Newsom says California universities will lose billions in state funding if they "sell out" to Trump

"Newsom's warning comes in response to the Trump administration asking nine universities across the country to sign a compact mandating certain changes in exchange for additional federal funding. First reported by the Washington Post and confirmed by The Wall Street Journal Thursday, the proposal - a 10-point memo referred to as the "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" - reflects a new tactic from the administration, which had previously used investigations and threats to cut schools' funding as a way to force universities to comply with the Trump administration's priorities."

"Under the reported compact agreement, schools would be required to commit to institutional neutrality, prohibit all university employees from expressing political beliefs on behalf of the university, shut down departments that "punish, belittle" or "spark violence against conservative ideas," and define and interpret "male, female, woman and man" according to reproductive function and biological processes. Schools would also be required to ban all consideration of race, sex or other characteristics in hiring, admissions or financial aid processes; freeze tuition rates for five years; cap international undergraduate enrollment at 15%; require standardized tests for applicants and clamp down on grade inflation."

Governor Gavin Newsom warned California's university leaders that schools will lose billions in state funding if they agree to President Trump's demands. The Trump administration invited nine universities to sign a proposed 10-point "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" conditioning federal funding on policy changes. The compact would require institutional neutrality, bar university employees from expressing political beliefs on behalf of institutions, close departments accused of punishing or belittling conservative ideas, and define sex and gender by biological functions. The compact would also ban consideration of race or sex in hiring and admissions, freeze tuition for five years, cap international enrollment, require standardized tests, and clamp down on grade inflation.

Read at The Mercury News