MIT rejected Trump’s university reforms, and now Brown is under pressure to follow: Here is how the campus is fighting back
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has formally rejected the Trump administration’s proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” becoming the first institution to publicly do so. The compact, issued by the US Department of Education, links preferential federal funding to a set of mandates focused on admissions, hiring, tuition, and free speech policies.Brown University, one of nine institutions that received the compact, is now facing increasing pressure from students and faculty to reject the proposal. The campus has seen a wave of protest and organised response since the news emerged, urging the administration not to align with the Trump administration’s education reforms.Students and faculty rally on campusA protest at Brown University gathered around 120 students, faculty members, and graduate students at the Van Wickle Gates, as reported by the Brown Daily Herald. The demonstration was organised by Brown Rise Up, a newly formed student group working with faculty and graduate organisations “to resist authoritarianism in higher education.”During the rally, participants held signs reading “students over politics” and “don’t be an accomplice,” while chanting slogans like “reject, rise up, Brown does not belong to Trump.” A delegation delivered a joint statement to the office of University President Christina Paxson, according to The Herald. The statement was signed by Brown Rise Up, Stand Strong Brown, the Brown Dream Team, Brown Democrats, and the Graduate Labor Organization.The statement criticised two provisions in the compact—one requiring faculty to maintain political neutrality in official capacities and the other barring the belittling of conservative ideas—as “incompatible with the values of Brown University,” The Herald reported.Compact contents and national contextAs reported by Inside Higher Ed, MIT President Sally Kornbluth confirmed in a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon that the university would not sign the compact. While acknowledging that MIT already meets or exceeds many of the compact’s standards, including commitments to merit-based admissions and free expression, she said the agreement was “inconsistent with MIT’s belief that funding should be based on merit.”The compact outlines ten points, with key demands including freezing tuition for five years, reducing international undergraduate enrolment to 15%, and removing race and sex as considerations in admissions and hiring. The Trump administration argues these steps promote fairness and compliance with Supreme Court rulings.Other universities invited to sign include Brown, Dartmouth College, University of Pennsylvania, University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, University of Southern California, University of Virginia, and Vanderbilt University. Most have not made public decisions, but MIT’s rejection has set a precedent.Concerns over academic freedom and student safetyProtest speakers at Brown raised concerns about free speech, academic independence, and student safety. Garrett Brand, a student speaker, stated, “We’re here today because Donald Trump is once again attempting to control our university,” as reported by The Herald. He added that some international students feared speaking out due to potential immigration consequences.Faculty members also voiced their concerns. Associate Professor Laurel Bestock said, “The compact is a chilling instance of surveillance and telling us what to think and what to do,” according to The Herald. Professor Holly Case said she felt it was her responsibility “to preserve your rights as students to free speech.”Nationwide implications and institutional responseThe compact follows the Trump administration’s elimination of $350 million in federal grants for minority-serving colleges. These included funds for institutions serving Hispanic, Black, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native American communities. According to Inside Higher Ed, Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended the policy, saying it redirected resources to “underprepared or under-resourced” students rather than using “racial quotas.”Student organisers like Simon Aron of Brown Rise Up stressed the national significance of Brown’s decision. “The nation is looking to Brown to see what we do,” he said in a statement to The Herald. Caitlyn Carpenter, another student speaker, said coordinated demonstrations had occurred at other universities that received the memo, including Vanderbilt and Dartmouth.As of now, Brown University has not issued a public statement or decision regarding the compact.
