Colleges fear Trump new academic compact tying funding to free speech

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   Readmikenowposted 7 days ago

   It is a shame that the left has bastardized our academia to a point where the enticement of federal funds is required to have free speech on college campuses.  This proves the point that colleges in the United States are no longer institutions of higher learning but the left has morphed them into left-wing indoctrination centers.
   
   "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.
   
   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.
   
   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.
   
   https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/why-eli … ree-speech

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      Ken Burgessposted 7 days agoin reply to this

      I think there needs to be a major evaluation of what Federal funds are doled out for.
      
      There should be $0 tax funded scholarships, grants, etc. for anything other than STEM degrees.
      
      We need more scientists, engineers, nurses and doctors... and a lot less... a lot less... people with Social Justice degrees and the assortment of psychobabble degrees that help forward insanity to be included in our society (IE - 72 different genders).
      
      If we want to be able to compete with China, with the rest of the world, we need a lot more Einstein and Tesla types and a lot less navel gazers.   
      
      All this BS of catering to people who want to explore their feelings becoming something you can get a degree in... while it has made many Universities a lot of money... and is the primary reason why we have over 60% of graduates today that are women (almost 75% of American graduates are women, with foreigners focusing on STEM degrees) ... we have graduates entering the workforce that know a whole lot about their individual rights and safe spaces... and very little about real world problem solving and managing of resources and personnel.
      
      I talk to a variety of people who hire for top companies today, they have confided what they think of college graduates, they even run internships for the very purpose of being able to weed out the potential new employees whose heads are filled with nonsense and no ability to be productive.  I believe it has become the norm for the top 7... unless you are a brainiac scientist or engineer, you intern, the primary purpose of that is to determine how much of a 'Leftist' the person is.

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         Readmikenowposted 6 days agoin reply to this

         I agree that American academia needs to change.
         
         The subject studied doesn't matter as much as the right to free speech and ending our colleges and universities from being leftist indoctrination centers.

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            Ken Burgessposted 6 days agoin reply to this

            The subjects do matter... We need a lot less delusional idiots being lauded as brilliant for things like CRT or White Fragility.
            
            A lot less sociology and psychobabble nonsense and a lot more focus on real science and technology.
            
            Of course, if AI and robotics develop on the multiplying pace of acceleration they seem to be on currently ... none of it may matter.

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               Readmikenowposted 6 days agoin reply to this

               Ken,
               
               Do we really want engineers and others like them indoctrinated in the left ideology?  That would not be good.
               
               I think exposing the lies of the left's ideology should be a major emphasis on college campuses.

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         Sharlee01posted 5 days agoin reply to this

         Ken,  I  agree, there absolutely needs to be a serious evaluation of where federal education dollars are going. Funding should reward fields that strengthen the nation’s competitiveness, not ones that turn out activists with no applicable skills. It’s hard to justify taxpayer money going toward programs that add nothing to our economic or national strength.
         
         But beyond just redirecting funds to STEM, I think we also need to address how universities are measured. Right now, success is often defined by “diversity metrics” or ideological initiatives rather than tangible outcomes. That’s how so many soft-degree programs keep thriving; they look good on paper but produce little real value. If federal funding were tied to measurable performance,  like post-graduate employment, innovation, or contribution to critical industries, you’d see a natural correction overnight.
         
         It’s not just about needing more scientists and engineers; it’s about restoring intellectual rigor and accountability across the board. Higher education should prepare people to solve problems, not perpetuate them.

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      Sharlee01posted 5 days agoin reply to this

      Mike,  Well said — it truly is a shame how far our universities have strayed from their original mission. I agree completely that federal funding shouldn’t have to be the carrot to make institutions uphold something as basic as free speech. What stood out to me most in your comment was the idea that colleges have traded intellectual courage for ideological conformity, that couldn’t be more true.
      
      I’d add one more point: this shift hasn’t just damaged free inquiry; it’s also eroded public trust in higher education altogether. When parents and taxpayers see universities behaving like political training grounds instead of centers of learning, they stop believing in the value of those institutions. The Compact for Academic Excellence is long overdue; it’s about restoring balance, responsibility, and respect for open thought in places that once thrived on it.

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