White House Asks Colleges to Sign Sweeping Agreement

[Anonymous]

Shocked this page isn't lighting up with regard to UVA included. Following the "firing" of Jim Ryan this is a really slippery slope.

[Anonymous]

why would any college sign this? what's in it for them.

I'm really souring on Dartmouth, not that Dartmouth cares. But this stink won't come off these colleges easily ..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In theory, if they sign, they need to eliminate tuition for anyone studying the “hard” sciences such as Math, Biology et al.

I think this means anything they deem as a difficult science though last I checked, Math isn’t a science at all.

Guess everyone will double major in Math even if you are just getting Cs.

I don’t follow, why would they eliminate tuition?

It asks schools to freeze tuition for five years and reduce administrative costs as far as possible. Schools are asked to post earnings after graduation for each academic program and to refund tuition for students who drop out during the first semester. Universities with an endowment of $2 million per undergraduate student are asked to waive tuition for students who pursue “hard science” programs (NY Times listed examples like biology and math).

"Schools are asked to post earnings after graduation for each academic program" -- they already do this.

[Anonymous]

But it is now a requirement and can be audited and if wrong now dealing with fines and other ramifications….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are some very good ideas in this agreement.

This is how they work. They put one or two things in each agreement that are good ideas and the rest is fascism or authoritarianism or christian nationalism or jsut straight up bullshit.

ASK THE ADMIN WHY THEY WONT JUST HAVE THEM SIGN TO FREEZE TUITION.

Exactly. Fox News and the rest of Trump's propaganda machine will only highlight the few slightly more reasonable items. So when one confronts a MAGA acquaintance who only gets their information from these sources, they will look at you like you are crazy for being opposed to it because they only know of the more innocuous part of it. Then when you try to explain the details to them, they will ignore you and shut down because how could anyone ever question the good intentions of St. Trump.

We are living in very scary times. Anyone who believed Trump when he said he knew nothing about Project 2025 is a moron who should not be allowed to vote or operate heavy machinery.

I'd like to know the details. Please explain them to me. I will read / listen with an open mind, but from what I have read this far in this thread everything seems fine.

Blame the far left liberals for policing our language, actions, work place environments, etc. They can be viewed as being authoritarian and for limiting free speech & the free exchange of ideas. Just try putting forth conservative ideas in a college or university class--see what happens and see how your grades suffer. Time to give conservative thoughts freedom equal to that of far left liberals.

Thank you President Trump for having the courage and skills and stamina for making American colleges open to the free expression of ideas even if the thoughts represent a conservative point of view.

America first !

What "conservative point of view" that isn't discriminatory have you been prevented from expressing by the federal government while Democrats controlled all three branches of government? Do tell.

[Anonymous]

Universities that sign this ludicrous agreement are not only spineless, they are stupid.

Trump will keep dangling the threat of federal funds and grants over them, asking for more uncomfortable things, and fully dominating the content our kids learn and environment they learn in.

If you love this country, we need to fight for it. Vote in next month's election for Gov or Prop 50 in CA to say "enough" to the bully in chief. Conservatives and Dems should band together and fight this mob boss who wants to control every aspect of our life and pillage our wealth for his family's own self-gain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll never take a republican seriously again. What a joke of a party! Remember when they all claimed the GOP was the party of “freedom” - what an absurd idea.

MAGA has turned the GOP (haven’t heard that term in awhile) into an authoritarian party restricting the ideas and speech of people, universities and institutions. This is the opposite of the rollicking 80s and 90s where we all experienced so much freedom and joy.

Republicans ought to move to China or Russia or the Middle East if they admire those values.

+1. Russia will welcome young men with open arms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shocked this page isn't lighting up with regard to UVA included. Following the "firing" of Jim Ryan this is a really slippery slope.

This page has been lighting up. This post is only a few hours old and it's a working day yet already hundreds of comments. This is big bad news for all parents and Americans IMO!

[Anonymous]

Is there a gift link for article?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shocked this page isn't lighting up with regard to UVA included. Following the "firing" of Jim Ryan this is a really slippery slope.

nearly 200 comments and 3000 views in just three hours ...

[Anonymous]

There is no reward for signing this; the supposed “preferred” funding is meaningless; colleges basically have to align with MAGA criteria in return for basically nothing. Signing up for this is stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, this is the part that everyone should be focusing on:

The compact asks universities to ensure a “vibrant marketplace of ideas on campus” and to bar employees from expressing political views on behalf of their employer, unless the matter affects the school. It seeks to create a more-welcoming environment for conservatives, asking colleges to make governance changes and abolish departments that “purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.”

Free and academic speech implications are awful.

I don’t see how you aren’t able to express your political views currently. It’s like the canonical tenure thing that you get grumpy and start critiquing your area study for being too progressive.

Also why can’t conservatives accept that they’re overwhelmingly career oriented minds aren’t compatible with a job that requires you to spend your first 6-7 years out of undergrad slaving 60-90 hours of work a week with $30-50k. I’m not convinced there are that many conservatives who would become professors, even if many of them could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if some people like some of the ideas, why does the federal government in the United States have a say in most of this? What happened to academic freedom? States' rights? Private education? Where does federal interference end?

Why do private colleges take so much federal money? Why was there no concern about academic freedom when 99% of professors are left wing? When applying for a professor job at a college (music or physics or any field) requires writing a DEI statement? Why was there no protest when colleges set up their own "court systems" which could just ruin young peoples' lives? These are just a few examples of the academia rot. They got what they deserve.

First, the federal government offers grant money to do research that it needs and values. Some universities answer the call and do that work for the government under very specific and regulated terms, and the government gets the product in return. It is highly regulated with consequences in the grant for all sorts of violations, and no university is just "taking federal money" to do with whatever it pleases.

Second -- prove that 99% of all US professors are "left wing," and you will have to define what you mean by left wing.

Third, while DEI statements are going away (gone?), what really is the objection to "outlining your values and the specific actions you will take to cultivate a workplace or community where everyone feels included and respected." Don't you want that in a college or community? Do you prefer to hire people who value excluding people and making others feel disrespected and excluded? Make your objection to that make sense.

Fourth, student honor boards have existed forever, but I wouldn't care if those went away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if some people like some of the ideas, why does the federal government in the United States have a say in most of this? What happened to academic freedom? States' rights? Private education? Where does federal interference end?

Why do private colleges take so much federal money? Why was there no concern about academic freedom when 99% of professors are left wing? When applying for a professor job at a college (music or physics or any field) requires writing a DEI statement? Why was there no protest when colleges set up their own "court systems" which could just ruin young peoples' lives? These are just a few examples of the academia rot. They got what they deserve.

The party of small government, everyone! Only the President's opinion is allowed, in every facet of life!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Main points:

The memo demands that schools ban the use of race or sex in hiring and admissions;
freeze tuition for five years;
cap international undergrad enrollment at 15%;
require that applicants take the SAT or a similar test;
quell grade inflation.

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/trump-universities-compact-federal-funds-agreement-df158493?mod=hp_lead_pos1

These are the most sensible things that should have been implemented a long time back itself. The sad thing is, the most common sense rules are coming from the Trump administration. Hate Trump but love these policies.