On August 3, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education issued a call to action to all university presidents and governing boards, inviting responses to a series of questions by the end of 2026. You can read the document.
Department of Education letter for all university presidents and governing boards
August 3, 2026
Yale President Maurie McInnis invites members of the Yale community to share suggestions about how to describe the work being done on campus: how the tangible ways our pursuit of knowledge serves the nation and the world, and how our ability to excel in teaching and research while sustaining a climate of open inquiry depends on academic freedom, independent academic judgment, and self-governance.
No, the Department of Education’s letter is unrelated to the DOJ’s investigations into the admissions practices of YSM, YC, and YLS. The DoEd’s questions were sent to all U.S. universities.
In her August 3rd statement, President McInnis invited the Yale community to provide their input. In addition, the work done by the faculty-led Committee on Trust in Higher Education addressed many of the topics in the DoEd letter. You can read the president’s response to the faculty report. University leaders will update the community on any additional next steps after carefully reviewing the questions and community input.
No, President McInnis did not receive advance notice from the government about the letter, nor did she have any input or discussions regarding the letter and questions with the government. As a member of the Board of Directors for AAU, she was recently made aware of the letter through the government’s communication with the AAU president.
No, Yale formed the Committee on Trust in Higher Education in April 2025, and the committee completed its work in April 2026. The letter from the Department of Education was released in August 2026, and it references the faculty-led trust report, but Yale was not informed that it would be included.