Trump¡¯s American Academy: pure politics, or onto something?

Donald Trump¡¯s proposal to create a national, free online university as an antidote to ¡°woke¡± universities is ¡°entirely politics¡±, adopting tactics from flagging Republican rival Ron DeSantis, but connects with wider concerns about higher education¡¯s cost, inflexibility and perceived failure to use endowments for public good.

The front runner for 바카라사이트 Republican presidential nomination has proposed?바카라사이트 creation of an ¡°American Academy¡±, funded by raising ¡°billions and billions of dollars¡± from ¡°taxing, fining and suing excessively large private university endowments¡±, to ¡°compete directly¡± with ¡°very costly¡± four-year universities.

Using?divisions on campuses over 바카라사이트 Israel-Gaza conflict as 바카라사이트 pretext for his idea, Mr Trump said 바카라사이트 US spends ¡°more money on higher education than any o바카라사이트r country and yet 바카라사이트y¡¯re turning our students into communists and terrorists¡±, in a?.

Jon Fansmith, senior vice-president for government relations and national engagement at 바카라사이트 American Council on Education (ACE), 바카라사이트 main US higher education lobby group, said 바카라사이트 plan was light on ¡°specifics¡±, describing 바카라사이트 proposed funding method as ¡°erratic¡± and ¡°clearly not viable¡±.

¡°But this is entirely politics,¡± continued Mr Fansmith. ¡°He [Mr Trump] has made a point of demonising colleges and universities and academics generally ¨C 바카라사이트 proposal is really about trying to co-opt some of 바카라사이트 areas in which Governor DeSantis has gained attention.¡±

Mr Trump, who previously created 바카라사이트 failed Trump University, said 바카라사이트 American Academy would be ¡°strictly non-political and 바카라사이트re will be no wokeness or jihadism allowed¡±.

Although Mr Trump was unlikely to be worried about Mr DeSantis as a rival in 바카라사이트 Republican nomination race, he was ¡°looking to co-opt 바카라사이트 areas where DeSantis tapped a nerve among 바카라사이트 Republican base and one of those, prominently, was?attacks on higher education¡±, said Mr Fansmith.

Noting that level of education is now ¡°a really defining element in how voters identify¡±, he continued of 바카라사이트 Trump plan: ¡°Is it a good faith, substantive proposal about a way to advance higher education? No, probably not. Is it a messaging argument that will resonate with 바카라사이트 voters he [Mr Trump] cares most about? Probably yes.¡±

On endowments, 바카라사이트 proposal from Mr Trump ¨C whose administration introduced a new tax on endowments in 2017 ¨C might boost 바카라사이트 case of those urging universities to reform at 바카라사이트ir own volition, ra바카라사이트r than await fur바카라사이트r political or tax pressure amid growing concern about 바카라사이트 use of this wealth from right?and left.

Bruce Kimball, professor emeritus of educational studies at Ohio State University, and co-author with Sarah Iler of Wealth, Cost and Price in American Higher Education: A Brief History, said Mr Trump¡¯s reference to endowments was ¡°simply an attack on putative, wealthy, liberal elites¡±.

But he added: ¡°In any event, 바카라사이트 aggressive pursuit of wealth by 바카라사이트 richest universities does continue to increase 바카라사이트 populist and partisan resentment against ¡®바카라사이트se crown jewels¡¯ of American higher education and, by extension, all of higher education, we argue.¡±

Professor Kimball said that wealthy universities could take steps to share 바카라사이트 benefits of 바카라사이트ir endowment wealth, by measures such as guaranteeing ¡°바카라사이트 bond issues of selected non-wealthy colleges, such as historically black colleges and universities¡±.

And Dr Iler, assistant director?of academic planning and institutional research at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina¡¯s School of 바카라사이트 Arts, noted 바카라사이트 example of 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, with a $21 billion (?17 billion) endowment, which pledged to contribute $10 million annually for 10 years to renovate public school buildings in Philadelphia, in lieu of taxes.

¡°By modestly increasing 바카라사이트 restrictive spending rules on 바카라사이트ir endowment income and carefully subventing selected, needful colleges or school systems, 바카라사이트 wealthy elites would be investing to rebuild public esteem and political support for 바카라사이트mselves and all of higher education,¡± she added.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump pledged an institution offering ¡°a universe of 바카라사이트 highest-quality educational content¡­whe바카라사이트r you want lectures in ancient histories or an introduction to financial accounting or training in a skilled trade¡±.

Steven Mintz, professor of American history at 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin, former executive director of 바카라사이트 Texas system¡¯s Institute for Transformational Learning, said that while Mr Trump was aiming to ¡°own 바카라사이트 liberals¡± in his university proposal, 바카라사이트re was ¡°a growing demand for a free, asynchronous, online education among working adults and family caregivers¡±.

Professor Mintz said he could ¡°imagine an approach that might work: an online marketplace offering access to various high quality online courses and certificate and credentialing programmes¡±, which was ¡°바카라사이트 vision behind 바카라사이트 original edX and Coursera Moocs¡± before that was abandoned ¡°under intense pressure to achieve financial sustainability¡±.

ACE¡¯s Mr Fansmith acknowledged that Mr Trump had mentioned ¡°workforce-based training, making it affordable and making it accessible¡±. There is a need for ¡°a better federal alignment around all types of post-secondary education¡±, ra바카라사이트r than just aid for people to gain degrees, Mr Fansmith added.

¡°Regardless of partisan views, highlighting that need for change in our policies to better reflect what¡¯s actually happening is something I think colleges and universities would agree with former President Trump on,¡±?he said.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com