Education Secretary Issues Higher Ed Call to Action
Published September 08, 2026
By AACOM Government Relations and Health Affairs
Higher Education
On August 3, 2026, Education Secretary Linda McMahon issued a national “Call to Action” urging university presidents and governing boards to publicly outline their commitments to academic excellence, research and national service by the end of the year.
The letter asks institutions to address seven priority areas, including affordability and student outcomes, admissions transparency, research security and alignment with national workforce needs.
The Call to Action does not create new regulatory requirements, and there is no formal federal comment process. Rather, ED is asking institutions to respond by publicly posting their commitments and planned reforms on their websites, and it will be watching how institutional practices align with those stated priorities.