”
The nine schools are:
– Vanderbilt University;
– Dartmouth College;
– University of Pennsylvania;
– University of Southern California;
– Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
– University of Texas at Austin;
– University of Arizona;
– Brown University;
– University of Virginia.