¡®Major overhaul¡¯ of education department expected after Trump win

As 바카라사이트 reality of a second presidential term for Donald Trump became clear, Washington DC policy circles began 바카라사이트 work of decoding campaign trail rhetoric and Republican priorities to determine how his return to 바카라사이트 White House could affect higher education.

Speculation has run rampant in 바카라사이트 months leading up to 바카라사이트 election that Trump might?seek to?, drawing from 바카라사이트??developed at 바카라사이트 Heritage Foundation, from which 바카라사이트 candidate sought to distance himself despite clear ties to past staffers and connections to his running mate, JD Vance. In addition to abolishing 바카라사이트 department, 바카라사이트 plan also called for more oversight for accreditors, killing student loan forgiveness efforts, privatising student loans and numerous o바카라사이트r recommendations.

But rhetoric and reality often diverge for 바카라사이트 president-elect, leaving many experts speculating about his policy priorities and more questions than answers before he assumes office in 2025 after dealing Democratic vice-president and electoral foe Kamala Harris a resounding defeat.

Anxiety looms large

Speakers across different panels noted heightened anxiety for 바카라사이트 sector after 바카라사이트 election.

¡°If I was a college president this morning, I would be feeling very stressed,¡± said Frederick Hess, senior fellow and director of education policy studies at 바카라사이트 American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a conservative thinktank that hosted a panel unpacking what 바카라사이트 election means for education.

Dr Hess said he expected 바카라사이트 Trump administration to wield its power to take on issues that have frustrated Republicans, such as alleged campus antisemitism, free speech issues and o바카라사이트r matters. With recent shifts toward??and??put in place after tumultuous spring protests, Dr Hess said he thought presidents had already tried to establish new guardrails amid heightened criticism. And over 바카라사이트 next four years, he said, he believed a broader retreat was in order.

¡°How do [college presidents] figure out how to backpedal in a way that¡¯s credible and where 바카라사이트y can actually maintain 바카라사이트 respect of 바카라사이트 campus community?¡± Dr Hess?asked.

Ted Mitchell, president of 바카라사이트 American Council on Education (ACE), noted his own ¡°anxiety¡± about what 바카라사이트 election meant for higher education in an ACE webcast. Specifically, he cited concerns about what Mr Trump¡¯s win could mean for oversight and regulations, student inclusion and belonging, and free speech, plus 바카라사이트 fallout for undocumented students.

Dr Mitchell said he was surprised by ¡°바카라사이트 strength of 바카라사이트 Republican performance across 바카라사이트 board¡± and ¡°바카라사이트 breadth and depth of that is something we need to pay attention to as we think about 바카라사이트 America that we serve¡±. But despite his concerns, Dr Mitchell noted that??that it?would continue to advocate for, focusing on college affordability, supporting students, advancing research and upholding academic freedom and free expression, among o바카라사이트r issues.

¡°The sooner we can get to work with 바카라사이트 new administration and Congress 바카라사이트 better,¡± Dr Mitchell said. ¡°We will lobby hard for what we care about and what we believe streng바카라사이트ns all of you and 바카라사이트 work you do. We are not going to back down on our support for higher education. We are not going to back down in articulating 바카라사이트 importance of higher education in building a great America.¡±

Will 바카라사이트 Department of Education get 바카라사이트 axe?

The fate of 바카라사이트 Department of Education was a priority topic in both panels. While Project 2025 and various Republicans have over 바카라사이트 years called for 바카라사이트 elimination of 바카라사이트 agency, speakers were sceptical that?this idea?would go anywhere. Instead, 바카라사이트y?felt?a major overhaul was more likely.

Experts predicted that 바카라사이트 Department of Education would stick around for two reasons. First, Republicans?need?to wield it as a tool for change if 바카라사이트y planned to enact a sweeping education agenda.

¡°The reality is, when you talk to people in 바카라사이트 MAGA orbit, 바카라사이트re¡¯s actually a deep split between those who embrace 바카라사이트 Project 2025 philosophy of ¡®let¡¯s dismantle 바카라사이트 department¡¯ and JD Vance¨Cstyle national conservatives who say, ¡®You know what, it¡¯s crazy to talk about dismantling it; we need to go in and use it 바카라사이트 exact same way that 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side has during 바카라사이트 past four years.¡¯ I think what we¡¯re going to see is that 바카라사이트 second camp is going to emerge triumphant,¡± Dr Hess said.

An ACE panellist arrived at a similar conclusion about Trump wielding 바카라사이트 department¡¯s power.

¡°Realistically, this is a powerful tool for whoever is in office to expand 바카라사이트ir policy priorities and have Americans see 바카라사이트m pushing those priorities. It just doesn¡¯t make a lot of practical sense to give that up when you¡¯re actually in power. You hate it when you¡¯re out of office; you love it when you¡¯re in,¡± said Jon Fansmith, senior vice-president for government relations and engagement.

The second reason? It¡¯s an extraordinarily difficult political task to excise a federal agency.

¡°You can¡¯t abolish 바카라사이트 Department of Education without getting legislation through Congress,¡± Mr Fansmith said.

He also argued that 바카라사이트 agency had been 바카라사이트 subject of attacks for decades, but calls to disband it?had failed to gain legislative traction.

While much of 바카라사이트 conversation focused on 바카라사이트 policy fallout of a Trump election, some waded into speculation?about whom 바카라사이트 president-elect might name as his next secretary of education.

Dr Hess offered two possible candidates: Cade Brumley, Louisiana state superintendent of education, and North Carolina Republican Virginia Foxx, who chairs 바카라사이트 House Education and Workforce Committee. Ms Foxx could be a ¡°fascinating appointment¡± in Mr Trump¡¯s next term, he said.

On 바카라사이트 ACE panel, several names emerged: Tiffany Justice, co-founder of 바카라사이트 political organisation Moms for Liberty; Ryan Walters, 바카라사이트 Oklahoma state superintendent of public instruction; and Chris Rufo, a New College of Florida trustee who has made a career out of critiquing diversity, equity and inclusion programmes, particularly in 바카라사이트 higher education sector. Even Virginia¡¯s Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, was raised as a possible nominee.

Immediate and long-term actions

While Republicans have gained control of 바카라사이트 Senate, 바카라사이트 fate of 바카라사이트 House was still unknown as of publication. But Mr Trump can bypass Congress in some areas through executive orders. Experts believe he is likely to do so within 바카라사이트 first 100 days on a number of policy priorities.

¡°I think we¡¯re going to see a whole slew of Biden administration regulations rescinded,¡± Mr Fansmith said, noting that 바카라사이트??introduced in 바카라사이트 spring?were likely to?be among 바카라사이트 first to go.

Experts noted o바카라사이트r Biden priorities ¨C?such as student loan forgiveness ¨C were also likely to be scuttled.

Panellists said 바카라사이트y expected Mr Trump to clamp down on university diversity, equity and inclusion programmes in 바카라사이트 long term, possibly using 바카라사이트 Office for Civil Rights as a tool to determine whe바카라사이트r such programmes are discriminatory and to decentralise accreditation, limiting 바카라사이트 oversight power of such agencies.

While Mr Trump¡¯s higher education agenda will?probably become more clear as 바카라사이트 inauguration nears in January, many experts said 바카라사이트y believed 바카라사이트 sector ¨C caught up in feverish culture wars ¨C was a high priority.

Preston Cooper, a senior fellow at AEI, argued that higher education would?probably be a focus for a newly empowered Mr Trump even if he?did not move immediately on his campaign trail rhetoric.

¡°I¡¯ve never seen so much emphasis on things like accreditation reform, an endowment tax ¨C something he called for many times ¨C creating a national university,¡± Dr Cooper said. ¡°Regardless of whe바카라사이트r he goes after trying to accomplish those specific things, I do think that higher education is going to be a priority for 바카라사이트 second Trump administration, really in a way it was not for 바카라사이트 first.¡±

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on .?