Brown University rejects Trump’s offer for priority funding, citing concerns over academic freedom
WASHINGTON AP Brown University is rejecting a Trump administration proposal that would provide favorable access to funding in exchange for a wide range of commitments saying the deal would curtail academic freedom and undermine the university s independence Brown is the latest university to turn down the proposal which White House personnel stated would bring multiple positive benefits including substantial and meaningful federal grants The Massachusetts Institute of Machinery backed away from the proposal last week after its president mentioned it would restrict free speech and campus autonomy Brown President Christina Paxson turned down the proposal on Wednesday in a letter to Training Secretary Linda McMahon and White House executives The Ivy League university in Providence Rhode Island is aligned with selected of the provisions in the offer she disclosed including commitments to affordability and equal opportunity in admissions but can t agree to others I am concerned that the Compact by its nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown s governance critically compromising our ability to fulfill our mission Paxson wrote Brown and MIT were among nine universities invited this month to become initial signatories to the proposal Officers at the University of Texas system declared they were honored to be invited while majority of others have remained quiet The Trump administration invited feedback from universities by Oct and requested decisions no later than Nov Brown previously struck a deal with the Trump administration to restore lost research funding and end federal investigations into discrimination In that agreement finalized in July Brown agreed to a million payout to workforce organizations in Rhode Island It also agreed to adopt the federal regime s definition of male and female to eliminate diversity targets in admissions and to renew partnerships with Israeli academics among other terms Unlike that deal which includes a clause affirming Brown s academic freedom Paxson revealed the new proposal lacks any guarantee that the university would retain control over its curriculum or academic speech Her rejection is in line with the views of the vast majority of Brown stakeholders Paxson wrote In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday President Donald Trump suggested other campuses can step forward to participate in the compact Those that want to return to the pursuit of Truth and Achievement he announced are invited to enter into a forward looking Agreement with the Federal Administration to help bring about the Golden Age of Academic Excellence in Higher Tuition In its letter to universities the administration explained the compact would strengthen and renew the mutually beneficial relationship between universities and the governing body The compact is a proactive attempt at adjustment even as the establishment continues enforcement through other means the letter disclosed The proposal includes several commitments around admissions women s sports and free speech Much of it centers on promoting conservative viewpoints including by abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish belittle and even spark violence against conservative ideas The Associated Press instruction coverage receives financial sponsorship from multiple private foundations AP is solely responsible for all content Find AP s standards for working with philanthropies a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP org Source
