On Monday, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon published “A National Call to Action to University Presidents and Governing Boards.” Following up on reports about declining trust in American universities and colleges, Secretary McMahon’s letter asked universities to “reaffirm their commitment to serving the American people.” As the Secretary warned, “higher education has drifted from the principles that built up so much public esteem” in the past.
We agree with her. And we also support her demands for transparency and accountability around college admissions, free speech, tuition costs and more.
But transparency and accountability have to go both ways. Under McMahon’s boss, Donald J. Trump, the federal government has eroded many of the same values that she calls on universities to protect. And trust in the government has fallen to a near-historic low.
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