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Accreditation splits: Southern systems form new agency and seek federal approval
Six public university systems in the South moved this fall to create a new regional accreditor, a step university leaders say will free campuses from what they call onerous federal and national...
Education Dept. orders deeper admissions and outcomes reporting — four-year colleges in scope
The U.S. Department of Education proposed sharply expanded IPEDS reporting that would force many four-year institutions to submit six years of disaggregated application, admissions and outcomes...
Ed. Dept. layoffs reversed — staff return unclear as skepticism lingers
Congress’s short-term funding deal reversed early-October reduction-in-force notices at the U.S. Department of Education and restored pay for hundreds of furloughed employees. The continuing...
UC Berkeley Turning Point clash draws DOJ probe — arrests and federal scrutiny follow
Protests outside a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley escalated into arrests and prompted a Department of Justice inquiry this week. Campus police reported several arrests for noncompliance...
Faculty firings under review: Arbitrator orders reinstatements; councils find academic-freedom breaches
An independent arbitrator has ordered Portland State University to reinstate 10 non-tenure-track faculty after finding the university violated its collective-bargaining agreement in a wave of...
Budget triage — UNL trims programs as Texas probes TSU finances
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s chancellor recommended eliminating four academic programs to close a structural deficit, trimming roughly $6.7 million and dozens of full-time positions—two...
International fall fuels online pivot: Gies shifts strategy as foreign enrollments drop
The University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business reported sharp declines in international, on-campus master’s enrollments this fall—some programs down 25% to 50%—and said robust domestic...
SNAP freeze forces colleges to expand food and basic-needs support
The lapse in SNAP funding during the government shutdown exposed gaps in students’ basic needs and prompted rapid response from colleges and local service providers. K–12 caseworkers and...
Student-data risk: Unsecured web forms and AI-ready incident response
Universities increasingly secure networks and identity systems but leave critical student data exposed where it enters campus systems—generic web forms used by admissions, registrars and...
Education Dept. proposes IPEDS overhaul: selective 4‑year colleges in the crosshairs
The U.S. Department of Education has proposed sharply expanding Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) reporting for selective four‑year institutions, requiring six years of...
UC Berkeley protest sparks arrests – DOJ opens federal probe
A Turning Point USA event on the UC Berkeley campus led to confrontations, multiple arrests and a federal probe this week after videos of the clash circulated online. The Justice Department...
Academic freedom under fire: faculty dismissals and state law probes
Two separate campus disputes this month spotlight growing tensions over academic freedom and state oversight. At Texas A&M, a faculty council concluded that the immediate dismissal of instructor...
Arbitrator orders Portland State to reinstate laid‑off faculty – contract breach found
An independent arbitrator has ordered Portland State University to reinstate 10 non‑tenure‑track faculty members, finding the university violated its collective bargaining agreement when it...
Nebraska chancellor trims program closures—faculty dissent continues
University of Nebraska‑Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett unveiled a revised budget plan that reduces proposed academic program eliminations from six to four, but the updated slate still includes...
Graduate borrowing caps loom: Washington’s changes could shrink debt or constrain access
Federal negotiations and Education Department rulemaking have converged on steep new limits for graduate federal borrowing that could take effect in mid‑2026. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act...
New accreditor seeks members in the South as federal recognition bid advances
The Commission for Public Higher Education has received letters of intent from 10 colleges across four Southern states as it pursues federal recognition, part of an effort to offer an alternative...
SNAP freeze strains campuses — colleges and nonprofits expand emergency aid
The federal SNAP funding lapse has driven spikes in student need and prompted colleges and community partners to expand emergency food and basic‑needs supports. Colleges across the country...
Campus leaders add security as threats escalate around protests and governance fights
Universities are increasingly assigning personal security to presidents, regents and senior executives after a surge in targeted threats, vandalism and off‑campus harassment tied to political...
Tribal colleges warn funding is precarious under current policy environment
Leaders of tribal colleges say their institutions—centers for Indigenous knowledge, language preservation and community development—face heightened funding instability under the current federal...
Enrollment rebound — community colleges and certificates lead
Undergraduate enrollment rose again this fall, driven by gains at community colleges and in short-term credential programs. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center and reporting from...