Public confidence in higher education is at an all-time low.

This is hardly a new trend — and it’s also not surprising. With rising tuition costs, fewer Americans can see the value of a college degree. And amid a rapidly changing workforce, universities have made harsh and often controversial program cuts.

But in the past few months, the role of universities in society has reached a new level of scrutiny. Several presidents have been dragged to Congress and grilled on their responses to anti-war protests. Their conduct has been examined at every turn, and some have even resigned.

It’s not too late to restore public trust in higher education. Making college more affordable often requires new public investments, though there is seemingly never enough money to go around. Other proposed solutions, like restructuring college education around developing industry experience, would require a major overhaul of our system.

Right now, we can stem the tide of mistrust by starting at the local level.

Of every level of government, Americans trust local officials the most. Whether at a nearby event or on their doorsteps, more people have met their city council members or state delegates than their federal representatives. Interacting with officials more personally builds a perception of competence, humanity and accountability.

Accordingly, universities can begin to win back trust through direct interaction at the local level by empowering students to engage in civic processes. I’ve seen firsthand how this engagement can transform public perception, demonstrating universities’ abilities to make productive and responsible contributions to their communities.

At the University of Maryland, I just wrapped up my term as the College Park City Council student liaison. This role was formally established in 2002 to facilitate relations between students and the broader city.

Selected by a committee of students and council members, I spent one year attending council meetings with the opportunity to comment on each agenda item. Occasionally, I’ve seen moments of tense division between our college town’s students and long-term residents. But more often, we’ve built bridges between these two groups by finding common ground that we did not realize existed.

For several months, I served on a subcommittee that proposed a housing assistance program for UMD students with demonstrated financial needs. Before the vote passed, it was criticized by some community members who were uncomfortable with the idea of the city subsidizing its student population.

Through this conversation, we quickly realized it was not just students struggling with housing affordability. Our community launched a tenants union to advocate for lower rent prices and better living conditions on behalf of all College Park renters. Students and long-term residents alike have supported our efforts — transforming a point of disagreement into a shared objective.

More universities should create similar pathways for students to serve their cities and counties. In college towns like ours, a liaison role such as the one I held can be a mechanism for involving students directly in policymaking. Even in larger metropolitan areas, universities can still create structured service-learning opportunities. Students can provide tutoring at public schools or leverage more specialized skills by assisting small businesses with services such as accounting or cybersecurity.

Rebuilding trust with communities also requires setting up students to participate democratically. It’s no secret that voting is a habit. Developing this habit during young adulthood creates lifelong voters. That’s why universities should make it easier for students to get to the polls by implementing campus-wide holidays on election days: local, state and federal.

Here in College Park, turnout in city elections leaves much to be desired. The highest turnout was in 1983, when just over 3,000 residents voted. In 2023, only 1,468 people cast a ballot — but our university has more than 30,000 undergraduate students alone, most of whom reside in the city, whether in dormitories or off-campus apartments.

If more students voted, they could help determine the outcome of their local elections. Fully recognizing and utilizing their political capital can help students become more personally invested in community outcomes. Over time, this will help build a self-sustaining sense of trust between universities and their surroundings.

None of this is to say that universities should shirk from making tough decisions. We must address the underlying issues that have led to increasing public skepticism. But we have to begin somewhere — and it’s often easiest to start in your own back yard.

Dhruvak Mirani (contact@dhruvak.com) was recently appointed student member of the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland. His term begins today.