A Memo to Reform-Minded Campus Leaders

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | April 17, 2026 | Frederick M. Hess

[karpov]

We’re past the furious early salvos of Trump vs. Higher Ed.

Fifteen months into Trump 2.0, the early clashes have settled into a Cool War punctuated by more modest skirmishes between the administration and brand-name universities. As the research freezes have thawed and the settlements have slowed, higher ed’s stunned disorientation is subsiding (even as red-state legislation, ongoing federal investigations, student-lending reform, and the overhaul of accreditation mean that things are very far from settled).

The pace and tenor of change is less intense now than a year ago. This means that campus leaders have less political cover (it’s tougher to say, “The feds are making me do it!”) but also that the higher-ed discourse has calmed a bit (in other words, it’s less reflexively about Donald Trump). The shifting landscape poses new challenges and opportunities. It means that reform-minded college leaders must rely more on their own devices but also that those who master the (small-“p”) politics may find new openings and potential allies.

A year ago, I penned a memo to college presidents sketching the changes wrought by Trump 2.0 and how they might productively respond. Today, I’m struck by the uncertainty and frustration among leaders who want to tackle college costs, campus culture, ideological bias, grade inflation, and bureaucratic bloat.

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TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: college

[scrabblehack]

I wonder if NIL will lead back to coaches selling scholarships under the table?