University of Arizona Rejects Trump Administration’s Higher Education Plan, Cites Academic Freedom
The University of Arizona has announced that it will not participate in a higher education initiative proposed by the Trump administration, which ties federal funding preferences to alignment with the administration’s political priorities.
University President Suresh Garimella disclosed the decision in a statement, emphasizing the university’s commitment to core academic values.
“Some of the government’s proposals deserve thoughtful consideration,” Garimella said, “but principles like academic freedom, merit-based research funding, and institutional independence are foundational and must be preserved.”
He further explained that the university had opted to submit its own Statement of Principles to the Department of Education instead of signing on to the administration’s draft agreement.
“As a result, the university has not agreed to the terms outlined in the draft proposal, but instead submitted a Statement of Principles to the Department of Education,” he added.
The plan, known as the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” was introduced earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Education to nine universities nationwide. It called for revisions to grading systems, international student enrollment policies, and other academic standards in exchange for preferential access to federal grants and benefits.
By rejecting the proposal, the University of Arizona joins Brown University, Dartmouth College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, and the University of Virginia in taking a stand against the compact.
Meanwhile, the University of Texas at Austin and Vanderbilt University have yet to announce their positions on the proposal.
