In the wake of the Trump administration’s compact offer to the University earlier this month, faculty and alumni have expressed opposition by signing petitions, withholding donations and writing letters.
The Trump administration sent the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education to multiple universities and offered prioritized federal funding if universities impose a 15% cap on international student enrollment, adopt a stricter definition of gender and remove rules that could “belittle” conservative ideas. Although the University has not signed the compact, Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents, said the system looked forward to working with the president’s administration on Oct. 2.
This motivated an alumni to create a petition urging the University not to sign on. The petition has garnered over 1,100 signatures as of Oct. 15. The petition creator, who requested anonymity due to fear of the political climate, said they are considering removing their degree from their wall if the University accepts the proposal.
“I feel like a UT that is truly (considering) signing on, and saying yes,” the petition creator said. “That is just against what I thought UT stood for, at least (what) the UT that I went to stood for.”
Some alumni are taking a step further and withholding donations to the University. Some alumni said they would return donations if the University rejects the compact.
Melanie Haupt, an alumna who received her Ph.D. in English, said she does not donate a lot of money to the University, but she has cut future donations. She hopes if others do so, it could discourage the University from signing. Haupt said the proposal would provide “strings-attached-money” that inhibits research innovation.
“I don’t think that what starts here will change the world if they take this money from the White House,” Haupt said. “Then it’s ‘What Starts Here’ is determined by Donald Trump’s priorities.”
Faculty have also expressed worries about the Trump administration’s proposal. The UT chapter of the American Association of University Professors released a statement on Tuesday, calling for the University to reject the compact.
“To agree to its terms would not only compromise our mission of changing the world through world-class research and teaching, but also result in the loss of the best faculty, staff, and students,” AAUP’s statement said.
Amy Boardman-Hunt, a journalism alumna, both signed the petition and withheld her donations. Although she believes it may not sway the University’s plans on the compact, she still wants her voice to be heard.
“I don’t have any illusions that the UT administration is going to sit up and say, ‘oh, goodness, we can’t miss out on Amy’s $100 that she gives us every year,’ because they’re not going to be moved by that,” Hunt said. “I don’t give large dollar donations, but I just don’t want them to think we don’t care.”
