Northwestern Faculty Assembly rejects Trump's Higher Ed Compact, continues to weather $790M freeze

Northwestern University’s Faculty Assembly voted on Oct. 20 to formally oppose the Trump administration’s Compact for Academic Excellence, even as the university continues to manage a $790 million federal research funding freeze and recent workforce reductions affecting about 425 positions.

According to The Daily Northwestern, the assembly passed the resolution during its fall quorum meeting, describing it as a statement of faculty opposition to new federal oversight conditions tied to future research awards. The compact, announced on Oct. 1, offers universities renewed access to federal research grants in exchange for stricter reporting and data-security requirements.

One Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences sophomore told Campus Reform that “being independent [as an institution] is worth defending, even if the funding freeze hurts the university.”

At Northwestern, concerns about ideological uniformity have been raised for years. According to survey data compiled by FIRE, roughly 62 percent of Northwestern students identify as liberal, while only 16 percent identify as conservative, suggesting a campus climate where right-of-center perspectives are a numerical minority.

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The funding freeze, confirmed by AP News, has halted reimbursement for many federally sponsored projects at Northwestern. In July, university leadership said the pause affects roughly $790 million in active awards, leading to research delays and internal spending controls.

On July 29, Northwestern announced the elimination of about five percent of its staff, citing “financial pressures resulting from the suspension of federal funding” in a leadership note. The Office of the Provost later issued interim guidance on support for research instructing labs to use institutional bridge funds while reimbursement remains suspended.

The Oct. 20 assembly vote follows weeks of faculty debate about whether Northwestern should negotiate with federal officials. In early October, The Daily Northwestern reported that some professors favored engagement to restore grant access, while others warned that signing the Compact could jeopardize academic independence.

[RELATED: NSF cancels $1.1B in grants, most tied to DEI programs]

In a CBS Chicago report, more than 100 faculty members signed an open letter urging administrators not to accept the compact terms, calling the agreement “politically coercive.” Former President Henry Bienen told the Assembly at its Oct. 16 meeting that he supports negotiation to restart federally-funded research, according to The Daily Northwestern.

Peer institutions, including the University of Virginia, have publicly declined the Compact as well, The Washington Post reported.

Campus Reform reached out to Northwestern University. This article will be updated accordingly.