The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) strongly opposes the Trump administration’s attempt to use federal funding as leverage to force colleges and universities to adopt its prescribed priorities through the so-called “compact.” This tactic is not reform, it’s coercion. It threatens academic freedom, undermines institutional autonomy, and compromises the shared governance that has long defined American higher education.
Conditioning access to public funding on political conformity threatens not only the diversity of thought and scholarship that fuels innovation but also the ability of institutions to uphold equitable access, opportunities, and inclusive excellence. Colleges and universities must remain free to determine their own priorities — guided by evidence, the needs of their students, and the public good — not by the shifting ideological demands of any administration.
This issue transcends higher education policy. By substituting executive pressure for constructive engagement, the administration’s proposal undermines the constitutional framework and democratic traditions that have guided our nation for centuries. American democracy depends on the rule of law, the separation of powers, limited government, equality under the law, and a commitment to individual freedoms and minority rights. These principles ensure that colleges and universities remain independent centers of inquiry and learning, preparing students to be engaged citizens, thus strengthening our democracy.
NADOHE reaffirms its commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as central to higher education’s mission, which benefits all other institutions and sustains a healthy democracy for all of us. We call on policymakers to reject measures that compromise these values and to pursue genuine collaboration with academic leaders — collaboration grounded in respect for constitutional limits, academic freedom, and shared governance. This reciprocal alliance is built on trust, respect, agency, and interdependence. Only by upholding these principles can we sustain the institutions that equip future generations to lead, innovate, and strengthen the democratic society we all share.