2024 FORECAST: Higher ed stories expected to dominate the next year

Leftists are now on defense as universities’ botched responses to campus anti-Semitism have opened Americans’ eyes to the undeniable problems with leftists’ domination of education. 

Here are my predictions for the three biggest trends we will see in 2024. 

3. DEI Goes into Retreat 

In December, the Iowa Board of Regents and the state of Oklahoma both took measures to correct the insipid growth of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices and spending at public universities. Campus Reform has reported on several conservative lawmakers passing similar legislation, but expect this trend to accelerate in 2024 as DEI programming becomes more widely known as a driving force of campus anti-Semitism. 

Campus Reform | Iowa Board of Regents vote to curb DEI in state universities 

Campus Reform | Oklahoma bans DEI requirements at public colleges and universities, requires cuts to ‘non-critical personnel’ 

Campus Reform | Businesses are turning away from higher-ed and its push toward ‘equity’ 

Campus Reform | Congressman’s letter presses college DEI leaders to take action against anti-Jewish hate

2. Liberal Staff Lose Control of Leftist Students 

The center-left finally realized conservatives had a point about leftist indoctrination in higher education when they saw radical students and professors cheer on Hamas after Oct. 7. In 2024, expect centrist and moderate staff to second guess their support of leftist ideology dictating classroom learning. This expected shift in values will not sit well with radical students, who are now irredeemably entitled to protest and shut down anything they oppose. The left and far left on campus are heading toward a collision. 

Campus Reform | Philadelphia college students part of protest that called for ‘intifada,’ targeted Jewish-owned business 

Campus Reform | Harvard hosts record number of pro-Hamas rallies in one week: report

Campus Reform | Columbia professors’ pro-Israel statement responds to colleagues’ anti-Semitic letter 

Campus Reform | 41 anti- Israel student activists arrested in latest Brown divestment ‘sit-in’  

Campus Reform | Hochul warns NY college presidents that the Harvard, Penn, MIT approach to anti-Semitism is illegal 

1. Donors and Alumni Increase Their Influence 

Donors and alumni finally realize that something is rotten in their alma maters. Harvard University lost a reported $1 billion in funding as the result of Claudine Gay’s leadership amid the latest wave of campus anti-Semitism. University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned her position after her disastrous Dec. 5 congressional testimony led a donor to pull his $100 million contribution. Gay also testified on Dec. 5 and faced mounting pressure to resign. 

Donors are now emboldened because they now see the difference they can make. Expect large donors who care about their universities to use their closed wallets to get the institutions back into shape. Universities are so dependent on donations, they may be forced to listen. 

Campus Reform | Donor pulls $100 million from Penn, says he may reconsider if Magill is replaced 

Campus Reform | PROF ELLWANGER: Donors school UPenn in responding to Hamas

Campus Reform | Harvard alumni claim school ‘has lost its way,’ pledge only $1 donations for foreseeable future