WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The University of Arizona will reject a higher education plan proposed by the Trump administration, which offers funding preference in exchange for agreeing to the administration's political priorities, the university said on Monday.
Some of the government's proposals deserve "thoughtful consideration," but the "principles like academic freedom, merit-based research funding, and institutional independence are foundational and must be preserved," University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella said in a statement.
"As a result, the university has not agreed to the terms outlined in the draft proposal, but instead submitted a Statement of Principles to the Department of Education," he said.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education proposed the "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" to nine universities across the country, requiring them to make changes to their grading systems, international student enrollment policies and other practices in exchange for preferential access to federal grants and benefits.
The University of Arizona has joined Brown University, Dartmouth College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California and the University of Virginia in declining the proposal, while the University of Texas at Austin and Vanderbilt University have yet to announce their decisions. ■