Trump pact for schools targets USC

In response, Newsom threatens to pull funds from universities that comply with proposal.

- BY JAWEED KALEEM, MELODY GUTIERREZ AND AAMER MADHANI

GARY CORONADO Los Angeles Times USC is the only university in California that was sent a White House proposal.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday threatened to cut “billions” in state funding, including to USC, from any California campus that signs a Trump administration compact and agrees to sweeping and largely conservative campus policies in exchange for priority access to federal funding.

“If any California University signs this radical agreement, they'll lose billions in state funding — including Cal Grants — instantly,” Newsom said. “California will not bankroll schools that sell out their students, professors, researchers, and surrender academic freedom.”

The bold statement came less than a day after the White House asked the University of Southern California and eight other major universities throughout the country to shift to the right and agree to Trump's views on gender identity, admissions, diversity and free speech among other areas — in exchange for more favorable access to federal research grants and additional funding.

While USC is the only California university to be sent the Trump proposal, a White House official said universities sent the agreement were a first round among potentially several more campuses that could receive the request. All UC and CSU campuses — in addition to Stanford — are under federal civil rights investigations that could result in federal funding clawbacks.

Universities were asked to sign a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” committing them to adopt the White House’s conservative vision for America’s campuses.

The letter, sent out Wednesday, also suggests colleges should align with Trump's views on student discipline, college affordability and the importance of hard sciences over liberal arts.