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Education Department fragments programs: Grants moved to Labor, HHS, State
The U.S. Department of Education executed a sweeping operational shift by striking interagency agreements that transfer administration of dozens of federal education and student-support programs...
DOJ sues California: In-state tuition policy for undocumented students faces federal challenge
The Justice Department filed suit challenging California laws that let certain undocumented students pay in-state tuition and access state-administered scholarships, arguing the policies illegally...
Moody’s warns of another weak year: Colleges face enrollment, policy and funding pressure
Credit-rating firm Moody’s issued a negative outlook for U.S. higher education in fiscal 2026, citing enrollment declines, rising costs and policy headwinds from federal changes. Analysts singled...
Campus leadership shake-up: Sonoma hires veteran CSU leader as trustees push fiscal fix
California State University trustees named Michael Spagna permanent president of Sonoma State University effective Jan. 20 as the campus confronts a steep enrollment drop and a multimillion-dollar...
Academic freedom test: Panels, reinstatements and contested firings roil campuses
A faculty panel found Texas A&M’s firing of professor Melissa McCoul over a classroom gender-identity lesson was wrongful, ruling the termination violated academic-freedom norms. The unanimous...
Federal probes and China ties: Subpoenas and a researcher’s arrest put campuses under scrutiny
A federal civil enforcement action seeking the names of some Jewish employees at the University of Pennsylvania has prompted backlash and raised concerns about investigations into campus...
Campus climate and civic fear: ICE raids and voter trepidation unsettle students
Recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions near North Carolina college campuses have prompted emergency guidance from campus leaders and heightened anxiety among international and...
AI in classrooms: OpenAI’s teacher product and campus VR labs push pedagogy toward skills
OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teachers — a free, teacher-specific environment with built-in prompts and privacy protections available to K–12 educators through June 2027 — signaling a major vendor...
Accessibility and quality: Title II deadlines and a new international QA pact
With Title II ADA digital-accessibility obligations taking effect in April 2026, public colleges and universities are racing to meet WCAG 2.1 standards for web and course content. Guidance...
MBA market cools: Darden jobs fall to decade low as firms rework hiring war
The University of Virginia’s Darden School reported a three-month post-graduation offers rate of 90.2% for its Class of 2025 — the lowest in a decade — and a by-graduation offers rate that fell to...
Education Dept. fragmented: agencies take over key programs
The U.S. Department of Education announced a rapid transfer of dozens of higher-education and student-support programs to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Interior and State,...
Justice Department sues California over college benefits and tuition
The Justice Department filed lawsuits challenging California policies that allow some undocumented students to access in-state tuition rates and state-administered scholarships. Federal lawyers...
HBCU, Trump compact: St. Augustine’s offers conditional engagement
Saint Augustine’s University said it will engage with the Trump administration’s proposed Compact for Academic Excellence but warned several compact provisions conflict with HBCU missions and...
CTE shift to Labor Dept. — K‑12 and postsecondary programs recalibrate
The administration moved Career and Technical Education (CTE) program administration — including the $1.4 billion Carl D. Perkins grant — from Education to Labor, prompting mixed reactions from...
Compliance push: Title II accessibility and campus security scrutiny
Colleges are accelerating work to meet new Title II ADA digital-accessibility rules and to balance campus security technology with privacy protections. Advisors urge institutions to treat the...
Shared governance showdown: layoffs and contested faculty terminations
An independent arbitrator ordered Portland State University to reinstate ten nontenure-track faculty and provide back pay after administrators cut staff without required shared-governance...
Campus leadership shake-ups: Sonoma State hires amid cuts; Montclair reorg
The California State University board named Michael Spagna as Sonoma State’s permanent president, tasking him with stabilizing finances after enrollment fell more than 13% and the campus enacted...
Financial squeeze: Moody’s downgrades outlook; MBA job offers slip
Moody’s issued a negative outlook for higher education in 2026, citing enrollment pressures, rising expenses and political headwinds including federal policy changes and reduced access to graduate...
Legal and enforcement pressure: subpoenas, ICE raids and campus fear
Campuses are confronting intensified legal and enforcement pressures this fall. A federal subpoena seeking names of some Jewish employees at the University of Pennsylvania provoked backlash from...
AI adoption in higher ed: immersive labs and presidential strategies
Universities are scaling AI and immersive learning to close skills gaps and streamline administrative work. UNC‑Greensboro’s Bryan School leveraged AI and VR in funded immersive environments to...