Overview

• The administration sent a 10-page compact to nine universities and requested decisions by Nov. 21, with the University of Pennsylvania asked to respond by Oct. 20.
• UT Austin’s regents signaled enthusiasm to sign, while MIT, USC and UVA said they are reviewing the document, and Penn’s president launched a community evaluation and said the school seeks no special consideration.
• The offer ties priority access to federal grants and higher overhead to adopting policies that include banning consideration of race and sex in hiring and admissions, capping international undergraduates at 15%, requiring standardized tests and freezing tuition for five years.
• Other provisions include defining sex based on reproductive function, measures addressing treatment of conservative viewpoints and steps targeting grade inflation and campus speech and discipline rules.
• Faculty groups and civil-liberties advocates condemned the plan as a threat to academic freedom and likely federal overreach, and California’s governor warned he would cut state funding for any in-state university that signs.