Universities have few good options under Trump's pressure campaign
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The Trump administration has created a lose-lose situation for many of America's educational institutions, as it pressures universities to meet its demands or risk losing funding and tax-exempt status.
Why it matters: Universities have two options — capitulate or push back — both of which could ignite backlash and damage higher education's already flailing reputation.
Catch up quick: This week, Harvard became the first university to reject the administration's demands tied to its federal funding.
- In response, the Trump administration is freezing more than $2 billion and the IRS is taking steps to revoke the university's tax-exempt status.
- This comes after Columbia regained $400 million in federal grants and contracts the administration had pulled from the university after it agreed to meet some demands.
- Funding for Cornell, Northwestern, Brown and Princeton is also on the chopping block.
Meanwhile, Inside Higher Ed reports that over 1,300 international students and recent graduates from 210 American colleges and universities have had their legal status changed by the State Department.
- This has forced many universities to weigh in on the issue of immigration and the policies of President Trump's Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism.
What they're saying: The student visa issue reversals prove more challenging than the funding battle, says one longtime higher education communications adviser who asked to speak on background.
- "The international visa issue is in some aspects much more ominous, because it affects students, faculty and colleges from across the country. It's not just some elite Ivy League problem," the adviser told Axios.
- "It's also much trickier in that there's a lot less you can do about it, frankly. Some schools are creating easy pathways for students to get access to legal help. They're providing some funding in case students are dislocated, but there's not a whole lot more to be done."
The big picture: Universities are particularly vulnerable to these socio-political attacks given their declining reputations due to student loan debt, the high cost of tuition, and the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, along with free speech and campus safety.
- Confidence in higher education has plummeted across all demographic groups, per a Gallup poll.
- Plus, the competing agendas of university stakeholder groups — students and prospective students, faculty, alumni and community members — make these institutions even more susceptible to backlash.
In response, several prominent institutions have expanded the comms remit to include public policy, crisis communications and issues management.
- Communication and public affairs firms have also launched dedicated higher education practices to meet the demand.
What's next: Harvard's response could either galvanize more universities to push back harder or it could lead them to conclude Harvard should fall on the sword as it is the oldest and most well-funded university in the U.S.
- Of note, administrators from Stanford and Princeton have commended Harvard for its response. Former President Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also applauded the pushback.
Zoom out: This moment of crisis also presents academic institutions with the opportunity to articulate their contributions and what Trump's cuts could mean for everyday Americans.
- "The area that is ripe for discussion is the impact these cuts could have on scientific research that might enhance national defense, chip technology or medical research," says Phil Singer, CEO of Marathon Strategies.
- "What are the areas that are at risk here that could have a material impact on ... the economy, national security and health?" he added.
- Johns Hopkins University has launched a "Research Saves Lives" campaign that aligns with this premise, while Harvard launched a "Research Powers Progress" campaign.
The bottom line: "The communication goal [for these institutions] is to constantly reassure the very nervous, and in some cases angry or upset, stakeholders while also maintaining a competitive position during such a very disruptive time," the higher ed comms adviser said.
What to watch: A congressional hearing on these matters seems inevitable.
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