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Secretary Hegseth shifts toward schools with ‘American values’
The U.S. Department of War recently chose the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Virginia Tech to host a military education program as it overhauls its partnerships with elite universities.
The schools will host Senior Service College Fellowships, which are 10-month military education programs preparing senior military officers for strategic leadership roles, according to a news release from UNC.
The program is designed to train officers by “deepening their understanding of national security strategy and strengthening their leadership, critical-thinking and decision-making skills,” the news release states.
In a statement shared with The College Fix, UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts said the school is “deeply honored to participate in the Senior Service College Fellowship program.”
“The program fits well within the context of our mission of service, and we take tremendous pride in our deep, longstanding relationship with the United States military,” he said.
UNC Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Magnus Egerstedt said the school will train senior officers to “contribute to nationally significant work in artificial intelligence, public policy, global security and more.”
During their training, “they will have access to one of the world’s great research universities,” he said.
The chancellor added that the school is ready to start training the fellows and “give them an education worthy of their service.”
Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata praised UNC for its “rich tradition of service and support for our men and women in uniform,” according to the school’s news release.
A Virginia Tech spokesperson, Mark Owczarski, told The College Fix that the school “is honored to host officers from all military branches as part of the Senior Service College Fellowship Program.”
“Details are still being worked out so we will have more to share as we approach the start of the academic year,” he said.
Another Virginia Tech spokesperson, Margaret Ashburn, told The Fix the university is “uniquely positioned to develop leaders who can integrate technology, strategy, ethics, and service in ways that keep our nation safe.”
She cited the school’s mandatory military training implemented at its founding and its gold star ranking from non-profit Military Friendly.
Ashburn added that VT is one of six “federally designated senior military colleges.”
This new development follows Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s decision earlier this year to sever ties with several elite universities.
In a February 2026 memo, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stressed the need for SSCFs and similar programs to align with “American values.” This will “better prepare them for the complexities of modern warfare and return our Force to [its] original purpose,” the memo states.
The memo announced the cancellation of various SSCF programs at Ivy League and similar institutions like Harvard and Princeton. It also provided a potential list for future colleges to partner with, including UNC and VT.
In an earlier February 2026 memo, Hegseth cancelled all graduate-level fellowships and programs between his alma mater, Harvard University, and the Department of War.
In the memo, Hegseth cited Harvard as “a prime example of what was once a world-leading university becoming an institution that fails to encourage open inquiry and debate.”
This development echoes a broader clash between the Department of War and elite schools, which are traditionally in lockstep regarding coordination and recruitment.
“For decades, the Ivy League and similar institutions have gorged themselves on a trust fund of American taxpayer dollars only to become factories of anti-American resentment and military disdain,” Hegseth said in a video posted to X.
He added that universities have become “woke breeding grounds of toxic indoctrination.”
