Top college communicators share how they are dealing with massive policy shifts while building belief in the value of higher education
Anxiety. Worry. Stress. Whiplash. These are just some of the emotions we heard from communication leaders at the nation’s top colleges and universities, as they described the first couple of months of the second Trump administration during Peppercomm’s recent salon discussion.
Indeed, higher ed appears to be in the crosshairs of the 47th president of the United States, with a slew of executive orders and policy changes before he’s even marked his 100 days in office. This includes a directive to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at institutions that receive federal funding, investigations into schools that experienced student protests, and of course – the push to shut down the Department of Education indefinitely.
This is all occurring during a time of heightened concern about the demographic cliff facing the U.S. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education recently shared that the number of 18-year-olds graduating from high school is anticipated to drop by 13% by 2041. At the same time, the gender gap is widening in higher ed with women outnumbering men in nearly every state according to the Department of Education.
Our salon participants discussed everything that has impacted their institutions, contributing to a candid dialogue on campus sentiment, how they have responded to policy changes, and what they foresee as the most critical challenges ahead. Below is a recap of some of their insightful comments. (The panel operated under Chatham House Rules, so we have omitted participant names)
Everyone is scared of something
Whether it’s female staff members who are concerned about their reproductive health, or LGBTQ+ colleagues afraid their marriage will be challenged, the new normal at higher ed institutions is simply that these new policies are touching many lives in a profound way.
With the new hardline stance on immigration, schools are also taking a longer-lead approach to ensure their international students can avoid the red tape and attend school once they’ve been accepted. As an example, one institution has put in more than 250 requests through its advocacy and support team to expedite the visa process for its incoming international students. This introduces a whole new element of worry for students coming from other countries – If I’m accepted by a U.S. university, how likely is it that I’ll be allowed into the country to receive my education, let alone get my visa in time to make it for the first day of school?
There is an unknown financial impact
Our participants agreed that the policy shifts impacting higher education will quickly become a cash flow issue. One institution that had been receiving several grants from the National Institute of Health is now out $20 million after those grants were halted. Situations like these will continue to arise, and our panelists wondered aloud at what point will it reach a payroll crisis stage that could result in some schools having to reduce their workforce.
Significant cuts to federal funding mean there will be fewer people to do the work, including grant proposal reviews and interviewing prospective students looking for visas in their home countries. The strain on resources will further delay some of this essential work as well as hit their regional workforce. Many institutions are large employers in their local communities, and they may be forced to reduce the number of local employees across their campuses.
We also discussed the endowment tax, which could go up as high as 21 percent. While this only affects schools above a certain threshold (potentially $200,000 in assets per student), any endowment tax increase means higher education institutions will face greater scrutiny than other non-profits. This can cause additional challenges for schools when developing regional and local partnerships.
They changed the game… do you change the name?
With DEI becoming the most vilified acronym of the decade, schools are scrambling to enact name changes that will make their departments, programs and scholarships less likely to be targeted. Most have conducted website audits to see if anything needs to be changed. One panelist even noted she’s been spending time editing faculty bios, looking out for key words that might elicit a request from the government for removal (think of words like “race,” “ethnicity” and “underrepresented”).
It’s a fine line between making these changes and honoring the values of the school. Many faculty members and students have become wary of doing any DEI research. As such, it’s become more important than ever to guide their academic and research pursuits, developing nomenclature that allows them to fulfill their academic passions while flying below the radar. One suggestion from our panel was to provide the campus community with an FAQ webpage outlining what name changes the school is considering and the reasons for the shift.
All eyes are on us, so how do we respond?
Amid the turmoil, it seems like everyone is looking to their colleges and universities to understand what they are doing and how they are taking action. Virtually all of our participants said that the most effective option to hold these conversations with the campus community – and to help alleviate some of the anxiety – is through town halls. Because of Freedom of Information (FOIA) laws, they’re extra vigilant about what to put in writing, so having in-person, closed forums is a safer bet.
Most of our panelists have been working hard on messaging to their campus communities to protect their reputations and avoid being pulled into the political fray. But they noted that for all the focus on the Office for Civil Rights and the “Dear Colleague” letter, it’s critical that institutions also continue the everyday work of building their educational brand among declining enrollment, increased costs and greater scrutiny of the value of a college education or secondary degree.
Communications leaders like our panelists hold prominent roles in driving growth at their higher ed institutions amid a divisive political environment. It is essential that they work towards building their schools’ reputations, while clearly and consistently communicating their educational mission. This includes developing a robust and proactive communications plan that tells the success stories and illustrates that the college experience is more than just paying for a diploma and guaranteeing a job within six months of graduation. Institutions must also implement a meticulous thought leadership strategy for key faculty and leadership that highlights how they are developing critical thinking skills, fostering a sense of belonging and driving breakthroughs that solve the world’s greatest challenges. Now is the time to reinforce the enormous learning potential at these institutions – which will benefit our economy, our country and the world.
