A key feature of the second Trump administration has been a multi-front campaign to align the nation’s colleges with the president’s political agenda. It’s a target-rich environment, with President Trump seeking to upend all types of college policies and procedures.
Research funding has been threatened. Diversity, equity and inclusion programs are routinely condemned. Accrediting agencies are under attack. College admissions are being subjected to more federal scrutiny. International students and workers are facing new hurdles. Free expression has come under fire, and several premier universities—deemed by Trump to be “woke” sources of liberal indoctrination—have been singled out for federal investigations.
Now, the states are joining the action. Whether through legislative bills, executive orders from governors, or directives by institutional governing boards, conservative-leaning states are taking dead aim at many of the same targets the president has put front and center. From admissions to curriculum, accreditation to governance, faculty tenure to institutional governance, public universities are facing a wave of new mandates, restrictions, and financial controls.
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