By Manisha Sahu | America News World
Date: October 16, 2025
Brown University has declined to sign onto a Trump administration proposal that sought to reshape higher education policy in the United States, with University President Christina Paxson calling the agreement “a direct challenge to academic freedom and institutional autonomy.”
In a letter addressed to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Paxson said Brown could not in good conscience accept the terms of the administration’s memo, titled “A Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” The proposal had been sent to nine Ivy League and other elite universities, offering preferential consideration for federal research funding in exchange for adopting a set of new policy guidelines.
Paxson wrote that the memo “would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance,” emphasizing that universities “must remain spaces where free inquiry, open dialogue, and evidence-based research are protected from political interference.”
With Brown’s refusal, it becomes the second major U.S. university, after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to reject the Trump administration’s compact, signaling growing resistance among elite institutions to what many academics view as a political intrusion into higher education.
Also read:-“China Imposes Port Fees on US Ships Amid Trade Tensions”
What the ‘Compact’ Proposed
The administration’s memo outlined a sweeping vision for reforming university governance, curriculum oversight, and campus culture. It required participating institutions to:
– Cap international undergraduate enrollment at 15 percent.
– Prohibit the use of race or sex in hiring, admissions, and scholarship programs.
– Define gender strictly based on biological sex, effectively banning policies supporting gender diversity and transgender rights on campus.
– Report faculty and student activities deemed “politically motivated or unpatriotic,” according to two officials familiar with the document.
In exchange, the administration promised “priority consideration” for certain federal research grants and infrastructure funding, as well as potential tax incentives for university-affiliated projects.
Trump’s Push to ‘Reform’ Higher Education
The “Compact for Academic Excellence” is part of President Donald Trump’s broader campaign to overhaul American higher education, which he has repeatedly described as “broken, biased, and hostile to American values.”
Since returning to the White House earlier this year, Trump has vowed to eliminate what he calls “left-wing extremism and anti-American indoctrination” from U.S. universities. His administration has accused elite schools of fostering “antisemitic movements,” “anti-police rhetoric,” and “censorship of conservative voices.”
Speaking last month at a rally in Michigan, Trump said, “We will not fund institutions that teach young Americans to hate their country. Our universities should promote patriotism, merit, and excellence — not division and propaganda.”
The new education compact, according to Trump officials, was designed to “restore accountability” and “realign university culture with American values.”
However, university leaders and academic groups have sharply criticized the initiative, arguing it would politicize higher education and impose government control over admissions, research, and hiring practices.
Also read:-Trump: PM Modi agrees India will stop buying Russian oil
Brown University’s Firm Response
In her letter, Paxson made clear that Brown University would not compromise its principles for financial incentives. “The terms of the compact are inconsistent with our mission to pursue truth and knowledge without fear or favor,” she wrote.
She also noted that signing the memo would have contradicted an earlier agreement Brown reached with the administration in July, which focused on expanding federal research partnerships while preserving institutional independence.
“We respect the federal government’s role as a funding partner in research and education,” Paxson wrote, “but we cannot accept conditions that would erode the very foundation of what makes universities vital to democracy — free thought, inclusivity, and intellectual rigor.”
A spokesperson for Brown confirmed the university’s decision, saying it had been reached after extensive consultation with faculty, trustees, and student representatives.
Academic Leaders Voice Support
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) praised Brown’s decision, calling it “a principled stand for academic integrity.”
“Universities must not be coerced into political conformity,” the AAUP said in a statement. “The government’s role is to support education, not dictate its ideology.”
Faculty at other Ivy League schools have also expressed concerns about the compact’s implications. An anonymous professor at Yale University told America News World, “This is an attempt to control not just funding but thought itself. Universities are supposed to be bastions of debate — not instruments of political agendas.”
Growing Division Among Universities
While MIT and Brown have both rejected the compact, several other institutions — including Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton — have yet to publicly respond. Sources familiar with the matter said internal deliberations are underway at multiple campuses, where administrators are weighing the risks of losing federal funding against the potential backlash of compliance.
A senior official in the Department of Education told Reuters that “discussions are ongoing” and that “universities choosing not to participate will not be penalized,” though they “may not receive the same level of prioritization” for certain grants.
What Comes Next
The dispute underscores a widening rift between the Trump administration and America’s higher education system, which has long prized independence from government interference.
Analysts say the standoff could escalate into a broader legal and political battle, particularly if the administration attempts to condition federal funding on adherence to ideological or demographic policies.
“Brown’s decision is likely to embolden other universities to push back,” said Dr. Sarah Milton, a professor of education policy at Georgetown University. “If more institutions take a stand, the administration will face increasing difficulty enforcing its vision of ideological conformity in academia.”
For now, Brown University’s refusal sends a clear message: the principles of academic freedom and self-governance remain nonnegotiable, even in the face of political pressure.