Give it the Old College Try

Some good news from the attack on higher eduction. Harvard Will Fight Trump’s Demands. From University President Alan M. Garber: “No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.” Oh yeah, we live in America.

+ “This is my radical proposal for universities: Act like universities, not like businesses. Spend your endowments. Accept more, not fewer students. Open up your campuses and expand your reach not by buying real estate but by bringing education to communities. Create a base. Become a movement. Alternatively, you can try to negotiate with a mafia boss who wants to see you grovel. When these negotiations fail, as they inevitably will, it will be too late to ask for the public’s support.” M Gessen in the NYT (Gift Article): This Is How Universities Can Escape Trump’s Trap, If They Dare.

+ Adam Unikowsky in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Why My Firm Is Standing Up for the Constitution. “Big Law should remain independent rather than have the government dictate who it represents.” (These battles can be won, but only if a lot more universities and law firms join the fight.)