American higher education is in dire need of reform. But where should we start, and what specific changes are needed? 

Ideally, our colleges and universities would repair themselves from within, but time and time again we see professors, administrators, and other staff unwilling to protect academic freedom, promote disinterested scholarship, and operate their institutions with integrity. This has hollowed out academia, leaving liberal education a mere shell of what it once was. Moreover, it reveals that, now more than ever, change needs to come from the outside.

One way to influence the academy from without is to amend the Higher Education Act (HEA). The HEA, which lists the conditions that American colleges and universities must satisfy in order to receive federal funding, was first passed in 1965 but has not been reauthorized since 2008. If we can change the HEA and we change higher education almost overnight—schools must cater for taxpayer money, which now accounts for about one half of their revenue. How can we reform the HEA to promote educational excellence, integrity, and access?

Join the National Association of Scholars this Wednesday, January 13th at 3 pm ET for the launch of a new report, Freedom to Learn: Amending the Higher Education Act, which proposes a full slate of reforms to the HEA, including in finances, rights, the American national interest, equality, and regulatory reform.

Our proposal would restore higher education to its foundational principles of intellectual freedom and academic rigor. To achieve such a transformation will take courage from all involved—but it will be worth it.

Learn more about the event here.