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UT System tightens program-cut and faculty-removal authority
The University of Texas System board approved new rules that make it easier for UT institutions to eliminate academic programs and cut faculty positions, reducing the role of faculty review and...
Federal gainful employment rules face renewed criticism
Democratic lawmakers and higher education experts urged the U.S. Department of Education to revisit a proposed rule that would strengthen earnings-based “gainful employment” tests tied to federal...
Student mental health and social media litigation
A rural Kentucky school district reached a settlement with Meta in a federal bellwether case that sought compensation for mental health and learning costs attributed to social media addiction. The...
School-based mental health support and AI app risk
Common Sense Media and Stanford’s Brainstorm Lab released a risk assessment showing that while teens increasingly use AI-powered mental health apps, the market remains largely unregulated and some...
AI and entry-level jobs: productivity and training gaps
New research and industry commentary are highlighting how generative AI is changing expectations for early-career work while reducing the on-the-job learning pathways that organizations relied on...
Student discipline and campus climate: racist group chats at FIU
Florida International University suspended two former College Republicans leaders for their roles in a racist, sexist, and antisemitic WhatsApp group chat dubbed “Nazi Heaven.” According to court...
Accreditation-adjacent compliance and institutional signaling: Harvard grading policy
Harvard faculty approved a plan designed to curb grade inflation by limiting the number of A grades instructors can issue, with the policy set to take effect in fall 2027. The cap restricts A...
Student support staffing: school-based health workers’ push for change
School-based health workers told members of the U.S. House that student health supports—behavioral, social-emotional, and mental health—cannot be addressed as separate “silos” if schools want to...
AI safety and federal rulemaking standoff
President Trump postponed a planned AI executive order after tech executives—including OpenAI and Anthropic—had been briefed on a proposal that would have created a voluntary pre-release vetting...
Accreditation overhaul moves forward toward outcome-based accountability
The Education Department advanced a sweeping framework to overhaul how accreditors earn federal recognition, culminating months of negotiated rulemaking. Officials say the changes are designed to...
Federal education research funding and IES release uncertainty
College and K–12 groups, alongside a bipartisan bloc of senators, pressured the Department of Education to release nearly $300 million in unallocated Institute of Education Sciences (IES) research...
Student protection and consumer accountability rule proposal draws fire
Democratic lawmakers and higher education experts urged the Department of Education to reconsider elements of a proposal aimed at tying eligibility for federal student loans to a new earnings test...
Institutional governance shake-up: UT System makes program cuts faster and less appealable
The University of Texas System board approved new rules that would make it easier for UT institutions to eliminate academic programs and cut faculty. The revised policy allows presidents to cut...
Campus climate and student conduct: FIU suspensions hinge on free-speech and hate-rhetoric findings
Florida International University suspended two former College Republican leaders for roles in a racist, sexist, and antisemitic WhatsApp group chat. The sanctions bar them from campus and...
Harvard grade-inflation policy shifts academic grading constraints
Harvard faculty approved a policy to curb grade inflation by limiting the proportion of A grades professors can award. The plan, effective fall 2027, is designed to restore differentiation between...
Student success and equity signals: deposit marketing intensifies enrollment competition
Colleges are increasingly publicizing deposit numbers early in the admissions cycle—before students even cross a graduating stage—especially in the private and small-college segments facing...
AI in education governance and assessment: policy patchwork and surveillance risks
A new report found that two-fifths of UK universities lack a publicly accessible AI policy, and critics argue that many existing policies operate as compliance tools rather than genuine learning...
Accreditation and recognition: CHEA grants NAAB recognition
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) accepted a recommendation to recognize the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), confirming CHEA recognition after review by its...
Federal accreditation overhaul takes aim at outcomes, transfer credit, and accreditor relationships
The U.S. Department of Education has advanced a landmark consensus on sweeping accreditation reforms through the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization negotiated rulemaking process,...
Education Department proposes tighter student loan eligibility tied to graduate earnings
The U.S. Department of Education’s proposed rules would change how colleges maintain eligibility for federal student loans by introducing new earnings-based tests for undergraduate and graduate...