Cornell University makes a deal, but not a compact, with the Trump administration

This will be a quick post, as it describes a just-happening current event:

T0day one of America’s great research universities struck a deal with the Trump administration. Cornell agreed to take certain actions in return for federal favor.  Here’s the official statement by president Michael I. Kotlikoff.

Those actions include presenting the government with a lot of student data:

Cornell shall provide the United States with anonymizcd undergraduate admissions data consistent with 34 C.F.R. § 100.6 and similar regulations broken down by Cornell’s individual colleges and schools, race, grade point average, and performance on standardized tests, on a quarterly basis, in a form permitting statistical analyses for each year of the Agreement.

Cornell also pays out $60 million, one half to the government, plus the other half going to set up agricultural services:

Cornell shall invest the sum of Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000,000), payable in equal installments, over the three years following the Effective Date, in research programs that will directly benefit U.S. farmers through lower costs of production and enhanced efficiency, including but not limited to programs that incorporate A I and robotics, such as Digital Agriculture and Future Farming Technologies.*

The university promises to ask questions of Jewish students and about antisemitism in its campus climate surveys.  It also agrees to share information about foreign funding, clearly tied into geopolitical concerns:

Cornell will comply with reasonable and lawful requests from the United States for information related to foreign funding sources. Cornell understands that its foreign funding reports must be submitted in a timely manner, must accurately indicate the true country of origin of the foreign gift or contract, and must accurately identify whether the foreign source is a governmental or nongovernmental entity… Cornell will, as needed, engage experts on laws and regulations regarding sanctions enforcement, anti-money laundering, and prevention of terrorist financing (including laws and regulations applicable lo sanctioned countries and individuals) and will adopt, modify and enforce policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with such laws and regulations applicable to Cornell.

Lastly, Cornell accepts the Trump administration’s thinking on civil rights: “Cornell affirms its commitment to complying with federal civil rights laws.” It’s not spelled out further, but I’d infer this includes opposition to DEI and transgender rights.

In return, the government agreed to cease investigations into the campus, to “[p]ermanently close any and all pending Investigations and compliance reviews by DOJ, HHS, and Ed. regarding Cornell’s compliance with anti-discrimination laws.”  It also restores funding: “to this Agreement, all Terminated Grants to Cornell from HHS, including the United States Public Health Service and its constituent agency, NIH, DOD, USDA, and other federal agencies, are hereby restored by the United States.”

President Kotlikoff describes the settlement as having advantages for his campus, such as not being found guilty of federal crimes, keeping academic freedom alive, and maintaining institutional autonomy.  His statement begins by celebrating the return of $250 million in frozen research funds.  In contrast, secretary of education McMahon reacted thusly:

The Trump Administration has secured another transformative commitment from an Ivy League institution to end divisive DEl policies. Thanks to this deal with Cornell and the ongoing work of DOJ, HHS, and the team at ED, U.S. universities are refocusing their attention on merit, rigor, and truth-seeking – not ideology.

These reforms are a huge win in the fight to restore excellence to American higher education and make our schools the greatest in the world.

Her colleague, attorney general Pam Bondi, offered similar comments to Fox News:

Recipients of federal funding must fully adhere to federal civil rights laws and ensure that harmful DEI policies do not discriminate against students… Today’s deal is a positive outcome that illustrates the value of universities working with this administration — we are grateful to Cornell for working towards this agreement.

What might we make of this?

It’s part of a pattern whereby the Trump administration pushes demands on campuses until they agree to terms.  It’s the fifth such, according to the New York Times, following treaties with by Brown University, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Virginia.

Some have described this as politicized extortion.  Perhaps the clearest statement along these lines comes from American Association of University Professors (AAUP) president Todd Wolfson, quoted in Inside Higher Ed:

The Trump administration’s corrupt extortion of higher ed institutions must end. Americans want an education system that serves the public good, not a dangerously narrow far right ideology that serves billionaires.

Depending on how this plays out on campus, it’s another example of government-driven reduction of DEI and transgender efforts in higher education.

Meanwhile, the Trump team’s compact remains unsigned.

I welcome additions and thoughts by everyone, especially those at Cornell or with legal experience.

(campus photo by Jo Zimny)

*That part of the document also contains a long paragraph of university history, which I found interesting as well as an odd thing.