Christopher Rufo, the conservative activist who has been influential in the White House’s efforts to reshape higher education, now wants to expand the campaign well beyond the elite schools that have borne the brunt of the pressure. Rufo says the education department is considering a proposal that would ensure all US universities that receive federal funding – the vast majority – adopt many of the same conditions that Columbia University agreed to in a deal this week. Under Rufo’s proposal, schools would be subject to demands including purging their institutions of diversity initiatives or other programmes focused on specific minority groups; harsh and swift disciplinary measures for student protesters; the publicisation of demographic data in admissions decisions; and hiring conservative faculty.