The University of Arizona has declined participation in a new higher education initiative proposed by the Trump administration, citing concerns over academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
The plan, titled the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” was introduced earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Education to nine leading universities across the country. It seeks to tie federal funding preferences to universities that align with specific administrative priorities, including revisions to grading systems, international student policies, and other academic practices.
However, University President Suresh Garimella said in a statement that while some aspects of the proposal merit consideration, the university could not compromise on its core values.
> “Some of the government’s proposals deserve thoughtful consideration,” Garimella stated. “But principles like academic freedom, merit-based research funding, and institutional independence are foundational and must be preserved.”
He added that the university had instead submitted a Statement of Principles to the Department of Education, reaffirming its commitment to transparent governance and nonpartisan scholarship.
The University of Arizona joins several Ivy League and elite institutions—including Brown University, Dartmouth College, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, and University of Virginia—in rejecting the proposal.
Meanwhile, the University of Texas at Austin and Vanderbilt University have yet to announce their positions on the matter.
The proposed compact has drawn mixed reactions across U.S. academia, with critics arguing that it could erode universities’ independence and politicize the allocation of research grants. Supporters within the administration, however, claim it aims to ensure “accountability and excellence” in federally funded higher education.
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