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Latest Higher Education News

UVA trustees’ texts leak: board blasts lawmakers and faculty

January 11, 2026

Board members at the University of Virginia exchanged sharply worded text messages about recent campus tensions, public records show. The messages, obtained through a records request and reported...

West Florida names former lawmaker – faculty call search flawed

January 11, 2026

The University of West Florida’s board of trustees voted to appoint Manny Diaz Jr., a former Republican lawmaker and state education commissioner, as president after a search that faculty critics...

Education Dept. grant nudges colleges to switch accreditors... newcomers win awards

January 11, 2026

The Department of Education is directing millions in grants toward organizations and colleges that plan to switch accreditors, a program that has already awarded funds to several established...

Graduate loan caps reshape financing – states step in

January 11, 2026

New federal limits on graduate borrowing are set to affect a substantial share of advanced-degree students, and state policymakers are moving to fill the gap. A Consumer Finance Institute analysis...

ED panel signs off on new earnings test – certificate aid faces changes

January 11, 2026

An Education Department advisory panel approved a new earnings test intended to link federal aid eligibility for certain undergraduate certificates to measurable post‑completion wages. The vote...

Course-sharing lifts margins and completion... small colleges lead the way

January 11, 2026

A growing number of financially strained small colleges are using course‑sharing consortia to expand program offerings, reduce instructional costs and keep students on track to graduate. Adrian...

Governance under pressure: post‑tenure review adopted, lender pushes trustees

January 11, 2026

State and financial pressures are reshaping university governance. The South Dakota Board of Regents adopted a post‑tenure review policy under sharp criticism from faculty who say the move...

Colleges deploy analytics and proven tactics to lift graduation rates

January 11, 2026

Institutions are adopting evidence‑based tactics to bolster student completion: intrusive advising, targeted course redesign, predictive analytics and curricular restructuring top the list of...

MBA admissions recalibrate: video, AI and online programs reshape selection

January 11, 2026

Business schools are shifting admissions operations as AI use grows and applicants adapt. Admissions consultants predict 2026 will be a year of tighter scrutiny of AI‑assisted applications, wider...

Probe clears Maryland president but report kept secret – costs rise

January 11, 2026

The University System of Maryland concluded an investigation that found no evidence of scholarly misconduct by University of Maryland president Darryll Pines, officials said, but they have...

UVA board texts: trustees vent anger at faculty and lawmakers

January 10, 2026

Board members at the University of Virginia exchanged candid and critical text messages about state lawmakers and faculty during a period of campus tension, according to records obtained by a...

West Florida hire – board overrules faculty, picks ex‑lawmaker president

January 10, 2026

The University of West Florida’s board voted 11–1 to name Manny Diaz Jr., a former Republican lawmaker and state education commissioner, as president after a process faculty members described as...

Graduate loan crunch: states and students scramble as federal caps loom

January 10, 2026

Connecticut officials unveiled a plan to create a state graduate‑loan program after Congress enacted limits that will end Grad PLUS and cap graduate borrowing — a move that could leave many...

Federal rules and new earnings test: money and accreditation on the line

January 10, 2026

The Education Department is moving forward with a new earnings test for undergraduate certificates as part of broader regulatory shifts that include grants aimed at encouraging colleges to switch...

Course‑sharing gains traction: small colleges turn collaboration into revenue

January 10, 2026

Adrian College reported savings and program growth after joining a course‑sharing consortium, cutting its academic budget by 13% while launching 38 new majors and aiming to reduce tuition. The...

AI in classrooms: from hype to policy and pushback

January 10, 2026

K‑12 districts and higher‑ed instructors are recalibrating expectations for classroom AI as districts adopt policies and professional development while critics push back. Coverage shows schools...

Student readiness and completion: reading gaps and graduation strategies

January 10, 2026

Professors report incoming Gen Z students display weaker reading skills, prompting instructors to alter pedagogy and assessment to rebuild basic literacy. National surveys show reading habits have...

Faculty pipeline and accountability: shortages, post‑tenure review and workforce strain

January 10, 2026

States and institutions are tackling two linked challenges: a shortage of career and technical education faculty and new post‑tenure review policies that critics say threaten faculty protections....

Financial distress and governance: lenders, campus sales and trustee fights

January 10, 2026

Financially vulnerable institutions continue to surface in the policy spotlight. Self‑Help Ventures conditioned rescue financing at Saint Augustine’s University on removing certain trustees, a...

Investigations, due process and institutional transparency

January 10, 2026

The University System of Maryland withheld the full report of a probe into alleged plagiarism by University of Maryland president Darryll Pines, a review that cost up to $600,000, even as...