CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The University of Virginia Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) released a statement on the Trump administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” on Monday, calling it “the most significant threat to the mission of higher education since the McCarthy era.”
The “Compact” was sent to nine select learning institutions on Oct. 1. The demands are outlined in a nine-page document that asks schools to freeze their tuition rate for five years, ban the use of sex and gender as factors in their admissions process, and cap their international student numbers, among other requirements.
The group says many of the provisions address issues covered under existing federal law which UVA is already required to comply. The group says the new provisions violate existing university policies and/or federal law that, if implemented, would effectively suppress academic freedom, freedom of expression, shared governance, and diversity as defined by the American Association of University Professors.
“This document stipulates numerous mandates involving admissions, speech, hiring, grading, curricula, diversity, disciplinary policies, tuition, foreign students, and enforcement with which the universities must comply in order to prevent restrictions on access to federal support including student loans, grants, contracts, approval of visas for foreign nationals, and treatment under the tax code,” the statement reads. “Many provisions of the “Compact” address issues covered under existing federal law with which UVA is already required to comply.”
“This “Compact” is the most significant threat to the mission of higher education since the McCarthy era,” the statement goes on to say. “Complying with these mandates would suppress the independence of UVA and its ability to achieve the vision of its founder, Thomas Jefferson: to be “bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led.” The “Compact” represents a bright red line for academic freedom and free speech at universities that cannot be crossed.”
In addition to the University of Virginia, a letter outlining the plan and a copy of the agreement were sent to the University of Arizona, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of Texas, University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University.
