Vanderbilt Student Government sent out two surveys, “Vanderbilt Students: Give your thoughts on the Trump Administration’s Compact” and “Negotiating the Trump Compact: Give Your Thoughts!” to students on Oct. 6 and Oct. 15. Both surveys asked students for their opinions on the higher education compact the Trump administration sent to Vanderbilt as well as eight other universities. The second survey also asked students about specific details of the compact. Both were released prior to Vanderbilt’s announcement on Oct. 20 that they would provide feedback on the compact. 

The first survey amassed 1,145 responses, and 84% opposed Vanderbilt signing the compact. The second survey collected 102 responses, and 79% of students believed Vanderbilt should reject the compact. According to Soham Saraf, president of VSG, the surveys were sent out by VSG so they could better understand how students felt about the compact and could relay that information to the administration.  

“[VSG] has been relaying the data we’ve collected [from the surveys] and the statements put out by various campus groups such as Vanderbilt’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, Faculty Senate, Graduate Student Council, and VSG to the chancellor and provost,” Saraf said. 

Junior Teguono Okotete, vice president of VSG, created a qualitative analysis of the survey data. He said the data indicated that many students do not want Vanderbilt to sign the compact, citing academic freedom, institutional autonomy, LGBTQ+ and gender rights, diversity and inclusion and global community as main concerns.  

“Vanderbilt students overwhelmingly interpret the Trump Compact as an attempt to politically discipline universities rather than reform them,” Okotete’s analysis reads. “Even among those sympathetic to some parts (like transparency or neutrality), the dominant theme is mistrust of motive—that this is about control, not improvement.” 

A small minority of students who participated in the survey support Vanderbilt signing the compact. They believe Vanderbilt’s adoption of the compact would bring greater fairness to the university.   

“A small but articulate minority believes Vanderbilt has become an ‘echo chamber’ and that the compact could restore balance,” the analysis said.  “Their rationale: ‘It’s not censorship—it’s fairness.’ Still, their comments often emphasize ‘I don’t agree with everything, but universities need correction.’” 

A junior international student, granted anonymity for fear of retribution, said that they are opposed to Vanderbilt’s decision to not reject the compact. 

“As an international student, I chose Vanderbilt because it promised academic freedom and global inclusivity,” they said. “By not rejecting the compact, the university sends a message that it’s willing to compromise those values. It feels like our voices, especially those of international and marginalized students, don’t matter in decisions that shape the integrity of our education.”