The Compact Calls for a Unified "F You"

"When was the last time you checked your F You account? This personal escrow is the financial cushion-or your Plan B, akin to retirement, a career change or going back to your home country-that you liquidate if your job pushes you beyond your moral limit. Your account balance measures how effective you can be in your job and still be able to live with yourself."

"In light of the political and financial pressures on the college presidency, the president encouraged their peers to be ready to give up the job if they were forced to make decisions they didn't agree with. They also worried about early-career and first-generation leaders who would be less able to walk away from a job. "I can always retire, but they can't," the president said."

"However, the academic compact President Trump extended to all higher ed institutions via Truth Social this week may force leaders to resign. The agreement would require institutions to freeze tuition for the next five years; commit to public assessments of viewpoint diversity among all faculty, students and staff; and use standardized tests in admissions, among other demands."

The F You account functions as a personal escrow or Plan B—retirement, a career change, or returning home—that leaders liquidate if a job crosses their moral limit. The account balance reflects how effective someone can be while still living with themselves. A university president urged peers to be prepared to resign amid political and financial pressures and expressed concern that early-career and first-generation leaders lack capacity to walk away. Survey data show only 56 percent believe one person can reasonably handle a modern college presidency, average tenure is under six years, yet nearly 90 percent report enjoying the role. New federal demands could force resignations.

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