PHOENIX — U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton is urging Arizona State University not to sign an agreement that would align it with the Trump administration’s higher education policies.
Stanton, a Democrat, sent a letter Monday to ASU President Michael Crow following reports that White House officials invited the university to a meeting on Friday to discuss the proposal.
“The Trump administration’s proposed compact represents an unprecedented intrusion into higher education, replacing academic freedom and institutional judgment with ideological dictates and rigid mandates,” Stanton said.
This marks the second time Stanton has called on a state university to reject the compact.
Earlier this month, the University of Arizona was one of nine institutions approached by the administration. At the time, Stanton urged President Suresh Garimella to reject what he described as a “Faustian bargain.”
However, Garimella said it was in the university’s best interest to engage with the Trump administration.
How did University of Arizona respond to Trump compact letter?
Garimella said UofA participated in a Friday meeting with the White House, which said it sought constructive dialogue rather than a definitive written response to the proposal.
“A number of the proposed federal recommendations deserve thoughtful consideration as our national higher education system could benefit from reforms that have been much too slow to develop,” Garimella said in a Monday announcement.
However, he emphasized that the university did not agree to the terms outlined in the White House’s proposal.
Instead, UofA submitted a Statement of Principles to the Department of Education on Monday.
“This response is our contribution toward a national conversation about the future relationship between universities and the federal government,” Garimella said.
“It is critical for the University of Arizona to take an active role in this discussion and to work toward maintaining a strong relationship with the federal government while staying true to our principles.”
What exactly did Greg Stanton say about ASU, Trump compact letter?
A spokesperson with ASU sent KTAR News 92.3 FM a statement in response to receiving the compact letter:
“ASU has long been a voice for change in higher education and as President Trump’s team seeks new and innovative approaches to serve the needs of the country, ASU has engaged in dialogue and offered ideas about how to do so.”
Stanton, however, hopes ASU doesn’t give in to the Trump administration’s proposal, which he says represents an overstep.
“These aren’t reforms — they’re instruments of political control,” Stanton said. “By dictating who universities admit and hire, what they teach, and even how they conduct research, the Trump administration aims to strip higher education of its independence and bend it into an arm of his political power.”
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