University Management: Reject the Compact!

Approved by the UCWAZ Executive Committee and released publicly on Wednesday, October 29th 2025.

The response by management at the University of Arizona (UA), Arizona State University (ASU), and Northern Arizona University (NAU) to Trump’s compact for higher education has been insufficient. UA President Garimella released a statement rejecting only the “draft proposal” of the compact, but showed an interest in negotiation. NAU President Rivera has made no definitive statement. ASU President Crow has been quoted saying that the compact is not viable, but there has been no official rejection from management. This leaves Arizona’s faculty, staff, and students at all three of our state universities in danger of becoming part of the compact unless our management completely rejects it.

Our universities should reject this compact because it will require universities to do the following, among other things, at the the request of Washington, or else risk losing federal support:

• Curtail academic freedom, the right to teach without fear of reprisal.
• Eliminate academic units which supposedly "belittle" conservative ideas.
• Hire faculty on the basis of their ideological viewpoint rather than academic merit.
• Forcefully shut down peaceful demonstrations.
• Submit information about foreign students to DHS, and screen out foreign students from admission on the basis of their political beliefs.
• Define academic merit using metrics that favor those with class privilege.
• Eliminate flexibility in how professors grade students’ work.
• Define man and woman according to biology alone.

The compact cedes power to the federal government over admissions, hiring, finances, research, and the content of courses. It attempts to remake the university in the image of a Trump-subservient organization dedicated to none of the values that Arizona’s universities have followed for decades.

Universities in Arizona and across America will act in the best interest of their faculty and students if they reject the compact outright, as most of those originally offered the deal of research money for compliance to Washington’s demands have done. As the example of Columbia University shows, initial acquiescence will only lead to further demands. Solidarity with other universities that stand up for the right of self-governance is the only morally responsible reply to Washington. 

We call on the management at all three public universities to categorically and publicly reject the compact as it has been put forward by the Trump administration, without further negotiations. Since there have been contacts between Washington and Arizona’s universities for some time now, we urge management to reject the compact completely as soon as feasible.

In solidarity, 

United Campus Workers of Arizona CWA Local 7065

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