The University of Virginia has officially declined to endorse the White House’s ‘Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,’ a proposal designed to grant federal funding to institutions willing to adopt specific administration-backed conditions. This makes UVA the fifth American university, following major institutions like MIT, Brown, Penn, and USC, to reject the controversial plan. Interim president Paul G. Mahoney announced the decision late Friday.
A Matter of Principle
The White House initially presented this compact to nine universities. In exchange for financial support, participating institutions would have to commit to various stipulations. These included freezing tuition rates, imposing limits on international student enrollment, and eliminating race and gender as considerations in their admissions processes. Furthermore, the agreement explicitly pushed for the active promotion of ‘conservative viewpoints’ across campuses.
In a formal letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, President Mahoney articulated the university’s stance. While acknowledging support for some of the compact’s underlying principles, he firmly stated that the University of Virginia would not accept funding contingent on such conditions. Mahoney emphasized that ‘a contractual arrangement predicating assessment on anything other than merit will undermine the integrity of vital, sometimes lifesaving, research and further erode confidence in American higher education.’
Growing Opposition
This White House initiative has sparked significant apprehension among university leaders nationwide. Many worry that it could establish a two-tiered federal funding structure, potentially allowing compliant institutions to bypass traditional merit-based evaluations for research grants. During a recent gathering of university presidents in New York, numerous attendees voiced strong concerns about the compact’s broader implications. On the University of Virginia campus itself, the faculty senate overwhelmingly rejected the proposal with a 60-2 vote, and students organized protests in Charlottesville on Friday.
A Shifting Dialogue in Washington
Despite the widespread rejection, White House spokeswoman Liz Huston characterized a recent conference call with eight other universities—including Arizona State, the University of Kansas, and Washington University in St. Louis—as constructive. She indicated that the administration remains open to revisions, stating that these institutions now ‘have the baton to consider, discuss, and propose meaningful reforms… to ensure college campuses serve as laboratories of American greatness.’ This softer tone contrasts with earlier remarks from Huston, who had previously warned that universities declining the compact might ‘find themselves without future government and taxpayer support.’
The Broader Politics of Higher Education
Insiders familiar with Friday’s discussions noted that the conversations were cordial, with officials—including billionaire financier Marc Rowan, a key architect of the proposal—expressing openness to making adjustments. President Mahoney reiterated that the University of Virginia is not seeking ‘special treatment’ but insists that all funding decisions should be strictly based on merit.