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13h ago

Brown University Rejects White House Higher Ed Compact, Joining MIT

The move underscores a widening standoff over federal conditions tied to research funding.

FILE - Passers-by walk and ride along a path on the campus of Brown University, in Providence, R.I., Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
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The Van Wickle Gates stand at the edge of the main campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, on August 16, 2022.

Overview

  • Brown President Christina Paxson said the compact would restrict academic freedom, undermine governance autonomy and depart from merit-based research funding.
  • The proposal offers preferential consideration for federal grants in exchange for policy changes such as capping international undergraduates at 15%, banning the use of race or sex in admissions and hiring, and defining genders based on biology.
  • Brown distinguished the offer from its July settlement that restored hundreds of millions in research funding, included a $50 million workforce commitment and affirmed that the government cannot dictate curriculum or academic speech.
  • The administration set Oct. 20 for feedback and Nov. 21 for decisions, and has signaled the invitation could extend beyond the initial nine universities.
  • Student and faculty opposition has grown across campuses, with a joint statement from student leaders at several schools urging rejection and a 97% faculty vote at the University of Virginia opposing the compact.