North Carolina University Expresses Interest in Trump’s Academic Compact
A historically Black university in North Carolina, St. Augustine’s College, has shown interest in joining President Donald Trump’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. This comes after several prestigious universities declined the opportunity.
Berjanice Peoples, the interim president of St. Augustine’s, reached out to David Barker, who is the assistant secretary for postsecondary education in the Trump administration, to confirm the school’s interest in the compact. Sophie Gibson, chair of the board of trustees at the college, also signed a letter sent to the Department of Education recently.
The letter outlined the university’s desire: “On behalf of the University of St. Augustine, we write to express our desire to join and assist in the formation of the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” The communication emphasizes the college’s legacy of 158 years in expanding educational opportunities and reflects support for the compact’s goals concerning academic excellence and accountability.
While expressing interest, the letter also candidly addressed several unique challenges that historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) might encounter by participating in the compact.
Notably, the compact is tied to federal funding, but it also restricts consideration of race or ethnicity in admissions or scholarships, a significant concern for Black colleges aiming to serve marginalized communities. The letter notes that these restrictions might contradict the broader goals outlined in the Higher Education Act. It also points out that the tuition freeze, which keeps tuition rates stable for five years post-agreement, could be particularly problematic given the typically smaller endowments of HBCUs compared to larger universities.
Additionally, St. Augustine’s expressed concern over compatibility with certain restrictions in the compact, such as only allowing 15% of the student population to be foreign enrollments and limiting any single country’s enrollment to 5%. This doesn’t align well with the school’s partnerships that span the African diaspora.
Despite these hurdles, the letter ends on a constructive note, encouraging collaboration to refine the compact and ensure inclusive implementation across the higher education landscape. “We believe that through thoughtful collaboration, the Department and participating institutions can refine the Compact,” mentioned Peoples, underscoring the necessity of HBCUs in shaping educational opportunities.
Amidst the outreach, the Trump administration had previously sought feedback from nine other institutions, with many, including MIT and the University of Arizona, ultimately deciding not to participate. The deadline for feedback was October 20, but no universities signed the agreement, with several top-tier schools opting out.
