If you've been following The Chronicle's recent coverage, you've seen that the Trump administration has renewed efforts to change higher education by asking colleges to sign on to seven broad principles. The proposal has been met with a mixed response, but has reignited the questions about institutional reform, accountability, and the role colleges should play in serving the public. 

Those questions deserve more than a headline.

That's why one of our featured Chronicle Festival conversations will examine A New Compact for Colleges. Rick Seltzer will moderate a discussion with Beth Akers of the American Enterprise Institute and Harvard's Danielle Allen as they explore what meaningful reform should look like, where common ground may exist, and how higher education can respond to growing public concerns about cost, value, and trust.

Whether you agree or disagree with today's proposals, this conversation is an opportunity to step back from the headlines and engage with one of the defining debates facing higher education.

I hope you'll join us.

Best,