Political Influence & Activism
Our news, opinion, and advice stories about the impact of politics, political influence, and activism on higher education, answer your questions like:
- How are politics influencing higher education?
- What are the activist movements shaping colleges?
Newly Updated
We’ve documented actions taken on dozens of campuses to alter or eliminate jobs, offices, hiring practices, and programs amid mounting political pressure to end identity-conscious recruitment and retention of minority staff and students.
'The numbers don’t lie'
The selective flagship has widely been seen as a model. A backlash could result in cuts.
Politics and Race
Legislators want to get rid of diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, end diversity trainings, banish diversity statements, and censor how professors talk about race, gender, and sexuality in mandatory courses.
Key takeaways
She discussed dismantling the Education Department, investigating colleges over antisemitism and DEI, and increasing access to noncollege opportunities.
'An Assault' On Higher Ed
Leaders at the American Council on Education conference heard calls to stand up for their colleges and contemplated what may come next.
ED Under Siege
President Trump’s nominee for education secretary will face a barrage of questions about potential plans to shutter the Education Department.
Preventative Measures
Dozens of institutions in 2023 and 2024 altered or shuttered diversity offices and programs pre-emptively, as lawmakers and the public increasingly turned against them.
Scholarship & Research
Slashing indirect-cost funding would mean “work to cure and treat human disease will grind to a halt,” the states had argued.
Political influence
A memo from the University of North Carolina system says that its campuses “risk ineligibility” for federal funding if they continue to maintain activities “deemed noncompliant.”
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President Trump has quickly begun advancing his education agenda. What are you seeing, hearing, and experiencing so far?