In an open Dartmouth Student Government meeting on Oct. 5, senior vice president for community and campus life Jennifer Rosales said “some parts” of the Trump administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” may “go against some” of the College’s current “policies and missions,” such as those around academic freedom.
This was part of a larger DSG discussion weighing whether Dartmouth should sign the Trump administration’s compact, which would require the College to meet a series of demands regarding admissions and student life on campus.
Rosales reiterated College President Sian Leah Beilock’s “commitment to Dartmouth’s academic mission and values” and her pledge to always “defend [Dartmouth’s] fierce independence,” as stated in her email to campus on Friday.
Beilock is “discussing measures if the College doesn’t sign it,” Rosales added.
Rosales attended as a guest speaker on behalf of the administration. She said that Beilock is having “lots of conversations” with “anyone across the aisle” and leaders of the other eight universities that received the letter to discuss the College’s course of action.
During a public comment period, Roan Wade ’25, a member of the Palestine Solidarity Coalition, said they were concerned that “negotiations are taking place” on the compact at all.
In particular, Wade criticized the sixth point of the document, which is titled “Student Equality” and dictates that “matters of bathroom, locker-room and sports segregation” should be “categorized based on reproductive and biological criteria” — which they said was “overtly transphobic.”
Student body vice president Favion Harvard ’26 said the compact’s definition of “male” and “female” and the 15% cap on international student enrollment were two of his “biggest concerns.”
Jawad asked Rosales about Beilock’s commitment to “institutional neutrality,” pointing to a Wall Street Journal article she wrote which framed institutional restraint as a way for Dartmouth and other colleges to preserve space for free speech on campus by avoiding political or ideological statements.
In particular, Jawad said he was concerned that “the notion of institutional neutrality could be redefined” by the Trump administration’s compact, citing examples such as limitations on faculty speech and potential constraints on campus advocacy.
Rosales responded by acknowledging that the compact “may conflict with certain College policies and missions,” including those “related to academic freedom.”
During the meeting, the Senate also discussed their health and wellness initiatives. Student body representative Mary Sherrard ’28 highlighted DSG’s recent distribution of “60 boxes of Liquid I.V. over the weekend,” which she said helped “prevent” Good Samaritan calls on the Class of 2028’s bid day and shake-out.
Additional Liquid I.V. packets are being prepared for Homecoming weekend, Sherrard added.
The Senate also discussed ways to provide international students with career support. Harvard announced a potential webinar with Imera, an app he described as “Handshake for international students.” Imera is an AI-powered platform that assists international students and professionals navigate life in the United States, from banking to legal support, according to its website.
Harvard said the webinar would provide international students an opportunity to speak with a law firm about recent changes to H-1B visa policies signed through an executive order, which imposes a new $100,000 fee on petitions filed after Sept. 21.
The Senate will host its first-year town hall on Oct. 15 at Hinman Forum. In its closed session, the Senate passed a vote to confirm Daniel Cai ’26 as town affairs liaison.
DSG Senate meetings occur weekly on Sundays at 7 p.m. in Collis 101 and are open to all students.
