Committee on Trust in Higher Education

Our nation’s universities make vital contributions to American society. Faculty, students, and staff conduct pioneering research and contribute to transformative educational experiences across all fields of knowledge. They think together about sources of past wisdom and push the boundaries of today’s received thought. More than two million students complete college and graduate school across the U.S. each year, going on to significant careers in both public and private sectors.

Yet confidence in higher education is at an all-time low across the political spectrum. According to the latest Gallup data, a third of U.S. adults have little to no confidence in higher education, and more than two-thirds believe it is heading in the wrong direction. These sentiments cross partisan divides. They encompass many critiques.

To address them, those who care about the future of American colleges and universities must engage in the sort of open discourse and self-reflection that isand should bea hallmark of the best forms of higher education. The free exchange of ideas is foundational to the mission of any university. However, self-censorship has become an increasing concern on many campuses, including Yale’s. 

At this defining moment in higher education, it is imperative to understand the erosion of trust in colleges and universities nationwide. As they come under attack in the public square, universities must redouble commitments to academic freedom and free speech. At the same time, they cannot operate sealed off from the society in which they are embedded, and which they were established to serve. The future of American higher education depends on a restoration of public trust and legitimacy. 

To actively address these issues, President McInnis has formed a Committee on Trust in Higher Education. Its charge is to draw on the knowledge and experience of experts, citizens, and scholarsincluding members of the Yale facultyto better understand public perception and envision ways of strengthening trust in higher education. The committee will engage the Yale community as well as its outside critics. It will invite external experts with varied viewpoints and backgrounds to provide perspective and to weigh how best to address the erosion of trust in higher education. It will explore possibilities for enhancing the open exchange of ideas on campus, in the classroom and beyond. 
 

Committee Members

Julia Adams

Julia Adams (Co-Chair)
Margaret H. Marshall Professor of Sociology

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Beverly Gage

Beverly Gage (Co-Chair)
John Lewis Gaddis Professor of History 

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Anton Bennett

Anton Bennett 
Dorys McConnell Duberg Professor of Pharmacology and Professor of Comparative Medicine

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Marijeta Bozovic

Marijeta Bozovic
Professor of Slavic Languages & Literatures

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David Bromwich

David Bromwich
Sterling Professor of English

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Judith Chevalier

Judy Chevalier
William S. Beinecke Professor of Finance and Economics and Faculty Director for the Program on Social Enterprise, Innovation, and Impact

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Jason Hockenberry

Jason Hockenberry
Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Department Chair and Professor of Public Health (Health Policy)

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Anthony Leiserowitz

Anthony Leiserowitz
JoshAni-TomKat Professor of Climate Communication; Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC)

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Priya Natarajan

Priya Natarajan
Joseph S. and Sophia S. Fruton Professor of Astronomy and Professor of Physics

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Sarath Sanga

Sarath Sanga
Professor of Law and Co-Director, Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law

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