Dive Brief:

• The American Association of University Professors has issued a statement of rebuke for President Donald Trump, calling his election a threat to academic freedom at a variety of levels.
• In a statement, members rejected divisive remarks Trump made during his presidential campaign. “His remarks about minorities, immigrants, and women have on some campuses had a chilling effect on the rights of students and faculty members to speak out.”
• The association also cited Trump’s lack of clear vision for higher education as a troubling sign for the industry at large.

Dive Insight:

Perhaps there is little to glean about Donald Trump’s specific ideas about higher education, but if the Republican party’s platform is any indicator, there is every reason to believe that colleges will have greater challenges with racial and ethnic tolerance, a resurgence of for-profit proliferation and increasing cuts to the academic enterprise.

Trump may not have a clue about the higher education industry and how it supports industry or human flourishing, but he does recognize it is an industry which can help municipalities and states make money, and with lower overhead than the government is currently supporting. Endowment management and administrative bloat are sure to be targets come Jan. 21, 2017.