Brown University has become the second higher-education institution to decline an invitation from Donald Trump to sign his administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” a proposal that would overhaul university policies in exchange for preferential access to federal funding. The move follows the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) refusal last week.
In a letter sent on Wednesday to administration officials, Brown’s president, Christina Paxson, expressed concern that the compact “by its nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance.” She added that awarding research funding based on criteria other than merit “would ultimately damage the health and prosperity of Americans.”
The compact, first introduced to nine universities in early October, imposes restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion programmes and limits on international student enrolment. The remaining institutions—including the University of Virginia, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Pennsylvania—have not yet announced their decisions. The Trump administration has since extended the invitation to all US colleges and universities.
Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, praised Brown’s decision, stating: “By declining to compromise its core mission, Brown University has affirmed that no amount of federal inducement is worth surrendering the freedom to question, explore and dissent.”
Brown’s refusal comes months after it reached a separate deal with the White House in July, which unfroze hundreds of millions in research grants in exchange for policy commitments and a $50m investment in Rhode Island workforce training. Paxson noted that the new compact would contradict assurances in that earlier agreement, specifically a pledge that the administration would not interfere with the university’s curriculum or academic content.
