Slate News What Next | Who’s Winning the War on Higher Education?
Sep 16, 2025
Sarah Brown, Senior Editor at the Chronicle of Higher Education, brings her expertise on academic freedom and funding challenges in higher ed. She discusses the chilling effects of the Trump administration on colleges, including federal funding cuts and political pressures. The conversation dives into the impact of government initiatives on historically marginalized institutions, the controversies around gender policies at elite universities, and the broader implications of these dynamics on academic discourse and institutional governance.
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Federal Pressure Creates A Chilling Effect
- The Trump administration is using funding and political pressure to reshape university behavior and curriculum.
- This strategy creates a chilling effect that many professors say threatens academic freedom and research.
Elite Schools Made Visible Concessions
- Some elite universities have accepted the administration's interpretations and changed policies on gender and oversight.
- Those concessions alarm academics who see external monitors and administrative oversight as government influence on scholarship.
Resignation Over Protest Negotiations
- Northwestern's president resigned after pressure tied to negotiations over campus protests and frozen research funding.
- He had negotiated with pro-Palestinian protesters to resolve demonstrations peacefully, a common administrative practice that drew backlash.