Can conservative governors fix higher ed?
Andy Smarick, an American Habits contributor, has an excellent new piece in City Journal arguing that conservative-minded governors are uniquely positioned to lead the much needed wave of higher education reform. His basic point is compelling: when conservatives have achieved major domestic policy victories in recent decades, governors are usually at the center of the action.
Smarick points to higher education today, linking it with past state-led reforms in K-12 education and welfare. In both cases, Washington was slow or unable to respond effectively, while governors such as Wisconsin’s Tommy Thompson and Michigan’s John Engler used state authority to test new ideas, build support, and show that reform was possible.
Smarick wisely argues that higher education is now ripe for a similar moment, especially given rising public mistrust, dissatisfaction with costs, and ideological concerns with the industry. The enrollment demographic cliff, with fewer college-aged students in the population, is making the competition for students even more intense. More colleges and universities, particularly smaller private ones, will close.
I’ve noticed my own alma mater and other Southeastern Conference universities seem to be drawing more students from up north, where many seem to be attracted to campus Greek life and less hyper-charged ideologically environments. The growth of civic minded schools, like the Hamilton Center at the University of Florida, is an encouraging sign.
One important point that Smarick brought up is reform has likely been slow because of nostalgia for universities and the college experience by older demographics in the population. I’d also argue the NIL era in big college sports is also playing a role in slowing some reform. If a university has a successful college football or basketball program, a “don’t rock the boat” mentality tends to win out. But higher-ed oversight is essential by state lawmakers and I’m a big advocate that your public state universities should reflect the general population and values of your state.
The larger lesson from Smarick’s piece is that reform rarely begins in Washington. More often, it begins in the states, where courageous governors are willing to act. Let’s hope they do. I think there is little doubt many universities and colleges will look a lot different in the next decade and concerns about return on investment will only grow in the populace. The easy access to federal loan money is not helping the vast majority of families and individuals. I think that’s a prime reason on the importance of getting the federal government’s tentacles further away from higher-ed.
—Ray Nothstine
— The Federalism Beat