The U.S. Department of Education is telling colleges and universities it’s time to show their policies and practices put education first.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon issued a National Call to Action asking university presidents and governing boards to publicly lay out their commitments to strengthening higher education by the end of 2026.
The Call to Action includes seven key areas of excellence in higher education, including admission criteria, free speech on campus, intellectual pluralism, affordability for families, high academic standards, freedom from foreign influences and putting America first.
For each topic, the Department of Education (ED) wants institutions to answer some important questions.
Admission Criteria
Is the institution complying with — or attempting to evade — the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which held that universities cannot use race-based admissions programs that violate the Equal Protection Clause?
The ED wants universities to show they are not using other methods to indirectly accomplish what the U.S. Supreme Court has already said they cannot do — accept or deny students based on the color of their skin. Instead, colleges and universities must demonstrate they make admissions decisions based on merit and achievement.
Free Speech on Campus
Are students, faculty, and guest speakers able to freely express ideas that may be unpopular or challenge the prevailing views on campus?
The ED wants to know that education institutions are committed to protecting free speech and open debate on campus, rather than allowing viewpoint discrimination. Universities should protect debate and the free exchange of ideas, including ideas that make people uncomfortable or challenge widely held beliefs.
Intellectual Pluralism
Does faculty hiring demonstrate that there is a wide spectrum of intellectual positions among staff? Does the academic environment for students offer opportunities to hear different perspectives?
Colleges and universities shouldn’t tell students what to think. It should give them the tools they need to think for themselves about competing ideas.
Affordability for Families
What are colleges doing to make college affordable to families?
The ED wants to know that institutions of higher education are doing everything they can to make college affordable, limit student debt and improve pricing transparency for families and students.
High Academic Standards
Are universities making academic excellence a priority?
Students shouldn’t go to college for participation degrees. Colleges should value and reward critical thinking and high academic standards so a college degree can retain its value.
Freedom from Foreign Influence
Do colleges and universities allow foreign monetary gifts with strings attached that unduly influence academic programming?
The ED wants higher education institutions to be transparent about foreign funding and ensure outside interests are not driving research or academic priorities that conflicts with American interests.
Putting America First
Finally, the ED is asking universities to take seriously their responsibility to make America great. How are their academic programs contributing to American society, protecting our way of life and educating students in ways that strengthen this nation?
Call to Action
There are no financial strings or penalties connected to the ED’s requests. The purpose of this call to action is to make clear that this Administration’s ED is committed to transparency and making sure the American people have access to important information about the institutions they attend.
Colleges and universities should educate students. They should pursue academic excellence and truth. They should expose students to different ideas and teach those students how to think, not just what to think.
Let’s hope colleges and universities across the country heed the Department of Education’s call and are transparent with American families. If an institution is unwilling to tell parents and students where it stands and what it prioritizes, families should think twice about whether that’s where they want their children to be educated.
Daily Citizen is a news division of Focus on the Family that provides a faith-based perspective to counter the mainstream media’s anti-Christian bias.
