Dr. Lynn Pasquerella, AAC&U President
The Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education (APT) initiative, supported in part by the Open Society Foundations, seeks to unite stakeholders across higher education, business, and civil society around a shared commitment to higher education's democratic mission.
"With public trust in higher education at historic lows and the essential freedoms and core principles of our colleges and universities under unprecedented threat, it is urgent that we come together across society to reaffirm the value and purpose of American higher education," said AAC&U President Dr. Lynn Pasquerella.
The initiative will be jointly led by Jeremy C. Young, Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, and Kathryn Enke, Vice President for Leadership, Strategy, and Advancement. According to its leaders, APT aims to help institutions navigate a changing landscape where demonstrating value to communities requires active engagement and advocacy.
"The APT initiative broadens AAC&U's ongoing development and support resources to help college and university leaders guide their institutions through today's uniquely challenging landscape," Enke explained.
The initiative plans to develop and implement an actionable strategy to rebuild the social contract between higher education institutions and the broader public. Central to this effort will be communicating the value of college education and highlighting liberal education's role in preparing students for democratic participation.
APT will convene a growing coalition of college and university presidents, senior administrators, business leaders, and civil society partners. The initiative builds on a network of over 660 college, university, and scholarly society presidents coordinated by AAC&U and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, who issued "A Call for Constructive Engagement" in April 2025.
The inaugural event, a Higher Education and Business Roundtable, took place at American University on October 6. A second event is planned for AAC&U's 2026 Annual Meeting, "Answering the Call for Constructive Engagement," scheduled for January 21-23, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The initiative will host a series of public and private events, both in-person and virtual, to explore new strategies for advancing public trust. Additional collaborative events and a report on rebuilding public trust are in development.
