Weekly Briefing

A blueprint for political attacks on higher ed.

During his two terms as governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker consistently criticized colleges, and those who work at them, making them political foils and describing them as wasteful and out of touch. He challenged what was taught in their classrooms and questioned their value. By the time he left office, in 2019, Walker, a Republican, had slashed college budgets, stripped tenure protections and university autonomy, and proposed gutting the Wisconsin Idea, enshrined in state law, which stresses higher education’s importance to the state and society.

But if Walker drew national attention several years ago for his unusual antagonism toward higher education, today he has plenty of company. Across the country, Republican governors, state lawmakers, and politically appointed boards have taken aim at colleges. Iowa’s legislature has repeatedly tried to abolish tenure. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis — who, like Walker before him, harbors presidential ambitions — has imposed political litmus tests on faculty members, sought to cut public colleges’ ties to their accreditor after it asked questions about academic freedom at the University of Florida, and floated a plan to give state officials greater control over academic hiring and firing. In state after state, elected officials have tried to block professors from teaching about critical race theory or other subjects they object to — what one free-speech group has called “educational gag orders.”

The particulars may differ from state to state, with the flashpoints reflecting the history, demography, or culture of a particular region. But the upshot is the same: Politicians are firing shots at academic expertise and threatening institutional independence. They are putting colleges on the defensive.

Our Karin Fischer talked to key figures who opposed Walker’s actions in Wisconsin about what they had learned, and traced parallels between what went on in the Badger State a decade ago and today’s headlines. Here’s what she found. And for more on how gubernatorial platforms play out in higher ed, read this, from our Katie Mangan.

Lagniappe.

• Read. A new Sports Illustrated feature tells the story of Keegan Gregory, who survived a harrowing encounter with a shooter at his Michigan high school a year ago. It’s a tough read, but strikes a hopeful note about human resilience.
• Listen. In this three-part podcast series, hear about a woman who lost her father and brother to Covid-19 in the span of two weeks last year, having had no idea either of them was sick. (The New York Times)
• Look. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope sent home a breathtaking new image this week of the Pillars of Creation. The “pillars” are actually much more permeable than their namesake on Earth, being made up of interstellar gas and dust, and they were first captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995. The new Webb photo is even more stunning, though; if you need a new background for your phone, look no further.

—Megan
(I’m substituting this week for Fernanda, who is away.)