A powerful student-led movement is gaining momentum across American campuses, offering a critical yet constructive alternative to the polarised debate surrounding higher education. The grassroots network, known as Class Action, argues that elite universities have abandoned their civic duty, but seeks to transform them from within rather than see them dismantled.
From Disillusionment to a National Movement
The group was born in 2023, in the wake of the US Supreme Court's ruling against affirmative action. Its founders, including recent Stanford graduate Ryan Cieslikowski, were driven by a growing sense that prestigious institutions were failing to serve the public good. Cieslikowski's own research into why students were funneled into lucrative but unfulfilling careers in finance and tech, rather than public service, laid the groundwork for action.
Emily Hettinger, a Yale senior, epitomises the group's nuanced stance. She participated in campus protests defending higher education from federal attacks, yet felt a profound "dissonance" about supporting a system she viewed as deeply elitist. "I wanted to defend higher education, but I didn’t want to defend it in its current form," she explained. This sentiment is central to Class Action's mission: to defend the university ideal while radically reforming its practice.
Drafting a New 'Academic Social Contract'
In November 2025, Class Action co-chaired a significant conference at Yale University titled 'Reimagining Elite Higher Education'. The event brought together some 300 participants from dozens of campuses nationwide. Their primary goal was to channel widespread criticism into a constructive blueprint for change: a draft "academic social contract."
The document, shared with The Guardian, presents a stark choice for institutions: "They can remain citadels of privilege, or they can help kindle a renaissance in higher education." It calls for a fundamental reorientation, demanding that universities align their vast wealth and influence with the public good to merit continued support.
The contract's proposals are progressive and wide-ranging. They include abolishing legacy admissions, combating the "career funneling" of graduates into a narrow set of corporate jobs, giving students greater representation on university boards, and strengthening universities' accountability to their local communities.
Navigating a Polarised Political Landscape
Class Action operates in a highly charged environment where criticism of academia is often co-opted by political agendas. The group acknowledges that some of its critiques of elitism echo talking points from the right, including figures associated with the Trump administration. However, their vision is fundamentally different.
"What’s hard about this moment is that there seems to be a binary of choices – either support Trump and tear down universities or support the status quo," said Hettinger. "What if there’s a third option... where we can be critical of universities but also defend them and build something better?"
Amy Binder, a sociology professor at Johns Hopkins and a group adviser, notes that while the analysis may sometimes sound similar, the agenda targets privilege and elitism rather than diversity initiatives. The group strives to be inclusive, finding common ground among students of varying political views on issues like free speech and admissions fairness.
Tangible Campaigns and Growing Influence
Class Action has already notched concrete victories. Its campaigning contributed to California’s decision in 2024 to ban 'legacy' admissions, though some private universities opted to forfeit state funding to maintain the practice. The network is now involved in similar legislative efforts in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
From an initial organising call with students from a dozen campuses, the group has expanded to work with students on 76 campuses, with over 50 represented at the Yale conference. It is establishing formal chapters and now employs four full-time staff organisers, like recent Stanford graduate Nazlı Dakad.
For the founders, the current crisis in US higher education, intensified by the political climate, is also an opportunity. "When everything is up in the air, and nobody agrees, that’s the time to bring everybody to the table," argues Cieslikowski. Their aim is to steer these influential institutions towards becoming "better stewards of democracy" that truly represent the interests of most Americans, fulfilling a long-broken promise.
