ED Calls on College Leaders to Publicly Commit to Reforms 

Education Secretary Linda McMahon issued a national call to action to university presidents and governing boards on August 3, 2026, asking that every postsecondary institution publish a clear public statement by the end of 2026 outlining its commitment to seven areas of reform the administration considers essential to restoring public trust in higher education. The seven areas McMahon identified are: transparency and merit in admissions; protection of free speech and open inquiry; intellectual pluralism in faculty hiring and research; affordability, pricing transparency, and student outcomes; academic rigor and combating grade inflation in the age of AI; protecting research from foreign influence; and prioritizing American security and workforce needs. The letter frames the request as a response to historically low public confidence in higher education and calls on universities to begin a “forthright conversation with the American people” about how they will address these concerns.