UT Austin students stage protest against Trump compact
Students at UT Austin recently protested an offer from the Trump administration to partner in combating anti-conservative bias and fostering Western values on campus.
The ‘Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education’ aims to enforce several civil rights laws that universities must uphold to receive federal funding.
UT Austin students recently staged a protest against a proposal from the Trump administration that would uphold civil rights legislation and standards on campuses.
Austin Students for a Democratic Society gathered on campus Monday to oppose the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” a proposal originally made by the federal government to nine schools, including UT Austin, and later expanded nationwide.
“One of the points of the compact was that if we do not create an environment that allows for conservative ideas to kind of flourish, then he will remove the funding we have,” one student told KTBC.
Another transgender student claimed the compact would “make the lives of trans people in academia and at large untenable,” according to the Austin American-Statesman.
The compact would bring about a number of standards for colleges and universities to follow, including protecting women’s spaces, fostering free speech, and taking steps to reduce violence and persecution against conservatives. Signing on to the agreement would entitle a university to special funding opportunities.
[RELATED: ACLU urges Brown University to reject and forcefully resist Trump deal]
UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife signaled his support for the proposal, though the school has not announced a final decision.
”We enthusiastically look forward to engaging with university officials and reviewing the compact immediately,” he said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. “Higher education has been at a crossroads in recent years, and we have worked very closely with Governor Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick and Speaker Burrows to implement sweeping changes for the benefit of our students and to strengthen our institutions to best serve the people of Texas.”
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, another of the group of schools originally offered the deal, said that it “cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education,” Campus Reform previously reported.
All relevant parties have been contacted for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
