The Trump administration’s naming of its controversial proposal as the “Compact for Academic Excellence” is a masterful, if cynical, piece of political branding. It takes a universally accepted virtue—excellence—and weaponizes it, twisting the concept into a tool for advancing a narrow and partisan political agenda.
By framing its demands under the banner of “excellence,” the administration makes it more difficult for universities to object. How can an institution dedicated to higher learning be against “academic excellence”? This rhetorical framing forces opponents into a defensive crouch, making them appear to be defenders of a mediocre or corrupt status quo.
The compact then proceeds to redefine what “excellence” means. In the administration’s new dictionary, excellence is not achieved through scholarly rigor, groundbreaking research, or pedagogical innovation. Instead, excellence is defined as compliance with a political checklist: promoting conservative ideas, banning affirmative action, and freezing tuition. The term is stripped of its academic meaning and given a new, purely political one.
This is a tactic designed to win in the court of public opinion. For an average citizen, a “Compact for Academic Excellence” sounds laudable. The details of the plan are complex, but the headline is simple and positive. This allows the administration to sell its radical overhaul as a common-sense reform aimed at improving quality.
Critics are now faced with the task of deconstructing this narrative. They must explain to the public how a term with such positive connotations is being used as a Trojan horse for an authoritarian project. The battle is no longer just about policy; it is a semantic war over the very meaning of the words we use to describe the purpose of a university.