His letter, which USC provided to The Times, was addressed to Education Secretary Linda McMahon and said that the compact “raises a number of issues worthy of further discussion within both higher education and our nation.” But, Kim wrote, the university had concerns about the Trump administration’s offer.
“I appreciate the various points of view shared with me by many members of our community,” Kim said in a statement.
Provided to USC on Oct. 1, the compact requires universities to make a range of commitments in line with Trump’s political agenda.
The compact had been strongly rejected by faculty attending an Oct. 6 meeting held by the USC Academic Senate, when 20-plus professors, department heads and others spoke out against the document.
The compact has not been given to California State University or University of California campuses.
Saying it would compromise “values of free inquiry and academic excellence,” the University of Southern California rejected the contentious education compact offered to it and eight other institutions by the Trump administration on Thursday. “”.
According to a statement from USC interim president Beong-Soo Kim, he wrote to the U. S. . Trump offered universities priority research funding if they agreed to adopt his largely conservative views on higher education, but the Department of Education declined.
The Times obtained a copy of his letter, which was sent to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, stating that the compact “raises a number of issues worthy of further discussion within both higher education and our nation?”. “”.
However, Kim stated that the university was worried about the offer from the Trump administration.
Although the Compact would be voluntary, Kim expressed concern that linking research benefits to it would eventually weaken the principles of academic excellence and free inquiry that the Compact aims to advance. Other nations whose governments do not share America’s dedication to democracy and freedom have demonstrated how academic excellence can be negatively impacted when changing external priorities shift the research landscape away from free, merit-based competition. “”.
“Universities funded by American taxpayers should absolutely serve the national interest,” said White House spokesperson Liz Huston in a statement. “.”.
“Universities can adopt any legal policy they want as long as they are not pleading for federal funding,” she stated. But it is completely misguided to think that colleges should receive public funding with no obligations in return. “”.
According to Kim’s letter, the university “fully agrees” with a section of the compact that states that a “vibrant marketplace of ideas where all different views can be explored, debated, and challenged” is necessary for academic excellence. “.”.
In the letter dated Thursday, Kim replied to McMahon, “We have committed ourselves to institutional neutrality and launched a number of initiatives designed to promote civil discourse across the ideological spectrum in order to foster such an environment at USC.”. We could not produce excellent research, teach our students to think critically, or inculcate the civic values necessary for our democracy to thrive without a setting where faculty and students can freely discuss a wide range of ideas and points of view. “.”.
Kim responded to Thursday’s frequently contentious campus discussion about the compact in a letter to the USC community.
In a statement, Kim said, “I value the diverse perspectives that many people in our community have shared with me.”. We are excited to add our viewpoints, knowledge, and Trojan values to a crucial national discussion regarding the future of higher education, even though USC has chosen not to participate in the proposed Compact. “.”.
Several academics who were against the compact expressed their satisfaction with Kim’s choice.
According to Sanjay Madhav, an associate professor of practice at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, “this demonstrates that we can effect institutional change when a broad coalition of faculty, students, staff, and workers comes together at USC and across the nation.”. Even though USC’s rejection of this unconstitutional compact is encouraging, the battle for academic freedom and higher education in general is far from over. “.”.
The compact has caused a stir in higher education and angered Governor Brown, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania, which rejected it on Thursday as well. Gavin Newsom, which calls for changes to campus policies to the right in return for favors like priority federal funding.
In his forceful response, Newsom urged USC “to do the right thing” and turn down the offer. He said that if any California university agreed, state funding would be withheld.
Earlier this month, the University of Texas indicated that it could accept Trump’s demands. According to a statement from Kevin Eltife, chair of the board of regents, leaders of the Texas system were “honored” that the Austin campus was selected to be a part of the compact and its “potential funding advantages.”.
delivered to USC in October. 1. According to the compact, colleges must agree to a number of pledges that support Trump’s political platform.
The agreement forbids colleges from acknowledging the gender identities of transgender individuals and urges them to embrace the government’s definition of gender, which is two sexes: male and female. Enrollment in foreign schools would be limited. Additionally, a five-year tuition freeze for U is stipulated in the compact. A. pupils.
It calls on colleges to remove sex, race, and other factors from admissions decisions and to require the SAT or ACT for all undergraduate applicants.
During an October meeting, faculty members had firmly rejected the compact. At the sixth USC Academic Senate meeting, more than twenty professors, department heads, and others voiced their opposition to the document. Participants referred to the compact as “egregiously invalid,” “probably unconstitutional,” “antithetical to principles of academic freedom,” and “a Trojan horse” in their vehement speeches during the virtual meeting. “”.
Aro Velmet, an associate professor of history at USC, who had been at the Oct. Kim’s decision to reject the compact was praised at the 6 meeting, but it was criticized for reflecting “the amount of pressure the president received from pretty much everyone on campus.”. “.”.
“We applaud President Kim and are relieved that he made the correct decision. Velmet declared, “This battle is a victory.”. However, the conflict is still going on. Most likely, the federal government will attempt to exert pressure on colleges in some way. “”.
Dissident opinions were expressed.
Universities that reject the compact without “providing feedback to improve it” are sending a message that “they have no intention of acknowledging their failures — or of taking meaningful steps toward reform,” according to Anna Krylov, a professor of chemistry at USC. “.”.
However, Kim’s letter to McMahon, which “expresses agreement with the aspirations of the Compact and at least signals a willingness to reform,” was seen favorably by Krylov. “”.
While the compact was made directly available to the select few universities, a White House official stated on Tuesday that it also serves as a model for other campuses.
“Not every university has been contacted proactively by us. There is still time for the original nine colleges to comment on the suggested compact. Naturally, though, we wouldn’t reject universities that wish to lead the way and have a positive impact,” the official stated.
Additionally, Trump said the deal was open to other colleges in a Sunday social media post.
“In order to contribute to the establishment of the Golden Age of Academic Excellence in Higher Education, institutions that wish to swiftly return to the pursuit of Truth and Achievement are encouraged to sign a forward-looking agreement with the Federal Government. The president stated, “They will pledge to abide by Federal law and defend the civil rights of ALL students, faculty, and staff on campuses.”.
The campuses of the University of California and California State University have not received the compact. Last week, during a meeting with the UC Academic Senate, UC President James B. If UC was asked to sign on, Milliken said it wouldn’t.
