• Brown University will pay $50 million over ten years to support workforce development in Rhode Island.
• The agreement ends three federal investigations into alleged discrimination without admitting wrongdoing.
• Brown will adopt the government's definitions of "male" and "female" and cease considering race in admissions.
• Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the deal, claiming it reverses a "woke-capture" in higher education.
• The university has committed to improving protections for Jewish students amid allegations of antisemitism.

Brown University has reached a significant $50 million agreement with the Trump administration to restore its access to federal research funding, which had been suspended due to various compliance reviews related to alleged discrimination. This deal involves a commitment to invest these funds into workforce development organizations in Rhode Island over the next decade, thereby addressing both financial and community engagement goals, according to HuffPost and CBS News.

The agreement, announced recently, is touted as a framework for compliance with federal expectations regarding admissions practices, particularly in light of the government's stance on antisemitism and bias. Importantly, Brown has decided to adopt the government's definitions of "male" and "female" and is now prohibited from considering race in admissions processes, as part of a wider directive from the Trump administration aimed at reducing "woke" policies in educational institutions, as reported by ABC News and Reuters.

Furthermore, under the terms of the agreement, Brown University will also discontinue programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies perceived to disadvantage certain groups. Christina H. Paxson, the university president, emphasized that the deal was necessary for maintaining the institution's academic independence while navigating severe financial pressures stemming from halted federal funding, as detailed by Al Jazeera and NPR.

In response to concerns about antisemitism on campus, the university has pledged to implement measures that bolster protections for Jewish students, including partnerships with Israeli academics. The agreement also stipulates that Brown must conduct a survey to assess the campus climate for Jewish individuals, reflecting its commitment to address the allegations raised without admitting any wrongdoing, which was noted in reports from AA and India Times.

This agreement underscores a notable trend where elite universities such as Brown must reconcile their values with the political climate surrounding federal funding. Brown is now the third Ivy League institution to reach a similar accord with the Trump administration, following Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, which also faced intense scrutiny and pressure from the federal government regarding their policies and practices, as contrasted in various reports from India Times and Reuters.