Trump turns to ‘new weapons’ after unsuccessful compact deal

Speculation that the Trump administration will rework its “compact” deal for universities – alongside renewed attempts to overhaul accreditation – show the president has not had as much influence on higher education as he would have liked, scholars have said.

US institutions are bracing for renewed attempts at reform as academics believe Donald Trump will “seek distractions” from protests in Minneapolis following the killing of US citizens by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

The Department of Education recently established a new committee to help “rewrite the accreditation handbook” – claiming the current system “shields existing players” and promotes ideologically driven initiatives.

“Accreditation functions as the central nervous system of higher education, and the system cannot be made healthy without addressing its deepest flaws,” said undersecretary of education Nicholas Kent.

Leon Botstein, president of Barnard College, said the accreditation system has great advantages but is “easy to abuse” and he warned the administration could pressure accrediting authorities to enforce ideological standards. “That’s totally possible, I don’t put anything past this administration,” he said.

Some had hoped that the president would lose focus on higher education, particularly given his international disputes over Greenland and Iran and the events in Minneapolis.

But Botstein said it was hard to predict the actions of a president who craves being the centre of the news agenda at all times.

“There are no limits to what he might try to do just to satisfy that need, and he believes that higher education is unpopular with his base.”

Trump’s team are planning a second attempt to persuade universities to sign up to a voluntary compact, according to The New York Times, after the last version only attracted interest from one institution, the New College of Florida.

“I don’t think the first time was a success,” said Botstein. “The largest impact it had is that it creates a climate of fear, which creates self-censorship. It’s a classic strategy that has been used by authoritarian governments before.”

Andrew Moran, professor of politics and international relations at London Metropolitan University, said he expected a continued focus on higher education this year.

He said overhauling accreditation would be an “additional tool” to the limited success of the compact in 2025 and the withholding of funds.

“He’s not had the success he would have liked. It’s also part of a continual, psychological battle against universities, not unlike the lawsuits he launches, which are designed to alarm and distract.

“There will be concerns about whether new accreditation bodies will promote their own ideological bias, challenge institutional autonomy, and there will need to be a clear definition of what limits there will be on their responsibilities.”

David Kirp, professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, said Trump is talented at “changing the subject when he runs into trouble” – as he has after the deployment of ICE agents.

“Greenland has faded from the news...Minneapolis will be harder because it is so viscerally horrific.

“Higher education would be a promising pivot. It’s an easy target, since universities are vulnerable on many counts, including Pell Grants for student support, and have lost a great deal of popular support.”

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com