“In my opinion, the world of education could do a lot worse,” Klatt said of McMahon.
He also noted that Trump’s policy goals are vague but bold, focusing on policy, process and politics. He said some of the proposals – such as abolishing the Ministry of Education – seemed unlikely. Such a move would be a major undertaking that would require Democratic legislative support given the narrow Republican majority in Congress.
Klatt argued that Trump’s threats to repeal the DEI could be just as difficult to follow through on. It’s unclear how the Department of Education might act on such a request, though he expects “an executive order or something like that to come out very early” in Trump’s second term.
“The Department of Education will face a number of challenges,” he said, including the lack of consensus on what constitutes DEI, which will require ED to develop a clear definition.
While he expects Trump’s rhetoric to align more closely with policy in his second administration than it did in his first, Klatt said the key question for him is, “Can Republicans govern?” he said it was. Although the GOP controls the House, Senate and executive branch, Klatt said he wouldn’t be surprised to see challenges due to infighting and the reluctance of some incumbents to take politically risky moves with midterm elections around the corner.
But for all the uncertainty about the incoming administration’s impact on the executive branch, Klatt said he thinks it’s clear that Trump will roll back a number of regulations, likely hitting the Biden administration’s Title IX rules and efforts to reduce student loans.
A candid conversation with college presidents
At the conference moderated by Inside Higher EdThe three presidents asked questions about federal policy, college financial issues, and the role of accreditor oversight.
Asked about Trump’s threat to fire accreditors, Manor College President and MSCHE Commissioner Jonathan Perry is skeptical that the president-elect can follow through on that promise.
“It would require an act of Congress,” Perry said, noting that the tight margins would make it harder for Trump to drop accreditors or create new accrediting bodies.
Inside Higher Ed he also asked the panel of presidents about Trump’s threat of mass deportation for undocumented immigrants and what effect that might have on their students and community.
Elizabeth MacLeod Walls, president of the College of Washington and Jefferson, said the problem “may not affect our student population as much as it does today, but it is a concern for students’ families and surrounding communities.” He said his focus is not “waiting for any specific policy changes from the Trump administration,” but that he is willing to support students.
Randy VanWagoner, president of Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, New York, expressed concern about how such threats might be perceived by his area’s large refugee population, which has undergone a rigorous immigration process. He is concerned about “the potential for them to become undocumented migrants and immigrants” and also face the threat of deportation.
Panelists also questioned whether there are too many colleges in Pennsylvania facing dire demographics and whether some are closing. (Four Pennsylvania colleges have announced closings this year, while others have merged.)
“My perspective here is that it’s not so much the institution; Is this what keeps students from getting into or getting college?” Peri said, citing cost concerns as a factor. Peri also emphasized the importance of increasing auxiliary revenue for colleges to stabilize their finances.
One of the Pennsylvania institutions that closed abruptly this year was the University of the Arts, located minutes away from the MSCHE conference venue in downtown Philadelphia. The closure was due to mysterious financial issues that have not been fully explained.
Asked whether accreditors are doing enough to detect financial problems early, Peri suggested that “our institutions’ relationships with our accreditors are synergistic and strong communication, and what we see in the press is the outliers” — troubled colleges. A “rapid drop” in enrollment and a lack of “effective communication” from administrators. He added that MSCHE is always working to improve communication with colleges while updating processes.
Accreditors are paying more attention than ever, MacLeod Walls said. However, he noted that sometimes the accreditors are not aware of the events; While colleges regularly submit financial data, it can be difficult for accreditors to account for unexpected financial issues that suddenly arise and deal severe or fatal blows to institutions.
“Too often, the financial stress that leads to closure happens very quickly. It’s cumulative and it doesn’t surprise people, but one bad financial move by an already struggling institution can force them to make some really tough decisions very quickly,” MacLeod Walls said.
The presidents, who ended the session with a positive result, discussed what gave them hope. MacLeod Walls and Peri responded to the students, celebrating their creativity and the excitement of seeing them grow as people. The student athletes showed examples of character and sportsmanship.
VanWagoner extended this concept to workers pursuing colleges.
“While our students inspire us, the adaptability of the faculty and staff I have witnessed over the past 10 years gives me hope,” he said.
