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Latest Higher Education News

UNC formalizes no-notice recording policy — admins can access class footage

February 14, 2026

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill finalized a classroom‑recording policy that permits administrators to record or access lectures without notifying instructors in specific...

Two small colleges to close — teach-outs and transfers arranged

February 14, 2026

Two small institutions announced closures that will reshape local higher‑education landscapes and force student transfers. Labouré College of Healthcare said it will cease academic operations at...

Epstein files: colleges probe faculty and donor links

February 14, 2026

Universities are responding to newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents by launching internal reviews of faculty, donors and trustees with links to the disgraced financier. College leaders face...

AI coding surge: employers say colleges aren’t keeping pace

February 14, 2026

Employers and developers are signaling a rapid shift in technical skill expectations as advanced coding models from OpenAI and Anthropic accelerate software automation. A new employer survey and...

Stanford protest trial ends in mistrial — jury deadlocks

February 14, 2026

A criminal case arising from pro‑Palestinian demonstrations at Stanford ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a verdict on felony charges against five current and former students. The...

University safety: dorm shooting and measles outbreak raise alarms

February 14, 2026

Two campus safety incidents over the past week have put health and security teams on high alert. A residence‑hall shooting at South Carolina State University left two students dead and another...

Conservative push reshapes campus policy: accreditors and course content targeted

February 14, 2026

A coordinated policy push from conservative groups and state legislatures is reshaping higher‑education debate over accreditation, curriculum and campus operations. The Heritage Foundation’s...

Academia moves from bans to governance: nuanced AI policies emerge

February 14, 2026

Institutions and faculty are shifting from blunt prohibitions on generative AI toward governance models that integrate tools into pedagogy and oversight. A study found many faculty easing outright...

DOJ sues Harvard — Government demands applicant-level admissions records

February 14, 2026

The Justice Department filed suit this week seeking to compel Harvard University to produce applicant-level admissions documents as part of a federal probe into whether the Ivy League school...

Pell grant faces $11.5B shortfall — CBO warns of cuts or eligibility limits

February 14, 2026

The Congressional Budget Office warned that the Pell Grant program faces an $11.5 billion shortfall if Congress does not replenish the Federal Student Aid account by Sept. 30. The CBO’s projection...

Small colleges fold — Labouré and Lourdes set closure plans and teach‑outs

February 14, 2026

Two small, mission-driven institutions announced closures this week as declining enrollment and fiscal pressure forced trustees to seek teach-out solutions. Labouré College of Healthcare in...

UNC formalizes no‑notice recordings — Classroom surveillance policy takes effect

February 14, 2026

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill finalized a policy allowing administrators to record classes without notifying instructors under narrowly defined conditions—chiefly when the...

Epstein files roil campuses — Investigations, donor scrutiny, and safety tensions

February 14, 2026

Universities continue to confront reputational and governance fallout from newly released Epstein-related documents. Campus leaders are launching investigations, fielding demands to sever donor...

State lawmakers target campus DEI — Bills would curb race, gender, sexuality instruction

February 14, 2026

Legislatures in multiple states are advancing measures that would restrict how race, gender and sexuality are taught or discussed in higher education classrooms. Proposals in states such as Iowa...

Universities lag on AI skills — Employers press for curriculum change as faculty shift policies

February 14, 2026

A new employer survey found that 77% of employers expect new hires to have hands‑on AI experience, while 58% say universities are not doing enough to prepare graduates. The See the Future 2026...

AI access gap widens: K‑12 tools skew to wealthy districts — Microsoft offers training

February 14, 2026

Analysts and educators warn that AI adoption in K‑12 is accelerating fastest in high‑income districts, leaving Title I and rural schools behind. Reporting from Chicago highlights stark disparities...

Campus identity policies tighten — UT Austin merges programs; Virginia Tech bans funded identity graduations

February 14, 2026

The University of Texas at Austin consolidated gender and ethnic studies into a single department as part of a curricular and administrative reorganization intended to reshape interdisciplinary...

Students value mental health — awareness high, but counseling uptake remains low

February 14, 2026

A national survey finds 93% of college students consider mental health important and 73% trust campus counseling, yet only 18% report using on‑campus services. The Thriving College Student survey...

Justice Department sues Harvard — Files bid to force admissions records

February 14, 2026

The Justice Department escalated its year‑long probe into Harvard’s admissions practices, filing a lawsuit to compel the university to turn over applicant‑level records, the agency said. The...

Pell Grant fund faces $11.5 billion hole — CBO warns

February 14, 2026

The Congressional Budget Office projected an $11.5 billion shortfall in the Pell Grant program if Congress fails to add funding to the Federal Student Aid account by Sept. 30, warning that without...