WASHINGTON, DC (October 8, 2025) — The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has announced the launch of Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education (APT), a major new initiative to promote the democratic mission of higher education by strengthening public trust. The initiative is supported in part by a grant from the Open Society Foundations.
“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 Lynn Pasquerella.
APT aims to unite higher education, business, and civil society around a shared purpose, communicate the value of a college education in compelling ways, and highlight liberal education as central to preparing students for a healthy democracy. The initiative will also help colleges and universities navigate a changing landscape, where the social contract with the communities they serve must be actively demonstrated, advocated for, and renewed. It will be led jointly by Jeremy C Young, Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, and Kathryn Enke, Vice President for Leadership, Strategy, and Advancement.
“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 said.
“In this moment of crisis, rebuilding public trust in higher education requires a plan and a movement,” added Young.
“We are honored to help AAC&U build that necessary support for higher education’s crucial mission.”
APT will bring together a growing coalition of college and university presidents, senior administrators, business and civil society leaders, and other partners to promote and defend the mission of higher education.
Through this coalition, the initiative will develop and implement a practical, actionable plan to rebuild the social contract between higher education and the broader publics it serves.
Building on the 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 initiative will organize a series of public and private in-person and virtual events to explore new strategies for advancing public trust. The inaugural event, a Higher Education and Business Roundtable, was held at American University on October 6. A second event is planned as part of the Presidents’ Trust Symposium at AAC&U’s 2026 Annual Meeting, Answering the Call for Constructive Engagement, scheduled for January 21–23, 2026, in Washington, DC. Additional events with the Academy and other partners are also in development, along with a forthcoming report on strategies for rebuilding public trust.
About AAC&U
The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy, and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities, and state higher-education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher-education institutions around the world as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit aacu.org.
