College Matters from The Chronicle The Higher Ed Group Fighting Trump
Feb 18, 2026
Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education and former U.S. undersecretary of education, leads higher-ed advocacy and litigation. He discusses ACE’s unusual turn to court to block federal research cuts. He frames threats to campus autonomy, worries about international-student restrictions, and explains the fight over indirect-cost research funding.
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ACE's Dramatic Annual Meeting Entrance
- At ACE's annual meeting, Ted Mitchell opened with a combative speech and unexpected Game of Thrones music to signal a defensive posture.
- He told members they were "under assault" and needed blunt messaging to prepare for the year ahead.
Federal Moves Threaten Campus Autonomy
- The Trump administration is attempting to curtail institutional autonomy across American higher education.
- Ted Mitchell frames actions on hiring, admissions, and research as an orchestrated push to insert federal control over universities' core freedoms.
Four Freedoms That Define Academic Independence
- Four core freedoms define U.S. higher education: who to teach, who teaches, what to teach, and what research to pursue.
- Mitchell says the administration has tried to encroach on each freedom, prompting ACE action when those lines are crossed.