President Donald Trump’s administration has sent The University of Texas at Austin and eight other colleges a letter requesting agreement to a “set of operating principles” in exchange for federal funding. The schools would have to agree to a stricter definition of gender, a limit on international student enrollment and a five-year tuition freeze, among other rules. The decision deadline is Oct. 20, and UT Austin is considering the agreement, endangering its integrity and reputation.
The letter, officially titled the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, was sent to the University of Arizona, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas, the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University.
UT Austin and the other schools would have to ban the use of race and gender considerations during the hiring process, cap international enrollment at 15%, cap international enrollment from single countries at 5%, stay politically neutral, require applicants to take the SAT or a similar test, correct academic programs that threaten conservative views, become stricter on disruptive protests and refund tuition to students who drop out within the first year. These outrageous requests from the Trump administration are another attempt to tear down free speech, academic freedom, institutional independence and diversity, equity and inclusion.
May Mailman, a senior adviser for the White House, told the Wall Street Journal that the administration does not plan to limit funding to only those institutions that sign the agreement, but they will receive priority in funding and engagement with the White House. In its manipulative nature, the administration is giving these schools an ultimatum: independence or priority federal funding — a complete exchange of academic freedom for money. Funding higher education is optimal, but not at the expense of institutional integrity.
Among the colleges, only MIT has rejected the offer, holding itself, as always, to a higher standard. MIT has refused to let its principles crumble under the administration’s obvious pressure; in a letter to the Department of Education, MIT listed its values, priding itself on rewarding merit, its open door to the most talented students regardless of family finances and free expression. Meanwhile, UT Austin is reviewing the offer, claiming it was “honored” to be a part of the proposal.
If UT Austin accepts, yet another strong-standing, respected Texas institution will have succumbed to Trump’s discriminatory requests. Already, multiple state universities have expelled students and fired professors due to unwanted political opinions and restricted gender identity education because of the Trump administration and its golden child, Gov. Greg Abbott.
Academic freedom will always remain more important than monetary gain, and by rejecting this offer, these schools will maintain their reputable education, diverse student bodies and inclusive values. UT Austin must set itself apart from other public universities in the state by holding itself and its student voices to a higher standard. The eradication of academic freedom in Texas does not have to win, and UT Austin can be the first to go against the grain.
