Image Credit: RawPixel / Public Domain & The White House / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Vanderbilt is one of nine universities selected by President Donald Trump’s administration to receive “substantial and meaningful federal grants” upon signing a compact.
When asked about the letter, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said only that Vanderbilt is reviewing the compact.
The 10-point “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” is a set of guidelines that if followed, will garner “multiple positive benefits” for the university.
In the letter addressed to university leaders, the compact requires that universities ensure that their campuses are a “vibrant marketplace of ideas” in order to be given priority for grant money.
In addition, the compact would prohibit employees from expressing political views on behalf of their university, unless the school is itself affected.
In hopes of creating an environment in which conservatives are welcomed, rather than shunned, the compact also asks that institutions of higher education get rid of departments that “purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.”
As part of the agreement, universities would be asked to hire independent auditors who would be responsible for anonymous polling among students and staff. This effort would be part of evaluating how well the university is aligning with the goals of the compact. The findings would be reviewed by the Justice Department and made public.
Colleges would also have to ban the practice of considering race or sex in hiring decisions or student admissions, allow no more than 15 percent of students enrolled to be international undergraduates, and freeze tuition for five years, among other requirements.
Along with Vanderbilt, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Arizona, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Virginia were the first to receive the invitation.
According to May Mailman, who has been in charge of efforts by the White House to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses, these particular universities were chosen either because they have a president who is a “reformer” or the school has a board that has indicated their commitment to high-quality education.
Universities that sign on to the compact will send a signal to students, their parents, and alumni, that the institution is prioritizing learning and equality, the letter explains.
Schools would be required to collect and publish data on post graduation earnings for each academic program and colleges with endowments of $2 million per undergrad would be asked to waive tuition for students who choose “hard science” degrees.
Federal funding would not be limited strictly to schools that sign the compact, but they would go to the front of the line for federal grants. Should a university sign on, and then violate the terms of the compact, they may have to return any federal funds for the year.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
