With a Republican trifecta in Washington, a new era of college oversight is on its way

USA TODAY

Zachary Schermele

November 20, 2024

WASHINGTON – There’s an irony to how some Republicans are thinking about policing the nation’s colleges.

On the one hand, conservatives believe in small government and fewer regulations. An executive order issued by President Donald Trump in 2017 directed every federal agency, including the U.S. Department of Education, to “alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens.” Before he secured a second term this month, Trump called for the Education Department to be dismantled.

On the other hand, Republicans have become increasingly critical of “liberal indoctrination” on campus and are pitching big ideas about reforming how colleges work. But some of those proposals would likely require more government intervention, not less.

The president-elect, for instance, wants to create a new tuition-free university funded entirely by taxes on the richest schools. Others in his party have demanded that the feds intervene to curb diversity, equity and inclusion positions and programs while doing more to address antisemitism on campuses. Several far-reaching GOP-sponsored bills in Congress – proposing to reshape the student loan system and end “wokeness” on campus – would dramatically change the rules governing colleges and the students they serve.

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