The University of Virginia reached an agreement with the Trump administration that temporarily pauses federal investigations into the university’s admissions and diversity practices if UVA adheres to stricter guidelines around race-based admissions and regularly reports compliance to the Department of Justice.
UVA faculty told Charlottesville Tomorrow in August that university leaders were negotiating a deal with the DOJ, and, at the time, faculty members raised concerns about the university giving up its autonomy in admissions, hiring practices or academic programs.
The deal with the DOJ announced Wednesday marks the first time a public university has signed such an agreement with the Trump administration, according to reporting from The New York Times (subscription required). It comes after months of pressure on UVA and other institutions to fall in line with the administration’s political agenda — in particular its rejection of diversity, equity and inclusion.
UVA is the fourth university to reach such an arrangement. Similar deals have been made with Brown University, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, while Harvard remains in negotiations.
Under the arrangement, UVA will follow the Trump administration’s interpretation of the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision ending race-based admissions and submit quarterly compliance updates to the Justice Department.
While the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling effectively barred considering race as a specific factor in college admissions, it still allowed applicants to discuss how race had shaped their life experiences in personal statements. The Trump administration’s interpretation extends beyond what the 2023 ruling requires, adopting a more restrictive stance that bars any consideration of race in admissions — even as legal experts maintain that a holistic review process can still take race into account.
“That’s what’s so concerning in this current moment — we have an administration that is not bound by precedent,” Legal Defense Fund Senior Counsel Antonio Ingram II told Charlottesville Tomorrow in August. “They will issue executive orders and enforce voluntary compliance agreements that require parties to do something that’s not legally required. But through fear and intimidation, they’re trying to effectuate what even courts would not order.”
Under the agreement, the DOJ will temporarily suspend its investigations into the university’s civil rights policies. However, the administration retains the right to conduct new compliance reviews or investigations into the university at any time. If at any time the DOJ determines that “UVA is making insufficient progress toward compliance with the Civil Rights Laws,” it retains the right to give UVA 15 days to “make appropriate progress,” after which it may reinstate investigations, fines or funding cuts.
Virginia State Senator Scott Surovell criticized the agreement as “a surrender” that undermines the university’s independence, while Rachel Sheridan, rector of UVA’s Board of Visitors, said it upholds the school’s values and ongoing partnership with the federal government, according to The Times.
The Times reported that the agreement avoids large fines paid to the federal government by UVA and is less strict compared to some other agreements, in part due to former UVA President Jim Ryan’s resignation as president under pressure from the Trump administration
UVA has seen unprecedented levels of government pressure and intervention in recent months. View a timeline of recent events below.
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More about federal government intervention at UVA
UVA rejects Trump’s compact following opposition from Charlottesville and beyond
UVA became the fifth school and the first public university to reject the Trump administration’s proposed agreement that ties federal funding to sweeping demands on admission, recruitment and more.
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The federal government cut $64 million in grants at UVA. Here’s what it means for the community
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