U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon escalated pressure on higher education with a new public “national call to action” asking university presidents and boards to post commitments to reforms by the end of 2026. The letter frames the move around restoring public trust amid declining confidence in higher education. McMahon’s questions cover admissions transparency and merit, protections for free inquiry, intellectual pluralism, faculty hiring and evaluation, and affordability and student outcomes. Federal officials characterized the effort as accountability through transparency rather than direct penalties, while emphasizing that silence could carry reputational consequences. The push also follows the administration’s earlier “Compact for Academic Excellence,” now reworked as “Compact 2.0,” which is less prescriptive and instead requests colleges publicly explain how they will meet stated goals. Together, the letters signal an approach that seeks behavioral change from institutions through public commitments, while federal grant processes remain part of the leverage debate.