The proposal was criticized variously as a violation of the free speech guarantee of the
First Amendment to the United States Constitution, ideological interference in science and academia, harming
transgender students, and anti-immigrant. The administration was also criticized as untrustworthy, with some institutions having existing agreements now being met with new demands. Sian Leah Beilock, Dartmouth College's President, responded to the compact by vowing to "always defend our fierce independence" and stating, "We will never compromise our academic freedom and our ability to govern ourselves." Kevin Elte, head of the University of Texas Board of Regents, responded positively, stating, “Today we welcome the new opportunity presented to us and we look forward to working with the Trump Administration on it.” The
American Association of Colleges and Universities issued a statement rejecting the Compact, and declaring that university administrators "cannot bargain with the essential freedom of colleges and universities to determine, on academic grounds, whom to admit and what is taught, how, and by whom." University of Arizona workers protested the compact on multiple occasions, including a
teach-in on October 15 hosted by the United Campus Workers of Arizona
CWA Local 7065, and a larger protest and march on October 18 that involved eighteen on-campus groups urging campus administrators to reject the compact. On November 5, 2025, about 100 protesters at Vanderbilt University demanded that the university reject the compact. ==References==