McMahon outlines recommendations to make higher education 'great again'

Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday outlined a series of recommendations that she believes will restore credibility in higher education and make it more attractive again.

McMahon, who is currently on a 50-state tour that seeks to return education to the states, told an audience at Michigan's Hillsdale College that she is devoted to fixing problems within the current college system. 

"I’m standing here today as the Secretary of Education in part because American families are fed up with the broken college system that delivers disillusionment for millions of students," the secretary said.

"If you read the news, you know the Department of Education and the federal government are taking steps toward solving all these problems," she continued. "The bureaucracy has been derelict for decades. Leadership matters in government too. But government alone can never make Higher Education great again if the leaders—the personalities of these institutions—don’t commit alongside us to saving them."

McMahon said she has a four-pronged approach to getting students and Americans excited about college again.

"First, university leaders must prioritize their students' growth, even when it makes them uncomfortable," she said. "These institutions must challenge our young people and equip them for productive and fulfilling lives as citizens of the United States."

McMahon emphasized that college is supposed to be difficult and should be a "trial by fire" that inspires students to "struggle and strive." She also encouraged colleges to be more professional in their atmosphere to better prepare students for the real world.

Other recommendations include restoring "truth as the highest good," returning American history and inheritance to college classrooms, and for college leaders to embrace their roles as role models in order to produce future thinkers and leaders.

"America is a symbol of hope and liberty to the world," she concluded. "Our institutions must prepare students to carry that mantle, to lead with clarity and conviction, and to show the world what a free society can achieve. Our university leaders can be the change agents who make this vision a reality."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.