Secretary of Education Linda McMahon’s “National Call to Action to University Presidents and Governing Boards” reflects the reality that public trust in higher education has reached a historic low. The letter calls for colleges and universities to renew their foundational promise to foster academic rigor, protect open inquiry, and advance the national interest. Many of the specific goals it sets are ones that have been championed by higher education reformers, including ACTA, for years. And yet, this call for reform is unique in that it also incorporated the thoughtful input from university presidents who would share responsibility for that change. Governing boards and institutional leaders should take this call as an opportunity to begin earning back the confidence of the American people.
The Secretary asks colleges to guarantee free inquiry and merit-based standards across academic units. She calls for nondiscriminatory admissions, faculty hiring based on intellectual pluralism, and academic rigor in the face of grade inflation and emerging AI technologies. She encourages finding ways to reduce costs for students and taking other steps to ensure degrees offer high-return value on the investments students and their families make in higher education. These are all salutary reforms that colleges and universities should make in accordance with their individual missions.
One of the strengths of America’s higher education system is the fact that it is not a “system,” but rather a diverse assortment of individual colleges and universities that rely on engaged lay governance. Positive, enduring change must first come from boards of trustees, because it is their responsibility to set the strategic direction of their institutions. It is notable that the Secretary’s letter respects institutional independence by inviting each institution to respond to her questions for itself.
Unique as each of America’s colleges and universities may be, nearly all—whether public or private—rely on public support, at a minimum through tax-exempt status. In return, they should think about how they serve the interests of the American people and respond constructively to the people’s representatives. America’s institutions of higher education make irreplaceable contributions to society and human flourishing, but they can always improve, and too many institutions have been too slow to change.
Secretary McMahon’s letter presents an opportunity for higher education governance to return to its originally intended function of accountability. Real reform requires governing boards and administrators to embrace their fiduciary duties to students, parents, and taxpayers. ACTA stands ready to assist higher education leaders as they answer this national call to action and restore higher education as a pillar of American prosperity.