USC Faculty Reject Trump's Controversial Education Compact
A controversial education compact proposed by President Trump has sparked heated debate at the University of Southern California (USC). The compact, which calls for universities to adopt specific views on admissions, diversity, and free speech, has been met with strong resistance from USC faculty members.
More than 20 USC faculty members recently gathered in a virtual meeting to express their rejection of the compact. Not a single attendee among the 500 expressed support for the proposal. The compact, if agreed upon, would restrict foreign student enrollment and define gender as strictly male or female. It also promises universities favorable access to federal research grants and additional funding in exchange for adopting rightward campus policy shifts.
Governor Gavin Newsom has weighed in on the matter, urging USC to 'do the right thing' and resist the compact to protect academic freedom. He has even threatened to cut state funding to universities that sign the political compact.
USC faculty members have strongly denounced Trump's education compact, with several professors suggesting that the university should align with other institutions to reject the compact collectively. Despite the potential benefits in federal funding, the compact's restrictions on diversity and free speech have been widely criticized. The university leadership has not yet accepted the compact, and the future of this contentious issue remains uncertain.
