Intellectual freedom is a key component of our constitutional republic where democratic thinking and citizenship are strengthened from free speech and access to knowledge. It leads to diverse viewpoints, innovative ideas, debates, and information sharing. Colleges and universities promote this through academic freedom, allowing the expression of individual thought and ability to seek different ideas without interference or censorship. In military academies and educational institutions, these freedoms are somewhat regulated in the name of military force readiness and national security.
President Trump’s Restoring America’s Fighting Force Executive Order in January 2025 sought to address ideological extremism or preferences, noting that the Armed Forces should operation free of discrimination. In doing so, the administration’s goals included unit cohesion and meritocracy while rejecting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideals. The White House issued other orders this year related to accreditation reform, restoration of “truth and sanity” in American history, HBCU’s, and transparency regarding the enforcement of foreign funding in higher education. In fact, the White House has restlessly been working to reform American education consciousness and systems.
Recently, the White House initiated a Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, starting with nine universities and colleges in October 2025. Of the nine universities, none have accepted the invitation. Over 35 higher education associations and organizations, including the American Council on Education (ACE), opposed this Compact due to government overreach on academic freedom and autonomy.
Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education
While feedback was requested with an openness to revision on the proposed Compact, the fundamental issue of its provisions requiring compliance with certain policies caused concern. According to the Hunton firm’s Insights on legal updates, some of the key takeaways of these provisions state that signatories must safeguard academic freedom while also recognizing that “academic freedom is not absolute” in the sense that free speech does not include incitement to illegal activities. Even though the original invitees did not join the Compact, some are still open to discussion while other colleges and universities expressed their desire to support the Compact. See below.
Original Invited List of Higher Education Institutions
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Brown University
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Southern California
- University of Virginia
- University of Arizona
- Dartmouth College
- The University of Texas at Austin
- Vanderbilt University
Higher Education Institutions with Potential Interest in the Compact
- Valley Forge Military College
- New College of Florida
- Grand Canyon University
- St. Augustine University
Overall Takeaway
Signatories of the Compact would have to agree to a specific set of rules with the federal government. These rules appear to align with the White House’s Executive Orders related to promoting merit-based (in contrast to DEI language) accreditation, admissions, and employment practices in addition to the disclosure of foreign funding and propaganda from foreign governments. It requires neutrality on political and social issues and events at higher education institutions. It removes gender ideology and aims to protect discourse on conservative values at colleges and universities. It also mandates that Joint Service Transcripts transfer credits be fully accepted, which may not always work in favor of the military-connected student. Read What You Should Know About Your Joint Services Transcript to fully understand those implications.
As higher education institutions determine their involvement in the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, they must ensure that intellectual and academic freedoms remain intact. Colleges and universities have historically been rooted with a deep responsibility to the development and improvement of our society through education and training programs. How the Compact will influence intellectual and academic freedoms of speech, data reporting, and institutional autonomy from federal government oversight remains to be seen.
