Days ahead of the White House's Nov. 21 target for universities to sign its preferential funding compact, Penn says it has had no further conversations with the federal government regarding the proposal.
Penn has not engaged in negotiations with the Trump administration since it rejected the offer nearly a month ago, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The sources also told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the administration has not offered the University an alternative to the version it originally sent to Penn on Oct. 1.
Two weeks after the federal government sent the wide-sweeping proposal to nine higher education institutions, Penn President Larry Jameson announced the University's rejection following a review process that consulted various campus stakeholders.
As part of the proposed agreement, universities would have been “free to develop models and values other than those" listed in the document, but “forgo federal benefits,” including access to student loans, grants, federal contracts, federal and indirect research funding, international student visa approval, and preferential tax treatment.
According to an analysis by the DP, the compact would have had sweeping repercussions for Penn’s internal operations. Among the demands were a five-year tuition freeze, a 15% cap on international student enrollment, and a requirement that universities take steps to protect conservative viewpoints.
The proposal faced immediate criticism from members of the Penn community, including a petition circulated and signed by more than 1,000 individuals. On Oct. 15, Penn’s Faculty Senate overwhelmingly passed a resolution urging administrators to decline the proposal.
In his statement announcing Penn’s rejection, Jameson stated that the University is “committed to merit-based achievement and accountability.”
“The long-standing partnership between American higher education and the federal government has greatly benefited society and our nation,” Jameson wrote. “Shared goals and investment in talent and ideas will turn possibility into progress.”
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The rejection also marked a notable shift in the University’s negotiations with the federal government and communications with the campus community. Jameson’s public statements signaled a higher level of transparency with the University's stakeholders compared to Penn's prior dealings with the White House — including its July Title IX resolution with the Department of Education.
