On the Media S2 - Episode 3: The Harvard Plan
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Nov 14, 2025 May Mailman, a former senior policy strategist for the White House, dives into the controversial 'Trump compact' aimed at reshaping university relationships with the government. She discusses its implications for academic freedom, including tracking ideological views and alterations in admissions policies. Mailman also highlights how settlements with institutions like Columbia signal a shift in power dynamics, raising concerns about future abuses. Throughout, she defends civil rights enforcement as a pathway to elevate academic quality amidst political pressures.
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Respond Strategically To Pressure
- University leaders can respond by litigation, public statements, or quiet negotiation depending on institutional risk.
- Christopher Eisgruber urged legal action and collective suits as an effective response.
The Failed Big Ten Compact
- Rutgers professors attempted a 'Big Ten Compact' to treat attacks on one school as attacks on all, but institutional barriers stalled it.
- The effort revealed legal, political, and trademark obstacles to broad academic coalitions.
Mizzou's Reactor And Stakes
- University of Missouri's reactor produces radioisotopes used in cancer treatments, showing practical stakes in federal research support.
- Mizzou is pursuing a billion-dollar new reactor and pitching geographic distribution of funding to Washington.
