The Trump administration’s higher education “compact,” despite its problems, has been another useful kick in the pants for America’s universities. Indeed, more than a few campus leaders have been asking what kinds of principled changes they might embrace.
Well, last spring, I penned a memo to college presidents on this very question. Noting the Trump administration was a useful foil for the many leaders who’d been quietly bemoaning academe’s groupthink, inertia, and politicization, I observed:
Change-minded leaders have an extraordinary opportunity. Those fighting for free inquiry, merit, and heterodoxy in higher education have grown accustomed to rowing against the tide. Well, the might of the federal government has just switched sides, and it will be demanding change rather than fortifying the status quo.
I urged leaders to move on defending free inquiry, restoring fair admissions, getting students back to work, focusing on outcomes, and streamlining the bureaucracy. That advice still applies.
But it’s clear to me that, after more recent travails, a sizable number of campus leaders are increasingly open to change. They’re now looking for concrete ideas and advice about what they might do to address conservative concerns in a principled fashion. While I’ve a long list of policy-related recommendations, what they need in the here and now are specific actions that individual institutions can pursue. Here are five suggestions.
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