Colleges Wonder if They Will Be ‘the Enemy’ Under Trump

The New York Times ^ | Nov. 12, 2024, 2:39 p.m. ET | Vimal Patel and Sharon Otterman

[E. Pluribus Unum]

For many years, Republicans portrayed colleges as bastions of leftism, awash in bias against conservatives and impervious to change.

With Donald J. Trump’s victory to a second presidential term and a Congress potentially under unified G.O.P. control, Republicans are now poised to escalate their efforts to root out what they see as progressive ideology in higher education.

The return to power of Mr. Trump comes at a vulnerable moment for higher education. Universities have been under increasing pressure from lawmakers, while public confidence in colleges has fallen. Last year, two Ivy League presidents resigned following their widely panned performances before Congressional panels that grilled them about how they handled pro-Palestinian activists on their campus. Other top university leaders have resigned amid criticism over protest responses.

Mr. Trump has said he thought that colleges needed to be reclaimed from “Marxist maniacs,” and his running mate, JD Vance, has described universities as “the enemy.” (Both men attended Ivy League institutions.)

Republicans have often trained their focus mainly on highly selective campuses, but their proposed policies could have a wider impact. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 — an outline for Mr. Trump’s second term that he has tried to distance himself from — calls for sweeping changes, like privatizing all student loans, rolling back protections for transgender students, and paring back diversity efforts on campus.

“This is a moment of enormity for American higher education,” said Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities. “Many of President Trump’s top advisers are the architects of Project 2025, which seeks to dismantle higher education, not reform it, and to replace what they perceive as woke Marxist ideology with their own conservative ideology.”

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

If?

[MortMan]

“Will be” versus “will be recognized as”. They already act like the enemy. They just need a little recognition.

[1Old Pro]

For many years, Republicans portrayed colleges as bastions of leftism, awash in bias against conservatives and impervious to change.

Because they were right, now it's time for change.

[GOPJ]

The LA Timesand other papers are going ‘fair and balanced’ - that’s going to set new standards. With any luck the propaganda rewritrers and stenographers for state goons will go under - bye bye New York Times.

[Danie_2023]

“The LA Timesand other papers are going ‘fair and balanced’ - that’s going to set new standards. With any luck the propaganda rewritrers and stenographers for state goons will go under - bye bye New York Times.”

You really think so? I figured they would just throw more (foreign) money at it, double down and continue the resistance ... like leftists always do until they have attained total and complete power.

[GOPJ]

Ever wonder what percentage of the New York Times' or Washington Posts' on-line subscriptions are 'George Soros/fraud' etc linked? Like Rush's fake callers from past times? Is that fair to advertisers to buy based on eyes??

Does the Audit Bureau of Circulation still exist? Publishers need tro look into whether they're playing fair with their advertisers. MSM papers play to the 15% of people who are liberal 'elites' - when subscriptions numbers go way higher, it should be suspect. IMHO

[Danie_2023]

“Ever wonder what percentage of the New York Times’ or Washington Posts’ on-line subscriptions are ‘George Soros/fraud’ etc linked? Like Rush’s fake callers from past times? Is that fair to advertisers to buy based on eyes??
Does the Audit Bureau of Circulation still exist? Publishers need tro look into whether they’re playing fair with their advertisers. MSM papers play to the 15% of people who are liberal ‘elites’ - when subscriptions numbers go way higher, it should be suspect. IMHO”

No, I don’t wonder. I remember how Air America was propped up by the same types until the lack of interest in left-wing talk show propagandists, coupled with the Obama stagnation economy, finally killed it. But we are up against more than just Soros-types’ $$$. We have major enemy nations secretly funding our demise, as well... with the help of our enemies within... the Democrats and their RINO helpers.

It’s an uphill battle we face, but after last week’s election... I now have hope that we will deal with it with renewed strength and with the knowledge, awareness and approval of MOST patriotic Americans.

[cgbg]

“Colleges and Universities should cosign every student loan.”

Exactly—the notion that colleges and universities are a “public good” was solid in the 1950s.

Today it is highly debatable—at best.

[Albion Wilde]

Colleges Wonder if They Will Be ‘the Enemy’ Under Trump

Why is that so hard to figure out? They already declared war, and have taken money from and warmly welcomed our nation's enemies.

[Albion Wilde]

Nice multimillion dollar endowments you have there. It would be a shame if someone taxed them.

LOL!

(Multibillion, in many cases.)

[Albion Wilde]

I knew it was a scam in 1977 in my freshman year when half of my entering class were taking remedial classes. Stuff they should have learned in high school.

I taught college in the following decade. The ignorance was astonishing. And I had to discipline them like middle-schoolers to keep order in the class.

[Freee-dame]

Or some of the endowment money was used to lower the cost of college tuition, which is ridiculous these days.

[Albion Wilde]

Amazing map of Harvard at your post.

Check out the University of Pennsylvania, a city unto itself of more than 30,000 people within the city limits of Philadelphia. Ten long city blocks or more in both directions: