Trusteeship

“You Can’t Say That!” Government Censorship of Colleges and Universities

By Kevin P. Reilly and Amy Reid

Censorship on college campuses has risen drastically in recent years, with state and federal governments attempting to dictate what can and cannot be said on campus, what must and must not be taught in the curriculum. In this environment, it is essential that boards ensure the integrity and independence of their institutions.

Higher education has confronted overwhelming challenges since January 2025. Not only have individual institutions faced investigations, lawsuits, and coercive “offers” from the federal government, but whole swaths of the sector have had to adapt to rapidly shifting landscapes. Once stable structures for accreditation, financial aid, research funding, curricular standards, and visas for international students, researchers, and faculty now teeter. Even the principles of institutional autonomy and campus free expression are called into question.

In this climate, much attention has been focused on the impact of the federal administration’s moves, and with good reason. Whether one considers the impact of billions of dollars of cuts to research funding, the targeted attacks on some of the nation’s most storied private and public research universities, or the more than 8,000 student visas that have been revoked, the scale of the onslaught is staggering. The immediate and long-term consequences of these unprecedented federal initiatives reverberate outward from campuses, impacting local communities, international cooperation, and the health of many Americans…

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