The University of Arizona becomes the seventh American university to reject Trump’s “deal”. US News
The University of Arizona has become the seventh American university to reject a Trump administration proposal that would give schools priority in funding if they agree to support the administration’s conservative agenda.
This decision comes in the wake of the administration seeking to have nine universities sign the “Charter for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” which seeks to make sweeping changes in campus culture, recruitment and admission practices, and the enrollment of foreign students. The demands of the Trump administration’s 10-point agreement include reforms to the way race or ethnicity is used in admissions and hiring practices, as well as adherence to strict definitions of gender, among other things.
The deadline for universities to submit initial feedback on the draft charter is 20 October.
In a letter “Principles such as academic freedom, merit-based research funding, and institutional independence are fundamental principles and must be preserved,” Suresh Garimella, president of the University of Arizona, told the Department of Education on Monday.
“We do not seek special treatment and believe in our ability to compete for federally funded research on the basis of strict merit,” Garimella said in the letter.
Along with rejecting the governing charter, the university attached a “Statement of Principles,” which included its compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and other federal and state anti-discrimination laws.
The move comes after six other universities – Brown University, Dartmouth College, MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, and the University of Virginia – also rejected the proposal, while Vanderbilt University and the University of Texas at Austin have yet to reject the proposal.
Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier did not reject the proposal outright, instead saying the university would provide the government with more feedback about the future of higher education. Vanderbilt participated in a meeting held by Trump officials on Friday, where he called on universities to gather input and feedback from schools on the proposal, Diermeier said.
Diermeier suggested that Vanderbilt’s basic principles conflicted with the Charter’s requirements.
“Our north star has always been that academic freedom, freedom of expression and independence are essential for universities to make their vital and unique contributions to society,” he said in a statement. “We also believe that research awards should be made on the basis of merit alone. This merit-based approach has enabled scientific and academic excellence that has driven America’s health, security, and prosperity for decades. It must be preserved.”
UT Austin did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Guardian.
The system has been honored, and UT Austin has been selected to be part of the Trump administration’s proposal, said Kevin Eltiff, chairman of the UT System’s Board of Regents. Texas Tribune. Students and faculty at the University of Texas at Austin have raised concerns about academic freedom, prompting alumni to create… Petition He urged the university not to sign the proposal. The petition received more than 1,400 signatures.
The agreement also requires colleges to freeze tuition for five years, set a 15% cap on international undergraduates in the student body, ensure a “vibrant marketplace of ideas on campus” and create a more welcoming environment for conservatives. Universities that decide to sign the compact are promised “multiple positive benefits,” including “large, meaningful federal grants.”
Amid the wave of rejection, the Trump administration extended invitations to other universities, including Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Kansas, and Arizona State University, according to the university. Wall Street Journal.
Earlier this month, Trump wrote Social media that “much of higher education has lost its way, and is now corrupting our youth and society with WOKE, socialist, and anti-American ideology,” and that “institutions that desire to quickly return to the pursuit of truth and achievement” are “called upon to enter into a forward-looking agreement with the federal government to help bring about a golden age of academic excellence in higher education.”