As president of the American Council on Education, Ted Mitchell is at the tip of the spear. A year ago, when the Trump administration moved to slash federal research funding, ACE joined a lawsuit to stop the cuts. This was a major departure for the influential higher-ed advocacy group, which is hardly ever a plaintiff in litigation. In Trump’s second term, ACE has taken a notably pugilistic approach. In addition to fighting in courtrooms, Mitchell has been active in the court of public opinion, casting the Trump administration’s agenda as both unlawful and unwise. But not everyone agrees on the nature of the Trump threat or how to respond to it, which puts Mitchell in a tricky spot. Can he unite this disparate constituency?

Related Reading
How Higher Ed Staved Off a Research-Funding Bloodbath — For Now (The Chronicle)

Statement by Higher Education Associations in Opposition to Trump Administration Compact (American Council on Education)

'A Robust Victory: Federal Judge Says Harvard Should have Billions of Research Dollars Restored (The Chronicle)

Guest
Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education

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