College Presidents on Trump, Tuition and Universities Under Pressure
From impending funding cuts to ballooning costs, an industry still reeling from student protests is facing some of its biggest challenges in decades.
Linda Mills, Marc Parlange, Kevin Weinman, Anne Harris and Justin Schwartz.
Photographer: Maegan Gindi for Bloomberg Businessweek. Set Design: Colin Whalen
Is there a worse time to be a college president? As public opinion on higher education continues to sour and the Donald Trump administration threatens huge spending cuts, to say nothing of roiling protests or crippling sticker shock, campuses are on edge. Bloomberg Businessweek sat down with decision-makers at five top-ranked US schools—Linda Mills, president of New York University; Marc Parlange, president of the University of Rhode Island; Kevin Weinman, president of Marist University; Anne Harris, president of Grinnell College; and Justin Schwartz, chancellor of the University of Colorado Boulder—to hear how they’re navigating a potential funding crisis and selling the value of a degree in today’s polarized landscape. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Mills: Before I became president, I was in senior administration for 20 years. I did crisis response the whole time. I feel very grateful for that.