Trump noted Olson’s involvement in the lawsuit when he announced the nomination in a Nov. 14 social media post.

Due to the shutdown, the Department of Agriculture paused over $366 million of monthly food assistance benefits in Pennsylvania for November, affecting nearly 2 million state residents. 

Until Friday, Penn was the only university that had declined to sign the compact but did not publicly disclose its response to the government.

Two days after the Oct. 20 deadline to provide feedback, seven of the nine universities initially asked to sign the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” have rejected the proposal.

According to an Oct. 16 email from Penn President Larry Jameson, the University rejected the compact after considering input from Penn faculty, alumni, trustees, students, and staff.

With the decision, Penn became the third university to decline the offer.

With less than a week remaining before the Oct. 20 deadline for universities to provide feedback on the draft document, The Daily Pennsylvanian examined the potential University-wide implications of signing it.

The Oct. 3 memo condemned the compact as “another attempt” by the Trump administration to pressure universities “to comply with its political agenda.” 

According to The New York Times, Rowan was a chief architect of the compact — which builds directly on the ideas he first outlined in a 2023 message to Penn’s Board of Trustees.

Experts told The Daily Pennsylvanian the compact could reshape the relationship between institutions of higher education and the federal government, posing a significant risk to academic freedom.

In interviews with The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn professors argued that the memo could create a “chilling effect on free speech” at Penn and other universities.

The “We Are America March” began at Philadelphia's Independence Hall and will march towards Washington D.C. over a span of two weeks.

On Aug. 22, CERL submitted the brief in Newsom v. Trump challenging Trump’s June 7 order to place the California National Guard under federal control.

Throughout the year, the University navigated student protests, leadership shifts, and new federal mandates — much of it stemming from controversies that first erupted two years prior.

Some reinstatements were awarded following the appeal process, while others were mandated by federal court rulings.

The closure is the latest in a series of moves contributing to a widespread rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the University. 

Pending a decision on whether Harvard will be dismissed from the lawsuit, the court will either call the remaining three defendants for further arguments or stay the case while awaiting a ruling in a similar suit.