UT Austin students protest President Trump's Higher Education Compact

UT students protest Trump's education vision

President Trump is asking UT to make some major changes to school policy. It's all part of the president's higher education compact. In response, UT students marched to push back against the president's request.

AUSTIN, Texas - In response to President Trump’s Higher Education Compact, UT students came together to protest the latest move from the White House. 

UT Austin students protest

UT students protest Trump policies

The student organization Austin Students for a Democratic Society put together a rally on campus Monday afternoon.

Local perspective:

On Monday evening, dozens gathered outside the Gregory Gymnasium Plaza, standing together against a request from President Trump for the university to implement a wave of policy changes. 

The march was put on by the Austin Students for a Democratic Society.

"If the administration wants to be under the guise of Trump at all times, we would much prefer to have our own freedom from the federal administration," says Ryan Lowe, a freshman at UT.

Dig deeper:

On October 1, UT Austin was among nine universities invited to take part in Trump’s Higher Education Compact. The letter asks that UT make several changes to its campus operation in exchange for preferential federal funding.

Among the long list of changes, the White House is asking UT to no longer consider sex and ethnicity in admission and hiring, sticking to a biological definition of man and woman, and limiting how many international students can enroll at the University. 

Trump's vision for higher education system

The White House reached out to several universities this week, asking them to commit to the President Trump's vision for the nation's higher education system. Some of those colleges are in Texas

The last request was a concern for many taking part in Monday’s march. They were concerned about how the decision might affect the university's future for international students.

"We get geniuses and students all over who want to come to the US because they’re the best of their best, and they want to come to where it’s supposed to be the best of the best," says Elijah Rivera, a freshman at UT.

What's next:

The deadline for UT to give feedback on Trump's Higher Education Compact was October 20, but the university has still not given an official response. 

UT Austin professor dismissed

What they're saying:

The rally comes just a day after Governor Abbott announced on X that a professor at the University of Texas was dismissed from their administrative role due to ideological differences. 

It was confirmed through a LinkedIn post from psychology professor Art Markman that he was relieved from an administrative role at the university back in September for that exact reason. 

FOX 7 has reached out to UT for more details on the decision to dismiss Professor Markman from his administrative duties. The university says they do not comment on personal matters.