In this episode of dotEDU Live, the hosts unpack the Trump administration’s sweeping demands to Harvard—including oversight of teaching, governance, and student speech—and the university’s refusal to comply, a defining moment in higher education’s response to growing federal pressure. They also examine the surge in international student visa revocations and the escalating legal fight over federal research funding cuts at the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy. ACE President Ted Mitchell and Steven Bloom from ACE’s Government Relations team join the conversation to explore what it all means for campuses—and how they can respond.

Send suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation on X or Bluesky or email podcast@acenet.edu. Here are some of the links and references from this week’s episode: 

Here are some of the links and references from this week’s show:

The Promise of American Higher Education Harvard University President’s Office

Trump’s Demands of Harvard Escalate His War on Higher Ed Inside Higher Ed | April 16, 2025

AJC Statement on University Funding Cuts American Jewish Committee

College Financial Aid Hit with Glitches, Delays Due to Federal Staffing Cuts The Washington Post | April 14, 2025

ACE, Higher Ed Associations Demand Answers as Student Visa Revocations Spread Nationwide American Council on Education | April 7, 2025

ACE Page on NIH and DOE Lawsuits American Council on Education

Tax Reform and Higher Education in 2025 American Council on Education

NAFSA International Student Economic Value Tool