Trump’s UCLA Deal: $1B+ Payment Doesn’t Guarantee Grant Security
▼ Summary
– The California Supreme Court ordered the University of California to release a confidential federal proposal to restore suspended research grants.
– The proposed deal demands ending all diversity programs and support for transgender individuals, plus cracking down on campus protests.
– UCLA would bear nearly $1.2 billion in compliance costs, and the deal doesn’t prevent future grant cuts or additional regulations.
– It requires eliminating diversity goals in hiring and admissions, and implementing a program to screen out foreign students deemed anti-Western or antisemitic.
– The agreement would ban gender-affirming care at the university hospital and prohibit transgender athletes while revoking their prior achievements.
The California Supreme Court has mandated the University of California system to disclose the specifics of a proposed federal agreement aimed at reinstating research grants previously suspended during the Trump administration. This draft document, originally issued in August and labeled as confidential attorney work product, was released following a legal challenge by UCLA faculty that progressed through appellate courts. While the arrangement suggests a payment exceeding one billion dollars from UCLA to cover compliance expenses, it offers no ironclad assurance that the research funding will remain secure, as the administration retains the right to reduce grants for alternative reasons or introduce further regulatory measures outlined in its university compact.
Many of the stipulations align closely with policy priorities frequently emphasized by the prior administration. These include the complete elimination of diversity initiatives for both faculty and students, alongside a significant tightening of restrictions related to campus demonstrations. UCLA would be required to abolish all programs aimed at compositional diversity tied to race, sex, or ethnicity, and to discontinue any hiring practices perceived as advancing diversity through indirect or undisclosed means.
International students face particular scrutiny under the proposed terms. The university would need to implement a screening program to block admission of any foreign students considered likely to participate in anti-Western, anti-American, or antisemitic disruptions or harassment. Additionally, UCLA must create training materials designed to familiarize international students with campus norms that support free inquiry and open debate.
The agreement further extends to the university’s medical facilities, which would be barred from providing any form of gender-affirming healthcare. In athletics, the proposal not only prohibits transgender individuals from competing but also calls for the revocation of any prior achievements or records held by transgender athletes.
(Source: Ars Technica)
