AFT unveils bold new blueprint to protect higher ed ahead of 2026 midterms

As the Trump administration continues to attack higher education-cutting research grants, targeting free speech and restricting classroom materials-the AFT and the American Association of University Professors have unveiled a powerful new blueprint to restore and preserve higher education, just in time for the 2026 midterms.

From left: Zeph Capo, president of the Texas AFT; Todd Wolfson, the president of the American Association of University Professors; Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT; and Dr. Leonard Bright, a professor at Texas A&M University, unveiled a new policy platform ahead of the 2026 midterms to counter the federal government's attack on higher education. Credit: AAUP

America's colleges and universities are the "envy of the world," driving economic growth and providing better lives for students and their families, said AFT President Randi Weingarten at a launch of the blueprint April 15 in Texas.

"But instead of investing in the next generation, the federal government is stripping hundreds of millions of dollars in research grants, attacking diversity, saddling millions of borrowers with student debt and abolishing minority-serving institutions-all in a cynical attempt to punish political enemies and control knowledge."

The new policy platform, "A Blueprint for Strengthening and Transforming Higher Education," details a vision where colleges and universities, not corporations, are treated as key forces in creating a functional democracy.

The platform emphasizes four key pillars: students' right to learn in environments that are open, inclusive and free from political interference; a free public college education and affordable access to private colleges and universities; ensuring that university faculty and staff have the final say on teaching practices and research priorities; and providing collective bargaining rights for all faculty and staff at public colleges.

The new blueprint comes as the Trump administration is following through on its concentrated efforts to exert ideological control over colleges and universities. Part of the government's plan includes targeting any programming, including curriculum, that emphasizes diversity, equity and inclusion. As a result, many university administrators, threatened with a loss of federal funding, have been quick to revise or completely shutter any material or programs that do not comply with that directive.

Leonard Bright, a professor at Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government and Public Service, said his graduate course on ethics and public policy was canceled days into the , spring 2026 semester because he refused to reduce conversations around race, gender and sexuality into a single day or reading; that refusal violated the university's policy restricting how race and gender can be discussed in class. The policy requires university officials to scrutinize coursework that addresses race, gender or sexual orientation.

"Our educational environment is being turned into a battlefield," Bright said. "Students are encouraged to literally report professors, and our instructors are in fear of discussing topics that students may disagree with."

Political support

With the 2026 midterm election approaching, the AFT and the AAUP are calling on congressional candidates and current lawmakers to incorporate the new policy platform into their campaigns.

The blueprint was praised by several members of the U.S. House of Representatives as a step forward in protecting the future of higher education.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) praised Weingarten, the AAUP and the Texas AFT for their efforts in supporting advancements for not just people seeking a higher education, but also students who are interested in going into the trades.

Khanna, who sits on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said he's frustrated with a country that tries to pit working-class workers against academics. The reality is that our country is underserving both groups. Instead, we need to invest in an education system that can support students regardless of what educational direction they choose.

"Our advantage has always been our investment in education," he said. "We need to make the case that education, and the investment in this education, is not only a moral issue, where it gave people like me the chance for the American dream, it is the investment for America to be the powerhouse for the 21st century."

[Alvin Buyinza]