The Academic Excellence Compact: Everything You Need to Know About the President’s Deal to Brown University

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brown chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

On October 2, 2025, The Compact of Academic Excellence in Higher Education was born. The White House sent letters to nine universities, including Brown, proposing a bold deal: in exchange for agreeing to a set of ideological and structural commitments, those institutions would receive preferred access to federal funding and other perks. 

Some of the key conditions in the 10-point “Compact of Academic Excellence in Higher Education” include:

• Freezing tuition increases for U.S. students for five years. 
• Limiting grade inflation (i.e. stricter standards on grading). 
• Capping international undergraduate enrollment at 15%. 
• Prohibiting use of race or sex in admissions or hiring decisions. 
• Mandating standardized testing (SAT/ACT or equivalent) for all applicants.
• Encouraging political neutrality, including restrictions on faculty speech on social or political issues unless an “external event” has direct impact on the university.
• Eliminating or restructuring departments or programs deemed hostile to “conservative ideas.”

In return, signatories would be promised “substantial and meaningful federal grants,” increased overhead payments, and invitations to White House events or dialogue with officials. The Trump administration frames this as an effort to promote ideological diversity, discipline in higher education, and accountability in the use of federal support. Critics, however, warn it amounts to a conditional federal overreach.

In July, Brown struck a separate deal with the Trump administration to restore research funding after threats of massive cuts. Under that agreement, Brown committed to $50 million over ten years for workforce development in Rhode Island, shared admissions and demographic data with the federal government, and agreed to certain reporting requirements.

Brown’s Response to the Offer

Despite the high stakes, Brown was quiet for a week in response to the Compact. A report from The Brown Daily Herald shows that the university administration has not made a definitive public statement endorsing or rejecting the proposal. During a faculty meeting, President Christina Paxson declined to comment on the compact beyond expressing gratitude to those raising concerns. University spokesperson Brian Clark similarly declined to confirm whether Brown had formally received or reviewed the compact.

The announcement of the compact has not gone unnoticed at Brown. On October 9, dozens of students, faculty, and alumni gathered outside Brown’s Van Wickle gates to demand that the university reject the proposal outright. Protesters voiced fears that the compact would curtail academic freedom and limit what students can study or express. 

On October 10, President Paxson spoke publicly about the Compact for the first time, saying Brown needs to decide how and whether to respond to the letter. She affirms that Brown’s mission and values will guide the decision-making.

Whether Brown will reject, accept, or partially negotiate the compact remains to be seen. But in the wake of campus protest and pressure, the university’s decision will almost certainly be scrutinized.