Hot Topics in Higher Education: The Trump Administration’s “Compact for Higher Ed”
For most of the 20th century, the “social compact” between higher education and society in America could be summed up like this: Society invests in colleges and universities — through public funding, tax exemptions, and trust — in exchange for institutions advancing the public good.
While experiences varied and this compact did not always work equally well for everyone, it seemed to help higher education progress and grow, while indeed offering tremendous value to the public, in the form of a better prepared workforce, scientific and technological breakthroughs, contributions to art and culture, and more.
In recent decades, though, that “compact” has been threatened from many directions, as higher ed spending has outpaced the ability or the willingness of the public to keep up with its cost, and political movements on both the left and the right have created fissures in the “trust” Americans have in colleges and universities. Recent Gallup polls have reflected a significant decline in overall trust of colleges and universities, and I have written myself about the need for “A New Social Compact for Community Colleges in the Commonwealth.”
As part of its effort to reshape American higher education, the Trump administration recently proposed a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” which, if accepted by institutional leaders, offer them preference for government funding and a more favorable policy environment if they agree to:
- Ban consideration of race or sex in hiring and admissions processes.
- Freeze tuition for a five-year period. (In addition, those with an endowment worth more than $2 million per undergraduate can’t charge tuition for admitted students pursuing hard science programs, with some exceptions.)
- Limit international undergraduate enrollment to 15 percent of the student body.
- Commit to institutional neutrality.
- Define and interpret “male,” “female,” “woman” and “man” according to reproductive function and biological processes.
- Require applicants to take standardized tests, such as the SAT or ACT.
- Clamp down on grade inflation.
- Restrict employees from expressing political views on behalf of the institution.
- Shut down departments that “punish, belittle” or “spark violence against conservative ideas.”
- Anonymously poll students and employees on compact compliance and publish the results.
For this “Hot Topics in Higher Education,” read some of the resources about the proposed Compact, compiled by Inside Higher Ed, in the “A Controversial Compact for Higher Ed” special collection on their home page, and come prepared to explore questions like:
- What do the Compact’s requirements say about shifting perceptions of higher education in America?
- Should colleges consider adopting some, or all, of the requirements? Which ones? Why?
- Do the Compact’s provisions unreasonably impose restrictions on institutional and academic freedom?
- What should the role of the federal government be in regulating and funding higher education?
