CMC column: Reestablishing the social contract for public higher education

Higher education finds itself at a crossroads. Public confidence in colleges and universities has fallen, questions about affordability and value dominate headlines, and policymakers increasingly expect institutions to demonstrate clear public benefit. Against that backdrop, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon recently sent a letter to every college and university president in America calling on them to publicly reaffirm their commitments to academic rigor, free inquiry, workforce preparation and service to country. As president of Colorado Mountain College, I welcomed the request, as I seldom miss an opportunity to brag about CMC’s awesomeness. I’m immensely proud of the college’s accomplishments and its commitments to free speech, academic freedom and service to community. If we’re being honest, the principles outlined in the secretary’s letter are reasonable expectations for American colleges and universities, especially those in the public sector. They’re the very questions college leaders ask themselves every day. With this in mind, the following reflect Colorado Mountain College’s responses to the seven topics found in McMahon’s letter: 1. Transparency and merit in admissions: Are colleges being clear about whom they admit and how admissions decisions are made? No concerns here. Since its founding nearly 60 years ago, Colorado Mountain College has been an open-enrollment institution that admits 100% of all qualified applicants. Done and done. 2. Free speech and open inquiry: Are colleges protecting free expression, open debate and the exchange of ideas? Free speech, academic freedom and political plurality are all expectations of CMC’s environment. Moreover, as a public institution, the college must comply with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That obligation is not subject to reinterpretation. Yep, the First Amendment is alive and well at CMC. 3. Intellectual pluralism and academic vitality: Are colleges encouraging intellectual diversity and fostering healthy academic environments? As was just mentioned, Colorado Mountain College embraces intellectual pluralism, unqualified freedom of speech and academic freedom. Long before these topics were a concern to Congress or the executive branch, CMC adopted principles of institutional neutrality. Additionally, I have written about these topics extensively and consistently. Through the college’s Center for Civics Education and Engagement, CMC hosts speakers and organizations representing a broad range of political beliefs, as we have always understood that the only way to arrive at the truth is by listening to and wrestling with ideas contrary to our preferences. 4. Affordability, value and student outcomes: Are students receiving an affordable education that provides real value and positive outcomes after graduation? This is an area where CMC truly shines. By design, Colorado Mountain College offers one of the most affordable educations in the nation, with in-district tuition at $110 per credit hour. Our students also graduate with the lowest average loan debt in Colorado, a figure that has declined annually for more than five years, while the college’s graduation numbers have reached all-time highs. These results helped earn CMC recognition as a finalist for the prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, one of the nation’s highest honors for student success and outcomes. Affordability and high return on investment are cornerstone principles at CMC. 5. Academic standards and rigor in the age of AI: How can colleges maintain academic rigor and high-quality teaching in the age of artificial intelligence? Like all colleges, CMC is wrestling with the meaning and potential impact, positive and negative, of AI (including the overuse of the long dash). The ways in which the technology is (re)shaping higher education are very real. Nevertheless, faculty and staff are working to modernize instruction and reduce the ways it is vulnerable to AI. Humans still evaluate learning here, and the college regularly invests in faculty training and support. This work remains ongoing. 6. Safeguarding research integrity from malign foreign influence: How can colleges protect academic programs and research from inappropriate outside influence? Since its founding, CMC has prided itself on being a teaching college. It does not have a formal research division or department, though some faculty and students are engaged in small research projects from time to time. We teach humans to do human work, such as nurses, firefighters and police officers, and thus have no exposure to malign foreign influences. 7. Prioritizing American interests: How can colleges meet workforce needs and contribute to the nation’s prosperity and security? For more than a decade, CMC has integrated the use of labor-market-aware practices into its everyday activities. All new academic programs must achieve livable wage outcomes for graduates, and faculty and staff are devising new ways to deliver programming that advantages students, such as expanding apprenticeships. Heck, earlier this week, a high-level representative from the state told me that CMC is “the most workforce aligned college in all of Colorado.” Our goal is to ensure that no student ever leaves the college worse off than when they arrived. So, yes, Madam Secretary, Colorado Mountain College is comfortably in compliance with your call to action. As long as I have the privilege to serve as president, my colleagues and I will continue to be a source of pride for the taxpayers, students, alumni and businesses who support the college. And this is a pledge that requires no outside pressure. It’s why I enthusiastically accepted the best job in all of higher education in the first place. Editing notes: I kept the author’s voice, opinions, humor and overall structure intact. Changes were limited to AP-style capitalization, punctuation, comma usage and minor grammatical corrections. I also changed “malignant foreign influences” to “malign foreign influences” for consistency with the section heading. All original links were preserved. The college’s tuition, student outcomes and other institutional claims were left as written and have not been independently fact-checked. Matt Gianneschi is president of Colorado Mountain College.