Schools Find Their Spines

An indecent proposal: Seven of the nine universities approached by the White House have said no to its offer of throwing more federal money their way in exchange for signing onto a compact that stipulates their commitments to academic freedom.

The University of Arizona, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, and the University of Virginia all said no. Vanderbilt University hasn't really telegraphed much (though the chancellor expressed hesitation), and only the University of Texas has indicated it might accept the terms.

The compact asks universities to no longer use race or sex in hiring or admissions (thus bringing them into compliance with existing federal law) and to shut down