The College Fix

OPINION: From potential Education Department reforms to campus culture wars, universities face pivotal year ahead

We predict 2025 promises to be a pivotal year for higher education as campuses grapple with the intersection of politics, culture, and academic freedom. Under President-elect Donald Trump, colleges and universities that traditionally lean left will face new and mounting pressures for reform. Ongoing angst regarding free speech and campus culture wars are also expected to boil over this spring.

Here are some prediction regarding the next 12 months in academia:

1. Shake-up at the Education Department

The coming year will likely see a shake-up in the federal Department of Education following President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

During a September 2024 rally in Wisconsin, Trump told voters his administration would abolish the Department of Education. Then, in November, Republican Sen. Mike Rounds introduced a bill to shut down the department, The College Fix previously reported.

While this pledge will likely fall short, there could be some downsizing or restructuring to give some powers back to the states.

This means several key areas of federal oversight could undergo dramatic changes. Financial aid and student loans for college students, career and vocational education funding, and regulations that allow male athletes to compete in women’s sports could all hang in the balance.

2. AI will continue to provide new opportunities — and frustrations

The reality is artificial intelligence is here to stay, so higher education will have to continue to learn to adapt quickly.

Many courses already incorporate AI tools. For example, “A medieval literature course next term at the University of California at Los Angeles will lean heavily on the use of artificial intelligence, including to generate a single custom textbook,” The Chronicle of Higher Education reported.

While AI offers new opportunities, it also comes with many frustrations, including significant concerns about academic integrity. Students may use tools like AI-powered essay generators or problem solvers to complete assignments without actually engaging with the material.

Further, Ravi Pendse, chief information officer at the University of Michigan, predicts that “Next year and beyond, we will see AI impact almost every aspect of university life,” according to Inside Higher Education.

“What will that look like? Every student who graduates from a higher ed institution should have at least one core course in AI or significant exposure to AI tools,” Pendse said.

3. DEI programs will continue to take a hit

In 2024, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs took a serious hit at dozens of universities. Many institutions scaled back DEI initiatives, closed related offices, or introduced policies mandating institutional neutrality. This trend shows no signs of slowing.

In December, for example, the Idaho State Board of Education approved sweeping new policies that ban “DEI ideology” in higher education and require institutional neutrality, among other measures, The Fix reported.

Similarly, the University of Alabama system campuses, the University of Florida, Boise State University, the University of Utah, the University of Kentucky, and the University of North Carolina Wilmington, among others, all shuttered DEI offices in 2024.

More institutions will likely adopt neutrality policies driven by legislative reforms and increasing oversight from regents and trustees.

4. Ban on men in women’s sports

The debate over men competing in women’s sports is poised to remain a pressing issue in 2025, fueled in part by last year’s controversy surrounding transgender volleyball player Blaire Fleming.

This year will likely see new restrictions surrounding the issue, as President-elect Trump promised to keep men out of women’s sports on the campaign trail.

With President Biden’s administration dropping its proposed federal rule aimed at limiting bans on transgender athletes in sports, the issue is left largely in the hands of state governments, individual institutions, and governing bodies like the NCAA, which will face mounting pressure to establish a clear and consistent policy.

5. Campus culture wars will continue

There is no doubt that the campus culture wars encompassing Israel-Palestinian conflicts, hate crime hoaxes, safe spaces, transgender “rights,” and more will continue in 2025.

Last year, numerous disruptive anti-Israel protests at universities nationwide led to arrests, heightened security measures, and new campus protest policies. These demonstrations often disrupted classes, events, and daily campus operations.

Expect 2025 to bring even more scrutiny to how universities handle these situations. Student groups on both sides of the debate will likely become even more organized and vocal, demanding that administrations either protect protest rights or impose stricter consequences for disruptions. Meanwhile, external stakeholders, including alumni and donors, may exert pressure on schools to take stronger stances.

MORE: Erasing history: American leaders, artifacts removed from campuses in 2024

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