Jerry Falwell’s New Higher-Ed Task Force Could Take Cues From a Private-College Association’s Playbook

What might the new higher-ed task force led by Jerry L. Falwell Jr. put on its agenda? The president of Liberty University, who told The Chronicle on Tuesday that he had been asked by President Trump to head up such a group, said a policy memo from the head of a major higher-ed organization offered “a nice summary” of many of the issues he hopes the panel will take on.

That organization is the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. And the two-page memo, written by David L. Warren, president of Naicu, highlights several areas “ripest for deregulation in higher education,” including new rules on teacher education, a federal definition of the credit hour, and regulations that require states to create additional consumer protections for students. It also names the new overtime rules, the gainful-employment regulation, and the borrower-defense-to-repayment rule as other possible target areas.

The memo, which was provided to The Chronicle and can be viewed in full below, says the U.S. Department of Education “should not overly meddle” in the operations of accrediting agencies or institutions. (It also takes issue with the notion of using federal funds to support free college at the expense of student aid, and it highlights the association’s concerns about possible legislation that would restrict how colleges use their endowments or donations.)

Mr. Warren said he wrote the memo at the end of November, not knowing that Mr. Falwell would be leading a task force, but with the expectation that the Liberty president would probably have the ear of the White House and the U.S. Education Department. Mr. Falwell was an early supporter of Mr. Trump’s candidacy.

Many in higher education have reacted with concern to news of the task force: Social-media speculation has focused on whether Mr. Falwell would use the group to promote an agenda that aligns with the evangelical Christian policies of Liberty. But Mr. Warren said he hopes the task force remains focused on deregulation. Despite the anxieties that have arisen over Mr. Falwell’s role, Mr. Warren told The Chronicle on Wednesday, if he gets the chance to play a further role, he’ll take it. “I’d rather be at the table than not,” he said.

Goldie Blumenstyk writes about the intersection of business and higher education. Check out www.goldieblumenstyk.com for information on her new book about the higher-education crisis; follow her on Twitter @GoldieStandard; or email her at goldie@chronicle.com.