The Faculty Executive Committee — Brown’s central faculty governance committee — sent a letter to President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 Tuesday night, urging her not to sign on to the Trump administration’s “Compact for Educational Excellence in Higher Education.”
The letter follows a town hall earlier in the day, where faculty members expressed a desire for Paxson to reject the compact, according to seven attendees granted anonymity to discuss the contents of the closed meeting. Faculty confirmed that University administrators were not present at the town hall.
“In our view, the (compact) is irreconcilable with our governance structure and our commitment to academic freedom,” reads the FEC letter, which was obtained by The Herald.
The compact would require Brown to cap international undergraduate enrollment, freeze tuition for five years and limit grade inflation — among other requirements — in exchange for financial and other benefits.
“We recommend in the strongest possible terms that Brown not sign on to this document,” the FEC wrote, arguing that “federal funding for research and education ought to be awarded solely based on objective criteria.” They emphasized faculty members’ recent accomplishments, noting that Brown faculty members have recently won a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and a MacArthur Grant.
“Brown should neither seek nor accept preferential treatment,” they wrote.
According to the letter, Brown faculty are “firmly united” in their stance that the University should address challenges to higher education “in accordance with their own values and the law, free from governmental coercion or pressure of any kind.”
The University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last Thursday, over 100 students and faculty members rallied, urging Paxson to reject the compact’s demands, citing concerns over academic freedom.
Paxson acknowledged the compact last Friday in a public letter, in which she solicited input from the campus community. Three days before, she joined faculty members and select administrators to discuss the memo in a private faculty meeting session.
According to Paxson’s letter, Brown has been asked to provide feedback on the compact by Oct. 20.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Cate Latimer is a university news editor covering faculty, University Hall and higher education. She is from Portland, OR, and studies English and Urban Studies. In her free time, you can find her playing ultimate frisbee or rewatching episodes of Parks and Rec.
Samah Hamid is a senior staff writer at the Herald. She is from Sharon, Massachusetts and plans to concentrate in Biology. In her free time, you can find her taking a nap, reading, or baking a sweet treat.
