Overview
- University of Arizona told Education Secretary Linda McMahon it has not agreed to the compact and submitted its own Statement of Principles outlining admissions, nondiscrimination, free expression, affordability and international engagement.
- Vanderbilt said it was asked to provide input rather than accept or reject the draft, reaffirmed institutional neutrality, and emphasized support for academic freedom and merit-based research awards.
- Seven of the nine initially contacted universities have publicly declined or distanced themselves, including MIT, Penn, Brown, USC, Dartmouth and UVA, while the University of Texas at Austin has not issued a public response.
- The draft compact seeks bans on using race and gender in admissions and hiring, mandates standardized testing and data reporting, caps international enrollment at 15 percent, and defines gender by reproductive function with related restrictions for transgender students.
- Officials communicated a requested decision by Nov. 21 as legal and academic critics warn the plan threatens institutional autonomy and core norms of academic freedom.