What We All Need to Know About Political Interference will prepare leaders, faculty, and staff to recognize and respond to political interference in education, from laws restricting DEI to funding threats that weaken academic freedom. Participants will gain strategies to safeguard institutional autonomy, build trust and transparency, and foster a culture that protects inclusive values, shared governance, and respectful discourse, while balancing national context with practical tools for action.Learn about the historical context of how higher education is now in the crosshairs and concrete ways you can assist in getting us out of it.
Dr. Michael H. Gavin is the President of Delta College and a nationally recognized voice in higher education leadership. He is the author of two books, including The New White Nationalism in Politics and Higher Education (2020), which examines the intersection of race, policy, and academic freedom in American institutions. Dr. Gavin also leads Education for All, a national coalition of college presidents and higher education leaders dedicated to resisting anti-DEI legislation.
Alumni across all nine schools have jointly launched an open letter to their schools’ leadership in support of the academic freedom and constitutional rights of educational institutions. This alumni community gathering will explore the implications of this unprecedented federal action and provide opportunities to become part of the growing movement to support and strengthen academic freedom and democracy.
Hosted by Stand for Campus Freedom, a new nonpartisan project of Democracy House, this event will bring together alumni leaders from the targeted campuses to share their stories and perspectives, and discuss actions we all can take.
Bios for speakers will be linked in the session
For decades, the federal government has partnered with U.S. higher education institutions to support student access and to drive innovation and economic development. The current administration has abandoned that “compact.” The new “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” sent to 9 institutions last month, would make federal support contingent on institutions’ compliance with a range of broadly defined policy priorities related to admissions, faculty hiring, finances, including tuition levels and endowment disbursement, and perceived ideological bias on campus in exchange for potential access to federal funding. While the Compact, at present, is only addressed to a handful of institutions, it represents a fundamental challenge to the institutional autonomy that has made U.S. higher education a global leader, an engine of research and innovation, and a foundation of democratic norms. This webinar outlines questions all higher education governing boards should be asking about their commitments to principles of institutional autonomy and academic freedom, and how their institution is positioned to sustain its core mission and values in the years ahead
Moderator: Tom Hyatt, AGB, General Counsel; AGB Consultant and Senior Fellow
Panelist: Ross Mugler, Interim President and CEO, AGB
Panelist: Catharine (“Cappy”) Bond Hill, Managing Director, Ithaka S+R, former president of Vassar College, former trustee of Yale University
A hands-on training for scholars who want to learn how to write and pitch compelling, research-based op-eds. Participants will learn how to craft a good lede, identify and incorporate timely news hooks, signal the author’s unique and relevant expertise, increase the likelihood of publication, and structure an op-ed for maximum impact.
Join two retired college presidents and a current vice chancellor for an urgent conversation about the growing threats to American democracy—and the critical role higher education must play in meeting this moment. This distinguished panel—Dr. George Boggs, Dr. Brian Murphy, and Dr. Rowena Tomaneng will examine how political interference, censorship, and the erosion of institutional autonomy are reshaping the landscape of colleges and universities. Together, they will explore how educational leaders can defend academic freedom, foster civic courage, and reassert higher education’s public mission in a time of unprecedented challenge.
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George R. Boggs is President and CEO Emeritus of the American Association of Community Colleges and
Superintendent/President Emeritus of Palomar College in California. He is chair of the Board of Directors
of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and teaches classes in emerging higher education issues in
doctoral programs at San Diego State University and Kansas State University.
Dr. Boggs holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from The Ohio State University, a master’s degree in
chemistry from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a Ph.D. in educational administration
from The University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Goldrick-Rab has been on Turning Point’s Professor Watchlist for a decade. Join her for a spirited conversation about lessons learned and strategies for scholar-activism.
Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab is a sociologist who founded the #RealCollege movement to support students’ basic needs. She is the author of the award-winning book Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream, the founder of two national organizations, a frequent advisor to state and national leaders, and a passionate teacher at the Community College of Philadelphia.
