BERKELEY, Calif. – Pres. Donald Trump is trying to make a deal with colleges across the country: adopt a more conservative stance in return for better funding opportunities. But Gov. Gavin Newsom is using a bold new tactic to fight back—threatening to withhold state funding from any California university that goes along with Trump’s plan.
Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education: What is it?
What we know:
The White House wants nine public and private universities—including the University of Southern California, Vanderbilt, Brown and Dartmouth—to sign the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, adopting conservative policies in exchange for better federal funding access.
Those policies include gender rules for bathrooms and women’s sports, taking race and gender out of the admissions process, requiring the SAT or ACT for undergraduate applicants, imposing a 15% cap on international students, and transforming or abolishing anti-conservative groups.
What they’re saying:
“To see a type of change that’s like a conservative change or something, that’s very polar opposite to what we are as a school and what we stand for,” said one UC Berkeley student, who didn’t want to be identified.
Even though UC Berkeley isn’t on the list—at least not yet–it’s got some students concerned.
“It’s almost a slap to the face, seeing that this could be done to our school,” said another UC Berkeley student.
Newsom warns universities against signing “radical agreement”
But in a social media post Thursday, Newsom said: “If any California university signs this radical agreement, they’ll lose billions in state funding—including Cal Grants—instantly. California will not bankroll schools that sell out their students, professors, researchers, and surrender academic freedom.”
Big picture view:
“Using money to get organizations and people to do what they want, that’s something that presidents have always done,” said Menlo College Political Scientist Melissa Michelson. “It is somewhat unusual that the governor is also using this tool.”
Michelson worries this battle between Newsom and Trump could leave California schools caught in the middle.
“USC is in a really tricky spot, right? Because they need support from the state. They need Cal Grants. But they also need support from the federal government,” said Michelson.
But many are backing Newsom’s approach.
Local perspective:
“I like this pushback against the Trump administration,” said one UC Berkeley student. “We have our ideas. We know what we stand for. And I’m glad that he’s pushing against things that are not our way of life.”
Late Thursday afternoon, a Cal spokesperson told KTVU: “The Berkeley campus has no comment and no position” on the issue.
What’s next:
Notably, UC Berkeley has not been offered the deal, but Michelson says it’s likely more schools will be added to the list.
The Source: “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”, social media post by Gov. Gavin Newsom, and interviews by KTVU reporter John Krinjak
