Harvard joins other universities to confront the roots of skepticism in higher education

For months, the biggest headlines from American campuses have centered on legal battles with the Trump administration. These arise, in part, from growing public skepticism ( especially, but not exclusively among conservatives) about U.S. campuses.

Removed from these combative headlines — and receiving far less attention — are proactive steps being taken by many universities to get at the heart of concerns felt by many Americans.

Presidents and senior leaders from nine of America’s private universities gathered on Oct. 7–8 in Washington D.C. for discussions about what more could be done to “model healthy civic life and intellectual exchange” on U.S. campuses.

Convened by Jonathan Haidt’s Constructive Dialogue Institute, these universities included Brown University, Dartmouth College, D