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Latest Higher Education News

States loosen ABA law‑degree requirement — accreditation landscape shifts

January 16, 2026

Two states moved to loosen the American Bar Association’s gatekeeping role for law‑licensure. Florida’s Supreme Court removed the ABA‑degree requirement for new lawyers, opening the door for...

Hampshire College faces closure risk: auditors cite bond covenant breaches

January 16, 2026

Hampshire College’s latest fiscal audit warns the small Massachusetts liberal‑arts school may not be able to continue operating if it cannot refinance looming debt. Auditors report the college...

Portland State reverses layoffs: 10 nontenure faculty ordered back

January 16, 2026

Portland State University will reinstate 10 non‑tenure‑track faculty members after an independent arbitrator found the university violated its collective‑bargaining agreement. The university’s...

Education Department vows probe: 'No stone unturned' in transgender athlete investigations

January 16, 2026

The U.S. Department of Education opened sweeping Title IX investigations into 18 school districts and colleges over policies that allow transgender students to compete on teams aligned with their...

Judge floats limits on deporting student activists — hearings set

January 16, 2026

A federal judge has proposed extending protections to noncitizen student activists in litigation that challenges deportations tied to campus protest activity, and a follow‑up hearing is scheduled...

Vanderbilt expands nationwide — new West Palm Beach campus and SF acquisition

January 16, 2026

Vanderbilt University announced aggressive expansion moves, including plans to raise $250 million for a graduate campus near West Palm Beach and an acquisition of the San Francisco campus of the...

Faculty Merit Act under fire — scholars urge data, not mandates

January 16, 2026

Critics and defenders of a proposed Faculty Merit Act clashed over its call for mandatory publication of standardized test scores for faculty candidates. Statistician Chad M. Topaz called the...

U.S. visa pause and China admissions exam reshape global student flows

January 16, 2026

The State Department announced a pause on immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, a move university leaders say could disrupt international student pipelines and the recruitment...

Fall enrollment edges up 1% — community colleges drive the gains

January 16, 2026

National Student Clearinghouse data show overall postsecondary enrollment rose 1% in fall 2025, marking a tentative recovery to pre‑pandemic size driven primarily by community colleges and public...

Indiana’s Kelley debuts 'Crimson' co‑teacher — GenAI 101 hits nine‑figure reach

January 16, 2026

Indiana University’s Kelley School launched GenAI 101 with an animated AI co‑teacher called Crimson, and the course has attracted roughly 107,000 learners across IU departments and alumni since...

Campus discipline and politics collide: faculty punished, dean offer rescinded

January 16, 2026

Two campus controversies underscore intensifying political pressure on higher education. At least 26 faculty nationwide faced sanctions after online comments about the assassination at Utah Valley...

Education Dept. opens 18 Title IX probes — transgender athlete policies targeted

January 16, 2026

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has launched 18 formal Title IX investigations into school systems and colleges over policies that allow transgender students to play on...

Federal judge considers limits on deporting noncitizen student activists

January 16, 2026

A federal judge has proposed extending protections against deportation for noncitizen student activists in litigation over First Amendment rights, and the court has scheduled follow-up hearings to...

Vanderbilt goes coast to coast — plans West Palm Beach and SF foothold

January 16, 2026

Vanderbilt University announced a nationwide expansion strategy that includes a new graduate-education campus in West Palm Beach and plans to acquire a San Francisco art-school campus, signaling...

26 faculty punished; states pass record censorship laws — campus speech under pressure

January 16, 2026

Colleges across the U.S. disciplined at least 26 faculty members for online comments about a high‑profile campus killing, triggering lawsuits and a national debate about academic freedom....

Enrollment edges up 1% — public colleges and dual‑enrollment drive gains

January 16, 2026

U.S. postsecondary enrollment rose 1% in fall 2025, driven mainly by community colleges and public four‑year institutions, according to National Student Clearinghouse data. Community colleges...

GenAI classrooms: Indiana’s Crimson and an urgent debate on AI’s role

January 16, 2026

Indiana University’s Kelley School launched GenAI 101 with 'Crimson,' an animated AI co‑teacher that models how students should interrogate and work with generative AI; the course has enrolled...

Lawmakers pressure hires — U. of Arkansas withdraws dean offer over trans brief

January 16, 2026

The University of Arkansas rescinded a job offer for legal scholar Emily Suski after state lawmakers objected to her signing an amicus brief about transgender athletes. Republican officials...

Arbitrator orders faculty reinstatement; HBCU president removed — governance frictions rise

January 16, 2026

Portland State University announced it will reinstate 10 non‑tenure‑track faculty members after an arbitrator found the layoffs violated the collective‑bargaining agreement; the university said it...

Mental‑health funding whiplash: grants pulled, AI fills care gaps

January 16, 2026

The Trump administration briefly canceled up to $2 billion in school mental‑health and addiction grants, including Project AWARE awards, then reversed the decision within 24 hours amid bipartisan...