🔍 The Rise of State-Led Reforms in Higher Education Governance
The Manhattan Institute, a prominent conservative think tank, has recently intensified its campaign to reshape public higher education through targeted state legislation. In late 2025 and early 2026, the organization released two pivotal documents: "Correcting the Core," advocating for stricter oversight of general education curricula, and the "Higher-Education Accountability and Governance Act," a comprehensive model bill aimed at reforming faculty accountability and shared governance structures. These blueprints argue that taxpayer-funded public universities have drifted from their core missions of fostering civic responsibility, intellectual rigor, and professional readiness, often succumbing to ideological influences that prioritize activism over inquiry.
At its heart, the initiative seeks to empower university governing boards—typically appointed by state officials—with greater authority over curriculum approval, faculty hiring, and administrative decisions. Proponents contend this restores accountability, ensuring general education (gen ed) courses—those foundational requirements all undergraduates must complete—align with traditional liberal arts principles. Critics, however, warn of an erosion of academic freedom and faculty autonomy, potentially politicizing classrooms in conservative strongholds.
Breaking Down the General Education Blueprint
The "Correcting the Core" issue brief, authored by Neetu Arnold and published on December 18, 2025, provides a roadmap for states to intervene in gen ed programs. General education, often abbreviated as gen ed, refers to the set of 30-60 credit hours of broad coursework required beyond a student's major, designed to cultivate well-rounded graduates capable of critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and cultural literacy.
Key recommendations include:
- Annual reviews by governing boards or state education agencies to certify courses as "foundational and fundamental," essential for civic or professional life, and reflective of historical liberal arts or preprofessional disciplines.
- Prohibitions on courses endorsing identity politics, theories of inherent oppression based on race, sex, or other protected characteristics, or compelled ideological agreement—echoing Florida's SB 266 from 2023.
- Caps on eligible courses per department (e.g., 10% of undergraduate offerings or five courses) to focus reviews and prevent bloat.
- Public lists of approved gen ed courses on state websites to enhance transparency and aid credit transfers between institutions.
Arnold cites examples of problematic courses, such as the University of Florida's "Be a Social Justice Activist: #Activism, Intersectionality, and Social Movement Organizing," which was removed post-review, and the University of Arizona's "Wokeness: Power, Identity, and the Psyche in Contemporary America." A 2024 report highlighted that two-thirds of surveyed colleges mandated DEI-related gen ed courses, contributing to curricula perceived as activist-driven.
Implementation would occur stepwise: Universities submit proposals publicly 30 days before board votes, with non-compliant institutions risking state funding holds.
Faculty Accountability: The Core of the Model Bill
Building on gen ed reforms, the February 17, 2026, model legislation by John D. Sailer and Tal Fortgang—the "Higher-Education Accountability and Governance Act"—expands board powers dramatically. This 9-section bill redefines shared governance, a longstanding tradition where faculty senates advise on academic matters like curriculum and hiring.
Highlights include:
- Gen Ed Integration (Section 3): Mandatory annual certification of core curricula, with public reports and board votes starting in the 2027–28 academic year.
- Hiring Oversight (Section 4): Boards approve tenure-track job postings (30-day public notice) and top admin hires/promotions; president/provost search committees must be 60%+ board members.
- Faculty Bodies Demoted (Section 5): Senates limited to advisory roles, headed by president-appointed tenured full professors (one-year terms, four-year cooldowns); transparency for no-confidence votes or curriculum decisions.
- Admin Cuts (Section 9): 15% annual salary reductions for managerial roles over five years.
- Compliance (Section 7): Annual certifications required before state funds disbursement.
The rationale: Faculty autonomy has led to insularity, low teaching loads (often 1-2 courses per semester in humanities), and hiring biases favoring ideology over merit, as seen in the University of Tennessee's appointment of a DEI-focused psychologist as dean. Boards, as public stewards, must counter this for taxpayer value.
For faculty navigating these changes, resources like higher ed faculty jobs can highlight opportunities in states embracing reform.
Florida's SB 266: A Proven Precedent
Florida's 2023 Senate Bill 266 serves as the blueprint's real-world test case. It mandates reviews of 15-credit core gen ed courses to excise "historical distortions" or identity politics promotion. Results: University of Florida slashed 75% of proposed courses (from 1,200 to 300 for 2025–26), with humanities losing 527 offerings; state colleges saw 60% reductions.
Removed: Activism-focused classes; retained: Rigorous alternatives like machine learning intros. Proponents hail streamlined, apolitical curricula; detractors note overreach, cutting valid diversity discussions. No major lawsuits have overturned it, signaling viability for other states.Florida SB 266 text
Stakeholder Reactions: A Divided Landscape
Responses split along ideological lines. MI authors Sailer and Fortgang assert, “Democratic oversight offers a corrective path” to faculty “captured by ideological movements.”
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) condemns it as an "assault on shared governance," citing Texas's similar laws as extreme censorship—e.g., restricting Plato discussions on gender without approval. University of Texas faculty decried vague "controversial topics" policies as threats to instruction. PEN America labels it part of a "web of control," with 2025 seeing 25 MI-influenced anti-DEI bills, five enacted.
Neutral observers note potential for rigor gains but risk faculty morale dips. Check Rate My Professor for insights into campus climates amid reforms.
State-Level Momentum and 2026 Prospects
Texas 2025 bills mandated gen ed reviews; its A&M System policy mirrors MI limits on race/gender topics. Louisiana Senate Bill 229 (testified by MI) eyes faculty reforms. Red states like Iowa, Kansas, and Ohio—sites of prior anti-DEI wins—influenced by MI/Goldwater models, may introduce 2026 bills.
| State | Recent Action | MI Influence |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | SB 266 (2023) | Direct model |
| Texas | Gen ed reviews (2025) | Policy alignment |
| Indiana/Ohio | Faculty advisory limits | Shared governance curbs |
With Republican trifectas in 23 states, 2026 sessions could see 10+ bills, per Forbes predictions on higher ed trends.MI Faculty Model Bill
Potential Impacts: Opportunities and Challenges
Positive: Uniform gen ed aids transfers, cuts activist bloat (e.g., Arizona's 500+ courses, 1/3 ideological), boosts ROI via civic-focused grads. Florida's cuts streamlined offerings without enrollment drops.
Challenges: Faculty pushback risks brain drain; vague criteria invite lawsuits (e.g., compelled speech claims). Admin cuts (15%) could disrupt operations but target bloat—U.S. unis spend 25%+ on non-teaching staff.
For administrators, higher ed career advice emphasizes adapting to governance shifts.
Expert Perspectives and Data-Driven Insights
MI references historical precedents like Jefferson's UVA bill granting boards curriculum power. Stats: UF's 75% cull; national DEI mandates in 66% colleges. AAUP counters with academic freedom erosion risks, citing Texas censorship absurdities.
Balanced solution: Pilot programs tying funding to outcomes like graduation rates (national avg. 62% six-year).
Future Outlook: A New Era for Public Colleges?
As 2026 unfolds, expect pilots in Florida/Texas expansions, lawsuits testing constitutionality. Reforms could spread to 15+ states, reshaping 4-year publics (enrolling 6M+ students). Stakeholders should monitor via higher ed jobs, Rate My Professor, and career advice. For faculty openings amid transitions, explore university jobs and faculty roles.
Ultimately, these blueprints challenge the status quo, urging a return to education's foundational promise—or risking overreach in pursuit of accountability.
