Dartmouth College has firmly rejected the Trump administration’s proposed higher education compact, as announced by College President Sian Leah Beilock in a campus-wide email on Friday. This compact, which was also extended to eight other universities on October 1, 2025, dangled federal funding benefits in exchange for substantial alterations to university admissions and academic policies. These proposed changes included controversial measures such as limiting international student enrollment, enforcing a binary definition of sex and gender, and introducing new controls to curb perceived grade inflation.
President Beilock articulated the college’s position clearly: “I do not believe that a compact — with any administration — is the right approach to achieve academic excellence, as it would compromise our academic freedom, our ability to govern ourselves, and the principle that federal research funds should be awarded to the best, most promising ideas.”
Communication with the White House
Beilock confirmed that she conveyed Dartmouth’s stance to the White House during a call on Thursday. The decision, made after thorough consultations with Dartmouth’s Board of Trustees, came just two days before the White House’s October 20 deadline for responses. Dartmouth now stands as the final Ivy League institution to reject the compact, following similar decisions by Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania.
Campus Concerns Over Academic Freedom
Since the compact’s unveiling, members of the Dartmouth community have voiced considerable apprehension that the proposals could severely restrict academic freedom. Senior Vice President for Campus Life Jennifer Rosales, speaking to the Dartmouth Student Government on October 5, 2025, highlighted that the compact directly conflicted with the College’s established policies and overarching mission.
Remaining Open to Collaboration
Despite the rejection of the compact, President Beilock assured the administration that Dartmouth remains open to exploring alternative forms of collaboration with the federal government. She wrote, “I welcome further engagement around how we can (a) enhance the long-standing partnership between the federal government and this country’s leading research universities and (b) ensure that higher education stays focused on academic excellence.”
The Broader Perspective
Beilock’s comments resonate with widespread concerns regarding the crucial partnership between universities and the federal government. She underscored that this alliance has been vital in fostering groundbreaking research, cultivating a skilled workforce, and maintaining the United States’ prominent global leadership in scientific, technological, and defense sectors.
Dartmouth Joins Six Universities in Rejection
With Dartmouth’s decisive action, a total of six institutions have now formally rejected the compact. These include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, the University of Virginia, and now Dartmouth College.