"Federal benefits" to US universities in exchange for Trump's "priorities": most universities refused to deal with the White House
Kyiv • UNN
Seven out of nine US universities refused federal funds in exchange for adhering to the Trump administration's "priorities." Only one university expressed interest in signing the agreement.
Seven out of nine US universities, which the White House approached with a proposal for a federal funding plan on the condition of adhering to the priorities of President Trump's administration, refused to support this proposal. UNN writes about this with reference to The New York Times.
Details
Recently, Washington offered universities in various US states "federal benefits" on the condition of including "priorities" of the White House in their curricula, including the protection of "conservative ideas" and the prohibition of certain protests.
Seven of the nine universities that the White House initially approached with a proposal for more federal funds for their needs have, as of today, refused to approve the proposal.
Only one, the University of Texas, suggested it might be open to a quick signing, the New York Times notes.
Context
This refers to the so-called Academic Excellence Agreement in Higher Education.
This agreement includes conditions such as agreeing "that academic freedom is not absolute" and committing to potentially close "institutional units that purposefully punish, demean, and even incite violence against conservative ideas."
Institutions that rejected the program, including the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), argued that the provisions of Secretary of Education Linda McMahon's text would violate their own values, as well as academic freedom.
Brown University, the University of Virginia, Dartmouth University, and the University of Arizona also declared their commitment to freedom of speech on their campuses.
Recall
The administration of US President Donald Trump on Friday, September 20, intensified its campaign against Harvard University, imposing new restrictions on the Ivy League university's ability to receive federal funds for student aid.