Higher education must be rebuilt to restore public trust. Here’s how.
Preview:
The heads of the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors argue that the erosion of public trust in higher education is not a messaging problem but the predictable result of decades of disinvestment, contingent labor, and the subordination of public mission to market logic. Their joint blueprint calls for free and accessible higher education, fair pay and job security for faculty and staff, democratic governance, and robust public funding. Restoring trust, they contend, requires rebuilding the system so it genuinely serves students, workers, and communities rather than incremental reforms.
Originally published: May 26, 2026
Author: Randi Weingarten, Todd Wolfson
Position: President, President
Institution: American Association of University Professors, American Federation of Teachers
Published by: Higher Ed Dive