University of Pennsylvania and USC bring the number of schools to reject Trump’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Ed,” to 4, joining MIT and Brown:
Penn has rejected the White House’s proposed preferential funding compact, according to a Thursday email to the University community.
“Earlier today, I informed the U.S. Department of Education that Penn respectfully declines to sign the proposed Compact,” the Oct. 16 email read. “As requested, we also provided focused feedback highlighting areas of existing alignment as well as substantive concerns.”
The University of Southern California on Thursday said that it had rejected the controversial education compact the Trump administration offered it and eight other schools.
USC interim President Beong-Soo Kim said in a statement that he had sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education turning down the Trump offer, which would give priority research funding access to universities that agree to follow the president’s mostly conservative vision of higher education.
“I appreciate the various points of view shared with me by many members of our community. Although USC has declined to join the proposed Compact, we look forward to contributing our perspectives, insights, and Trojan values to an important national conversation about the future of higher education,” Kim said in a statement.