"Institutional neutrality is a myth, argues Brian Soucek, a law professor at the University of California, Davis. As American colleges & universities face heightened political attacks on their missions & identities, leaders are too often using neutrality pledges as an excuse not to push back."

My heart goes out to the Brown University community who are sheltering in place, incl. my dear friend Mia Tretta, who balances being a Brown student & gun violence prevention advocate after being shot at her CA high school at age 15

“Most of us live off Hope” Ever true 💔

I am a student at Brown in communication with a friend at RIBC. There is an urgent need for blood donations to support RI. Donations in NY, NJ, MN, NB, DE or NJ can help supply RI. Spread the word. www.ribc.org/donate-blood/

We’re heartbroken for Brown University tonight where students are still sheltered in place, trapped and terrified in the aftermath of yet another shooting in America. We mourn the two lives lost and hold the injured and their loved ones in our hearts tonight.

Shanor and Mayeri continue: "UVA’s deal is not a deal at all...Far from extricating the univ from govt oversight, the agreement subjects UVA to fed monitoring and the risk of draconian financial penalties if the fed govt decides, at its sole discretion, that the univ. has not complied."

Amanda Shanor & Serena Mayeri (Penn): "In Oct., Pres. Trump proposed a compact for higher ed....Most of the...targeted univs rightfully rej'd Trump’s unlawful ...compact, but some schs, including UVA & Cornell, have since signed separate agreements...." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

faculty on the left & the right join together to "vehemently and unanimously reject" trump's so-called compact with universities. highly recommend. www.usnews.com/opinion/arti...

...and the actual decision by Judge Lin on the preliminary injunction is here: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

A huge district court victory for the University of California. District courts find facts. This one found "overwhelming evidence" that the Trump administration has pervasively violated the First Amendment in its efforts to coerce and intimidate the University of California. News story here—

My statement on the proposed Senate deal

I can’t support this bill. It doesn’t meet the urgency of the moment and deliver actual relief that can pass both chambers of Congress. I’ve been clear that we need real action to stop the devastating health care cost increases that are hurting millions of families. 1/2

I’ve voted 7 times to reopen the government in a way that holds Trump accountable for his lawlessness and prevents a health care crisis. I’m prepared to work toward a compromise, but this “deal” before us does not come close to meeting those terms. Voting NO. Full statement:

“I think it’s a terrible mistake,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren says of the deal. “People want us to stand and fight for health care, and that's what I believe.” (via Igor Bobic, HuffPo) x.com/igorbobic/st...

170+ (and counting) law faculty from all 5 UC law schools join a letter detailing why the Trump Admin demands to UCLA are unlawful and wrong. cc @gavinnewsom.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social #StandUpforUC

160 faculty from all 5 UC law schools signed this open letter detailing why the Trump demands to UCLA are unlawful, unconstitutional, and wrong: sites.google.com/view/uclawfa... Great to work with @fishkin.bsky.social @blakeprof.bsky.social @seanashiffrin.bsky.social on this statement.

Penn Releases Text of Compact Rejection Letter https://bit.ly/4oIHNG7 #AcademicSky #HigherEd #EDUSky

🧵 from @fishkin.bsky.social on the proposed Trump admin “settlement” with UCLA

I have an opinion piece in @insidehighered.com arguing: “No university leader or trustee can truthfully say that it fulfills their fiduciary responsibility to sign their school up for this.” Whereas rejecting the compact—even simply by doing nothing—is an opportunity for all of higher ed.

Today is the deadline for the nine original invitees to provide feedback on the White House’s compact. So far none have accepted it wholesale- Vanderbilt said it would provide feedback. Silence from UT Austin. @byjoshmoody.bsky.social reports www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...

Not really sure what to call this non-committal response from Vanderbilt, but it's not a yes. t.e2ma.net/message/tu4x...

Univ. of Arizona becomes the 7th of the original 9 targeted schools (after MIT, Brown, Penn, USC, UVA, and Dartmouth) to reject the Trump Compact. The remaining schools are the Univ. of Texas and Vanderbilt.

Memo "detail[ing] significant First Amendment violations the [Trump] Compact creates" from @aaup.org, @genevievelakier.bsky.social, and @veenadubal.bsky.social.

Dartmouth becomes the 6th of the 9 targeted universities (after MIT, Brown, Penn, USC, UVA) to reject the Trump compact. The remaining 3 are: Univ of Arizona, Univ of Texas, and Vanderbilt.

UVA becomes the 5th of 9 targeted universities (after MIT, Brown, Penn, and USC) to reject the Trump compact. The remaining schools are: Dartmouth, University of Arizona, University of Texas, Vanderbilt www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025...

USC becomes the 4th of the 9 targeted universities (after MIT, Brown, and Penn) to reject the compact

Penn becomes the 3d of the 9 targeted universities (after MIT and Brown) to reject the Trump compact. www.thedp.com/article/2025...

By requiring institutional neutrality except on issues that impact a university's mission, the Trump Compact for Higher Ed would put the Department of Justice in charge of deciding what every university's mission should be. rb.gy/7gjkp8

Indeed, among those Brown community members speaking up were a group Brown alums who are now law professors -- including Kate Shaw. The group submitted a letter identifying key concerns with the compact. standstrongbrown.org/brown-alumni...

Brown rejects the compact! President Paxson’s letter references the views of stakeholders - & I know as an alum how activated the Brown community was while the school considered its response - an important reminder of how much organizing matters

Breaking News: Brown University became the second college to reject a White House deal offering preferential treatment for federal grants.

Brown rejected the compact! www.brown.edu/sites/defaul...

Brown becomes the 2nd (of 9) schs to reject compact. Pres Paxson: "I am concerned that the Compact ... would restrict academic freedom & undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance, critically compromising our ability to fulfill our mission." www.brown.edu/sites/defaul...

"The Department of Education’s proposed 'compact for higher education' is unconstitutional and should be unequivocally rejected by universities" -- new from Amanda Shanor & @serenamayeri.bsky.social at @knightcolumbia.org

Student government leaders of MIT, UVA, U of AZ, Dartmouth, UPenn, Brown, and Vanderbilt united in their opposition to the "compact" proposed by the Trump administration.

More than 500 Dartmouth faculty members signed a petition urging the college to reject a compact proposed by the Trump administration that would give preferential treatment for federal funding to colleges that agree to uphold President Trump’s priorities.

New from me at Cato: I go through the numerous and massive First Amendment and academic-freedom violations of Trump's proffered "compact" with universities and then talk about the mechanism by which it would be enforced, by way of what I describe as a "retroactive push-button guillotine."

@mit.edu has done an incredibly important service to the nation by being willing to be the first school to reject the administration's "compact." President Kornbluth focuses—and she's right—on the principle that "scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone."

MIT becomes the first of the 9 targeted universities to refuse the "compact." "“Fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone,” [MIT President] Dr. Kornbluth wrote." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

MIT rejects federal compact: www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...

MIT rejects "compact" proposed by the Trump administration. MIT prez wrote: it "would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution" and "is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone." orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...

Brown Chapter of the AAUP's Statement Urging the University to Reject the Federal Government's “Compact” www.brownchapteraaup.org/statements

Strong statement against the "compact" issued tonight from the Brown AAUP Chapter www.brownchapteraaup.org/statements

"The Vanderbilt Chapter of the AAUP stands with the national AAUP, the AAUP chapters of the other targeted universities, and members of the Vanderbilt community in opposing the Compact and demanding that our administration do so as well."

Helpful context from @fishkin.bsky.social on the proposed "compact" with universities.

Important context from @genevievelakier.bsky.social:

Strong statement today from UC's Academic Senate:

Berkeley Law Dean Chemerinsky on Trump's proposed "compact" with universities: "It is not hyperbole to say that the future of higher education in America requires that every university reject it. ..." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...

An important piece from Brian Soucek (@brsoucek.bsky.social), author of THE OPINIONATED UNIVERSITY, coming in January 2026. www.salon.com/2025/10/02/w...