The Trump administration is demanding political loyalty from our universities—and the University of Arizona is right in the crosshairs.

On October 1st, the UA received a sweeping federal “compact” requiring the school to abandon diversity efforts, censor campus speech, restrict international students, and redefine gender—all in exchange for preferential treatment in federal funding. This so-called “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” isn’t a policy proposal. It’s a political ultimatum. And so far, UA leaders have met it with silence.

Unlike other universities who have publicly rejected the compact or begun open deliberations, UA officials have refused to release their communications about the deal—even though they are legally required to do so under Arizona public records law. Instead of transparency, we’ve gotten stonewalling. Instead of a public stance, we’ve gotten silence.

Faculty Chair Leila Hudson put it plainly: UA’s mission doesn’t work without a bedrock commitment to everyone’s freedoms—academic, constitutional, and human. The Trump compact would gut those freedoms in favor of partisan control.

We call on President Suresh Garimella and the Arizona Board of Regents to immediately:

• Publicly and unequivocally reject the Trump administration’s compact
• Reaffirm the UA’s commitment to academic freedom, diversity, and free expression
• Comply with Arizona’s public records law and release all documents and communications related to the compact

This is not about partisanship—it’s about principle. Whether you’re a student, professor, alum, or Arizona resident, you deserve to know that your public university will not trade its values for federal cash or political favors.

The University of Arizona must lead—not comply. The people of Arizona are watching. So is the nation.

Sign now to demand the UA reject Trump’s compact and stand up for academic freedom.