UT Austin is one of nine universities the Trump administration has asked to sign an agreement in order to receive an advantage in accessing federal funds.
The letters from the White House came with a 10-point contract titled "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education," as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The White House says the terms are intended to improve university standards and outcomes.
The letter says institutions that sign the compact will have better access to funding, including "substantial and meaningful federal grants." UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife said in a statement that university leaders are "honored" to be selected for potential funding advantages.
Eltife said that the UT System has worked closely with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows to implement changes in recent years.
"We enthusiastically look forward to engaging with university officials and reviewing the compact immediately," Eltife said.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the document focuses largely on the campus political climate. It asks universities to eliminate departments that "spark violence against conservative ideas." It also calls for prohibiting staff from expressing political views on behalf of the university they work for.
David DeMatthews, a professor in the College of Education at UT Austin, says the compact could negatively impact academic freedom. He says it could also cause universities in the U.S. to lose top talent to other countries, affecting the economy and even national security.
"This puts the system in peril, potentially, depending on how universities respond to it," DeMatthews said.
The compact also asks universities to ban the consideration of race and gender in hiring and admissions, freeze tuition for five years and cap international undergraduate enrollment at 15%.
The UT System has been complying with an anti-DEI state law since 2024, which led to the elimination of multiple staff positions.
DeMatthews says even though UT Austin already has policies in place that are in line with the White House's requests, the compact could amplify concerns about freedom of speech at Texas universities.
"I think this has the potential of pushing people into looking to other states, other institutions, and it frightens me to say, even moving to another country," he said.
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