Why would any university fear a pledge to uphold free speech, viewpoint diversity and academic excellence? The answer tells us everything.
On Oct. 1, 2025, President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon introduced the Compact for Academic Excellence, a proposal that invites universities to commit to core principles in exchange for eligibility for federal research funding. The compact outlines expectations for institutions to protect free expression, foster intellectual diversity and prioritize academic excellence over ideological activism.
The compact has the full backing of the Trump administration, including McMahon, who has voiced strong support for restoring academic standards and institutional accountability.
The idea is simple. If colleges and universities receive taxpayer dollars, they should be accountable to the public values that support those funds.
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It did not take long for the backlash to begin. Many elite institutions quickly denounced the compact. Some rejected it outright. Others issued carefully worded responses designed to protect their reputations while avoiding meaningful change.
Their reaction reveals something deeper than disagreement. It reveals fear. Not fear of censorship or government interference, but fear of being held accountable for what higher education has become.
As a university president, I understand the importance of academic freedom. I also understand the responsibility that comes with public trust and public investment. The compact does not impose a national curriculum or interfere with legitimate scholarship. What it does is affirm a principle that should never have been controversial: that institutions receiving federal dollars should reflect the foundational values of academic freedom, open inquiry and the pursuit of truth.
These values were once assumed. Today, they must be defended.
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In recent years, too many colleges and universities have drifted from their purpose. Instead of forming students into critical thinkers, they train them to repeat slogans. Instead of exposing students to a wide range of perspectives, they limit conversation to what is deemed politically acceptable. And instead of modeling intellectual courage and humility, they reinforce ideological conformity.
I have sat in the meetings. I have seen the pressure. I have watched too many institutions cave. The result is not only an academic failure. It is a moral failure. A university that suppresses dissent is not only intellectually weak, but it is ethically compromised. Our students deserve better, and so does our country.
The compact calls institutions back to their original mission. It challenges colleges to create environments where disagreement is not feared but welcomed. It encourages a culture where ideas are tested, convictions are sharpened and students grow stronger through honest engagement.
Critics have labeled the compact authoritarian. That accusation is not only false, it is deeply ironic. The real authoritarianism exists within institutions that silence dissent and punish those who hold unfashionable views. The compact does not threaten education. It protects education from those who have tried to turn it into a tool for activism and ideological control.
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From my vantage point, the compact affirms what many of us in education already know. Students thrive when they are free to ask hard questions, challenge assumptions and form convictions rooted in truth rather than trend. They do not need to be shielded from opposing viewpoints. They need to be formed to lead in a diverse and complex world with courage, clarity and character.
Higher education is at a crossroads. The public is watching. Donors, trustees and parents are beginning to ask tougher questions. They want to know what kind of formation their students are receiving, and whether the institutions they support still reflect the purpose for which they were founded.
The compact is not a political stunt. It is a clear statement of values and a long-overdue invitation to reform.
Those of us in leadership have a choice. We can protect our reputations and resist reform, or we can welcome this moment as a turning point. This is an opportunity to rebuild trust, to realign with our mission and to ensure that the next generation is better prepared than the last.
President Trump’s Compact for Academic Excellence is a bold and necessary step in that direction. I support it because I believe in the future of American higher education and because I know it will take vision and courage to get us there.
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