1. United States
2. Alaska
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep concern about the Trump administration’s proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” On the surface, this may appear to be about academic standards, but in practice it is an attempt to coerce universities into adopting political mandates in exchange for federal funding. Several provisions are especially troubling: • Limiting international enrollment to 15% of undergraduates would not only harm universities financially, but also strip campuses of the diversity of thought and experience that is essential for learning. • Banning race and sex as factors in admissions and hiring undermines universities’ ability to build inclusive, representative communities. A homogenous freshman class would be boring at best and destructive at worst. • Mandating free tuition for certain STEM majors based solely on endowment size is unworkable and disregards donor intent. Universities cannot simply redirect restricted endowment funds without betraying donors and jeopardizing future philanthropy. • The so-called “marketplace of ideas” clause is dangerously vague and invites censorship of faculty and students. Who decides what counts as “vibrant” or “acceptable”? The threat of lost access to student loans, visas, and research funding makes this compact less a choice and more an ultimatum. Universities should never be forced to sacrifice academic freedom, diversity, or integrity in exchange for federal support. I urge you to speak out against this proposal and defend higher education’s independence from partisan political control. The future of American universities—and the students they serve—depends on it.