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Purdue historian declines MLA award — protest over association’s Gaza policies
Purdue University history professor Tithi Bhattacharya formally declined the Modern Language Association’s Scaglione Prize in protest of the MLA’s handling of Gaza‑related resolutions and its...
Fitch flags 2026 trouble — higher ed outlook turns 'deteriorating'
Fitch Ratings on Thursday issued a “deteriorating” outlook for US higher education in 2026, warning of a shrinking prospective student base, rising expense pressures and uncertain state and...
Workforce Pell rules: Education Department lays out draft — short programs face tight metrics
The U.S. Department of Education released draft regulatory language this week defining how short-term programs could qualify for the new Workforce Pell Grants created in the summer spending...
Education Dept. reshuffle sparks lawsuits — library grants reinstated after court rebuke
The Trump administration’s move to shrink the Department of Education and reassign programs across agencies has generated lawsuits, resignations and political backlash from senators and state...
Universities cut deals with Trump admin — faculty warn about autonomy tradeoffs
Several elite universities negotiated settlements this year to restore frozen federal research funds, striking policy commitments in exchange for access to grants. Those “compacts” -- reached by...
Yale braces for layoffs — endowment tax and budget shock hit campus finances
Yale University told faculty and staff it expects workforce reductions and belt‑tightening after Republicans’ new tax law imposed a higher endowment income tax on the wealthiest institutions. Yale...
Poll shock: Majority of Americans question college’s value — implications for enrollment and policy
A national poll found that nearly two‑thirds of registered voters say a four‑year college degree no longer justifies its cost, echoing a rising public skepticism about higher education’s value...
Supreme Court to hear birthright citizenship challenge — K‑12 and campus administrators brace
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to President Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, a case with direct consequences for schools and educational...
Faculty dissent and academic freedom: prize declined, grading row raises governance alarms
A Purdue University history professor declined a major Modern Language Association prize in protest of the MLA’s handling of Gaza‑related resolutions, citing institutional silence and suppression...
NIH accessibility rule stirs researchers — funding cuts ripple through industry
An NIH open‑access policy intended to make taxpayer‑funded research immediately available to the public has created new compliance costs and financial pressure for scientists and university labs,...
Chronicle tracks Trump’s higher‑ed agenda — continued federal pressure and legal fights
The Chronicle of Higher Education is maintaining an ongoing tracker of executive orders, agency actions and legal challenges tied to the Trump administration’s higher‑education agenda. That agenda...
Education Dept unveils Workforce Pell rules — governors to define eligible short-term programs
The U.S. Department of Education released draft regulatory language this week to implement the new Workforce Pell program and opened a negotiated-rulemaking session with students, employers and...
Ratings firms warn: higher‑education credit outlook weakens for 2026
Fitch Ratings on Thursday issued a “deteriorating” outlook for U.S. higher education in 2026, joining Moody’s and S&P in signaling sector stress. Fitch cited a shrinking pool of prospective...
Yale braces for cuts — endowment tax forces universities to reassess budgets
Yale University told staff this week it expects to pay roughly $300 million annually under a new higher endowment income tax and is preparing hiring freezes, spending reductions and possible...
Universities strike compliance deals — faculty and senates push back
A string of settlements and compacts between the federal government and major universities—Northwestern, Columbia, Brown, Cornell and Penn among them—has drawn furious debate on campuses about...
Education Department reorganization sparks litigation — library grants restored by court
The Trump administration’s reorganization of the Education Department—moving programs and staff to other agencies—prompted a multi‑state lawsuit and calls for Secretary Linda McMahon’s...
Supreme Court to weigh birthright citizenship — states’ college‑access rules under scrutiny
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review whether President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship complies with the 14th Amendment, a decision that school leaders say could have...
Academic freedom and campus speech flareups — prize declined, grading dispute reignites debate
A Purdue history professor declined the Modern Language Association’s Scaglione Prize in protest of the association’s decisions and handling of resolutions related to Israel and Gaza, signaling...
Governance and politics: AGB urges Virginia reset as federal agenda reshapes boards
The Association of Governing Boards wrote to Virginia’s governor‑elect urging a reversal of recent politicized appointments to college boards, days after heightened federal scrutiny and...
AI in admissions and campus security: adoption accelerates as fraud risks rise
Colleges are moving AI into operational areas such as admissions—Southeast Missouri State is an early example—and vendors and startups are racing to meet new security needs. The rise in AI...