Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon issued a “National Call to Action to University Presidents and Governing Boards” in the stated interest of "[restoring] public trust in higher education.” This open letter calls on all institutions of higher education to transparently commit to several items as part of “a generational opportunity for self-reflection and institutional renewal.”
The letter states that “these statements of principle should be posted prominently on institutional websites” before the end of 2026.
To read the letter in full, please visit the Department of Education's formal statement at: https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-secretary-of-education-linda-mcmahon-issues-national-call-action-university-presidents-and-governing-boards.
In the letter, Secretary McMahon calls on institutions to make a pledge in the following seven categories to renew their relationship with the American people.
- Transparency and Merit in Admissions
- Free Speech and Open Inquiry
- Intellectual Pluralism and Academic Vitality
- Affordability, Value, and Student Outcomes
- Academic Standards and Rigor in the Age of AI
- Safeguarding Research Integrity from Malign Foreign Influence
- Prioritizing American Interests
The open letter is addressed to all institutions and is completely voluntary. As such, ACCT recommends that community college presidents and their boards have a conversation about the letter and its requests before deciding how to move forward.