A Vision To The Future That Is Also Realistic

Higher education and its mission to build a democratic, prosperous, and equitable society is under attack. In legislatures and courtrooms across the country, book bans; educational gag orders; prohibiting learning about race, gender and sexuality; impinging on institutional autonomy; and political interference that attempt to dismantle our very systems of higher education pose a monumental threat to the nation’s future.

Yet, with every crisis, there is opportunity. Our opportunity is to creativity catalyze a movement among higher education leaders, one that articulates a long-term vision for higher education directly in line with democratic ideals. From the work and learning we have done since February 2023, we propose a Johnsonian-type Coalition on Higher Education with a charge that:

1. Situates higher education as aligned with the American ideals of developing a more perfect union that is provides access and achievement for all; this includes unapologetic, visionary commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion;
2. An education system where all belong on campus and in the curriculum;
3. Considers the power of each higher education institution type as defined by the Carnegie Classification, from community colleges to Ivy Leagues;
4. Places primacy on ensuring institutional autonomy; and
5. Considers education as fundamental right of all those residing within American borders.

Recognizing the urgency of the moment, Education for All will work to identify more strategies to protect our students, communities, and recognize their value to the educational enterprise and nation itself. In the process, we will seek to find the infrastructure and wide reach necessary for a commission to do its work and allow its outcomes be widely-dispersed.