PHILADELPHIA, PA – October 15, 2025 – Today, State Senator Anthony H. Williams joined fellow legislators and community leaders in calling on the University of Pennsylvania to reject the Trump administration’s proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”
The proposal would require universities to cede key aspects of institutional control over matters such as hiring, admissions, tuition pricing, and curriculum decisions in exchange for priority access to federal research funding.
“Funding should never come at the cost of freedom,” Williams said. “Our universities must remain places of learning and free inquiry, not tools of any administration.”
Williams and colleagues also announced legislation to prohibit Pennsylvania institutions that receive state funding from signing onto this compact or similar agreements, reaffirming the state’s commitment to protecting higher education from political interference.
Watch the full event here: https://www.senatoranthonyhwilliams.com/elected-officials-to-urge-university-of-pennsylvania-not-to-sign-trumps-compact-for-higher-education
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