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Research funding faces new federal constraints
The National Science Foundation is tightening access to new research awards for a small set of highly selective universities. According to reports citing internal agency documents, NSF placed a...
University admissions controversies intensify around standardized testing and readiness
More than 800 University of California faculty members and math department leadership urged the UC system to reinstate SAT/ACT requirements for STEM applicants. In an open letter, professors cited...
Faculty governance meets First Amendment limits at West Point
A federal judge blocked West Point from enforcing policies restricting civilian professors’ outside speech. U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel issued a preliminary injunction preventing the military...
AI security incidents and governance pressures collide with campus IT operations
Higher education IT leaders are confronting a new layer of AI-enabled cyber risk while also managing day-to-day friction from campus tool sprawl. A report on Higher Ed IT highlights how shrinking...
National AI governance debates move from tech to law and institutions
A push for external AI governance is gathering momentum as pope-led discourse and major AI researchers align on the limits of self-regulation. In a new intervention, Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical...
Workforce integration: accelerated degrees gain attention
Oklahoma higher education leaders are evaluating whether the state could restructure bachelor’s pathways to shorten time-to-degree. Backed by an executive order from Gov. Kevin Stitt directing the...
University obligations for foster-care students broaden beyond tuition waivers
A new policy argument in higher education stresses that universities’ responsibilities to students with foster care histories extend beyond tuition waivers. The piece argues that for...
Public universities face political pressure over diversity and admissions rhetoric
Stuart Bell, the sole finalist for the University of Florida presidency, defended prior diversity efforts at the University of Alabama by likening them to boosting in-state enrollment and...
AI infrastructure investment in France
SoftBank plans to invest as much as €75 billion to build 5 gigawatts of AI data-center capacity in France, with an initial €45 billion phase targeting 3.1 gigawatts in Hauts-de-France by 2031. The...
NSF grant freezes and funding holds for elite universities
The National Science Foundation placed limits on new grants for Duke, Harvard, Princeton and Yale, according to internal agency documents reported by Nature. As of April 9, the agency imposed a...
Faculty workforce restructuring via buyouts at Western Michigan
Western Michigan University launched an early retirement buyout program for certain tenured faculty as it works to relieve budget pressure. Starting in September, tenured faculty aged 60 and over...
University budget gaps and business school surplus targets at Harvard
Harvard University asked Harvard Business School to increase its surplus contribution as the university navigates federal funding cuts and endowment pressure, The Harvard Crimson reported via...
UC faculty push to restore SAT/ACT for STEM admissions
More than 800 University of California professors—including seven of nine UC math department chairs—asked UC leaders to reinstate SAT/ACT testing for applicants to STEM majors. In an open letter,...
State DEI back-and-forth at University of Florida presidency finalist
Stuart Bell, the University of Florida presidency finalist, defended his prior diversity initiatives at the University of Alabama and compared DEI goals to segregation, drawing renewed attention...
Federal rules for federal grants and political oversight
The White House’s Office of Management and Budget published proposed rules for how federal agencies will carry out a Trump order requiring “senior appointees” to oversee decisions about who...
Faculty speech limits challenged at West Point
A federal judge paused West Point’s policy requiring civilian professors to obtain approval before speaking at certain outside engagements. U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel issued a preliminary...
University admissions readiness and attendance strategy research from Michigan
A large-scale study released by the Detroit Partnership for Education Equity & Research at Wayne State University found no single “silver bullet” intervention for improving student attendance, but...
Accelerated degree pathways under review in Oklahoma
Oklahoma higher education leaders are evaluating whether statewide degree programs can be restructured to reduce time-to-degree from about 120 credit hours to 90. Supporters argue accelerated...
Federal research funding freezes and compliance disruptions
The National Science Foundation placed limits on new grant awards for Duke, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, according to internal agency documents cited by Nature. The freeze—an NSF “hold” affecting...
Public funding and state budget battles for universities and research
California lawmakers advanced SB 895, a bill to create the California Foundation for Science and Health Research with $12 billion in state-issued bonds to fund research grants and awards at...