Abstract:
Neoliberalism redefined a college education as a private good; reduced state funding for public higher education; emphasized graduation rates, postgraduation employment outcomes, and institutional metrics; and used performance-based funding to force reform measures. As philanthropic foundations adopted neoliberal principles, they promoted these reform measures in higher education, undermining the autonomy of colleges and universities as well as academic freedom. Neoliberal philanthropic foundations used direct and indirect approaches to reshape higher education, with conservative foundations seeking and exerting undue influence on colleges and universities. Recently, their work, particularly Project 2025 by the Heritage Foundation, has guided the Trump regime’s broad assault on higher education.
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