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WASHINGTON, DC (October 3, 2025) – The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) today cautioned that the Trump Administration’s new proposed Higher Ed Compact undermines the core principle of independent governance. Ross Mugler, Interim President and CEO of AGB, said by tying essential federal funding to sweeping national directives, the compact risks transforming universities into compliance-driven entities rather than mission-centered institutions, eroding autonomy, academic freedom, and the fiduciary role of governing boards.
“Governing boards are meant to act as fiduciaries for their institutions, not as extensions of political parties or federal agencies. Linking core federal funding to sweeping national directives turns institutions into compliance machines rather than mission-driven centers of learning and discovery. This is ultimate overreach by the federal government into the boardroom, usurping the role of trustees whose job is to govern in the best interest of their institutions.
“If Washington dictates priorities, institutions lose the independence that fuels innovation, access, and academic freedom. When autonomy is stripped away, history shows it is rarely restored. Protecting independent governance and institutional autonomy is essential to safeguarding democracy.” – Ross Mugler, Interim President and CEO of AGB