Overview

• The White House sent a 10-page "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" to nine universities offering expanded federal support in exchange for policy commitments.
• The compact seeks bans on considering race or sex in hiring and admissions, a 15% cap on international undergraduates, required standardized tests, a five-year tuition freeze for U.S. students, biological definitions of sex and gender, steps against grade inflation, and assurances for conservative speech.
• Penn President J. Larry Jameson said the university will evaluate the proposal based on institutional values and law, adding that Penn "seeks no special consideration."
• UT Austin is the only school to enthusiastically engage so far, while institutions including the University of Virginia, MIT and USC said they are reviewing the letter.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom warned that any California university that signs will lose state funding, and national faculty groups including the AAUP and AFT have condemned the compact; most schools face a Nov. 21 decision window.