Washington, D.C. — From cancelled research grants to curriculum bans to the politicization of university board decisions, both the excellence and existence of American higher education is in jeopardy.
A new report from the Center for American Progress analyzes the recent spike in censorship and political influence within U.S. higher education and how to put a clamp on it. The authors cite recent examples of overreach from university governing boards—often called boards of trustees—in states such as Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. The authors also suggest concrete steps that policymakers and university leaders can take to protect the quality of higher education from authoritarian control.
Specifically, CAP offers the following recommendations:
- Depoliticize the board member selection process by forming external, independent bodies to oversee appointments and removals.
- Introduce safeguards against overreach in governing board bylaws and resolutions, as well as in state law.
- Clearly define the measures of board effectiveness in order to heighten transparency and accountability.
- Require academic freedom as a standard for federal recognition of accreditors.
“Scientific and economic progress depends on the autonomy of our colleges and universities,” said Madison Weiss, senior analyst for Higher Education Policy at CAP and co-author of the report. “The creep of political agendas into these spaces doesn’t just threaten students’ intellectual freedom—it jeopardizes academic rigor, affordable tuition, and even America’s global competitiveness.”
“Decisions about what should be taught and published were once guided by rigorous academic standards, but politicized governing boards are increasingly seeking to exert ideological control,” said Sara Partridge, associate director of Higher Education Policy at CAP and co-author of the report. “Safeguarding universities’ academic freedom will require policymakers and institutional leaders alike to take bold, proactive actions such as the ones we’ve identified.”
Read the report: “How University Governing Boards Can Protect the Independence of Colleges and Universities” by Madison Weiss and Sara Partridge
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Mishka Espey at [email protected].