State lawmakers are increasingly meddling in the affairs of public universities

Republican lawmakers have been pushing some of the most visible changes, but both political parties are interested in exerting more control over higher education, said Taylor, the University of North Texas professor. “We’re not arguing that the two parties’ agendas for higher ed are commensurate or equally likely to have the same consequences,” Taylor said, “but we do think that both parties are suspicious of higher education and are seeking to exert more control over it, though in very different ways.” Above: Students and faculty gather to support academic freedom on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, on January 29