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Campus security and speech: ICE operations push universities to adapt
Universities in the Twin Cities and beyond have moved classes online, increased campus escorts and tightened safety protocols as federal immigration enforcement operations and protests escalated...
Leadership under pressure: Presidents navigate speech, protests and picks
College presidents are recalibrating when and how to issue public statements as political crises and campus protests mount. Panels at the AAC&U conference urged reticence and mission‑driven...
Programs and competition: Business schools expand while community colleges seek baccalaureates
Washington University’s Olin Business School announced three new specialized master’s programs—AI for Business, Sports Business and Wealth Management—aimed at short, industry‑aligned credentials...
Legal politics and research costs: Five lawsuits meet indirect‑cost scrutiny
A legal docket of higher‑education cases tied to Trump administration policies will shape institutional finances and autonomy this year, from funding freezes to enforcement of new compliance...
Education Dept. overhauls accreditation: rules to reshape gatekeepers
The U.S. Department of Education announced a formal push to rewrite accreditation regulations, signaling faster recognition for new accreditors and explicit limits on diversity, equity and...
Columbia names Mnookin: campus crises await
Columbia University’s Board of Trustees selected Jennifer L. Mnookin, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, as the Ivy League school’s next president, a hire trustees say combines...
Legal test cases: five higher‑ed lawsuits to watch in 2026
A slate of lawsuits filed or pending against federal agencies and universities has the potential to reshape governance, research funding and campus policy across American higher education in 2026....
Student visas and speech... courts flag government targeting
Unsealed government documents and recent court rulings allege the Trump administration targeted foreign students and scholars for pro‑Palestine speech, raising constitutional and immigration‑law...
Trump administration cuts over $2 billion in education grants: tally
Education Week reported that the Trump administration disrupted or terminated more than 730 in‑progress federal education grants, collectively worth over $2 billion, as part of a broad campaign to...
ETS seeks buyers for GRE and TOEFL: testing market in flux
Educational Testing Service has begun exploring sale or strategic investments for two flagship exams, the GRE and TOEFL, reflecting long‑running declines in test‑taker pools and shifts in...
Anthropic’s manifesto stokes campus AI debate: safety vs. adoption
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s 20,000‑word essay reignited debate over AI risks and remedies, arguing powerful systems could constitute an entity with the equivalent brainpower of 'millions of Nobel...
Online MBA market tightens: Kelley holds No.1 as programs proliferate
Indiana University’s Kelley School again topped U.S. News’ 2026 ranking of online MBA programs, extending its long run of success in a crowded market of more than 700 U.S. options. U.S. News...
Students trust counseling but don’t use it: demand‑access gap
A new survey from the Hi, How Are You Project finds that while a majority of students express trust in mental health services, only a minority actually access on‑campus care. The data showed 55...
WashU Olin launches three niche master’s — AI, sports and wealth management
Washington University in St. Louis’s Olin Business School announced three new specialized master’s degrees launching fall 2026—AI for Business, Sports Business, and Wealth Management—citing...
Education Department to Rewrite Accreditation Rules — Push to Ease New Accreditors
The U.S. Department of Education announced plans to overhaul federal accreditation regulations, proposing lower barriers for new accreditors and limits on diversity, equity and inclusion criteria....
Five lawsuits to watch — Trump administration’s court fights reshape campus rules
Courts are set to decide several major cases that could redefine federal leverage over universities, with five suits emerging as pivotal for admissions, research funding, and campus speech. Legal...
Twin Cities campuses pivot as ICE surge ignites protests and security plans
Universities in the Twin Cities shifted operations—moving some classes online, increasing campus escorts and security, and issuing guidance—after federal immigration enforcement and street...
Courts intervene in Minnesota enforcement — judges press ICE and federal officials
Federal courts in Minnesota kept up a stream of decisions and orders that constrained parts of the immigration enforcement surge and demanded accountability from federal officials. An appeals...
ETS explores sale of GRE and TOEFL — test industry crossroads
Educational Testing Service is seeking buyers or strategic investors for two of its flagship exams, the GRE and TOEFL, The Wall Street Journal reports. The move follows steep declines in GRE...
University autonomy under strain: Northwestern deal and presidents’ speech calculus
Northwestern’s settlement with the federal government and broader pressure on campus speech are forcing presidents to recalibrate public statements and institutional policies. Experts say the $75...