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Latest Higher Education News

Justice Department subpoena for Penn staff names sparks campus backlash

November 23, 2025

A federal subpoena seeking identities of some Jewish employees at the University of Pennsylvania has provoked a strong backlash from university leaders, faculty and civil-rights groups who say the...

Epstein ties at elite universities — Summers faces fresh scrutiny

November 23, 2025

New reporting has renewed scrutiny of elite academics who maintained ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and questions about former Harvard president Larry Summers’ entanglement with Epstein intensified....

NCAA rescinds pro-sports betting change — membership votes to ban

November 23, 2025

In response to a wave of high-profile gambling scandals involving professional and college figures, NCAA Division I members voted to rescind a recent rule change that would have permitted athletes...

UNC Greensboro pilots AI and VR immersive learning — workforce focus

November 23, 2025

UNC Greensboro’s Bryan School of Business launched an immersive learning environment that combines AI and virtual reality to train students on workplace skills, backed by a $1 million grant and...

Education Department dismantled: states, tribes say process illegal

November 23, 2025

The Trump administration formally moved to redistribute core functions of the U.S. Department of Education across multiple agencies, and state chiefs and tribal leaders immediately pushed back....

Perkins funds moved: Labor Department absorbs CTE — districts react

November 23, 2025

The administration shifted the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education program and other workforce grants from Education to the Labor Department, prompting mixed reactions from colleges and...

DOJ subpoenas Penn: university fights request for employee names

November 23, 2025

The Justice Department asked the University of Pennsylvania for lists of certain employees as part of an investigation into antisemitism on campus, and the request has triggered a backlash from...

Arbitrator rebukes Portland State — laid-off faculty must be reinstated

November 23, 2025

An independent arbitrator found Portland State University violated shared governance when administrators executed budget-driven layoffs and ordered the university to reinstate 10 nontenure-track...

AAUP at odds: academic freedom fight fractures supporters

November 23, 2025

The American Association of University Professors’ strategy on academic freedom and governance is driving a pitched internal debate, with some longtime supporters accusing the organization of...

Foreign-language programs slashed — universities blame a societal shift

November 23, 2025

Colleges and universities are cutting dozens of foreign-language degrees and closing departments, citing falling student demand and shifts in curricular priorities. Administrations point to...

UNC Greensboro pilots AI/VR lab: immersive learning aimed at job readiness

November 23, 2025

The Joseph M. Bryan School at UNC Greensboro launched an immersive learning environment that combines virtual reality and AI tools after securing a $1 million grant to train students in workplace...

OpenAI unveils ChatGPT for Teachers: a K–12 workspace with privacy safeguards

November 23, 2025

OpenAI launched a teacher-specific version of ChatGPT offering built-in prompts, collaboration tools and privacy protections, free for educators through June 2027. The rollout marks the company’s...

HBCU AWARE FEST 2026 — a mobilization to end student debt

November 23, 2025

Organizers announced HBCU AWARE FEST 2026 as a marquee movement to push for student-debt relief and to expand investment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The event aims to mobilize...

Darden job offers dip: MBA hiring hits a 10‑year low

November 23, 2025

The University of Virginia’s Darden School reported that 90.2% of the Class of 2025 had received job offers within three months — the lowest three‑month placement rate since 2015. The report...

Universities roll out immersive AI labs—VR meets workplace training

November 23, 2025

Universities are expanding immersive AI and virtual reality programs to build job-ready skills and streamline administrative work. The University of North Carolina Greensboro’s Joseph M. Bryan...

Education Department fragment: CTE funding moves to Labor—boards warned

November 23, 2025

The U.S. Department of Education has begun transferring dozens of programs to other federal agencies, a move that includes shifting the $1.4 billion Carl D. Perkins career and technical education...

Arbitrators rebuke campus cuts—shared governance and academic freedom under strain

November 23, 2025

Two recent adjudications have put campus decision-making under scrutiny: an arbitrator ordered Portland State University to reinstate 10 nontenure-track faculty and provide back pay after finding...

Cal State taps veteran leader—Sonoma State handed a turnaround mandate

November 23, 2025

The California State University board named Michael Spagna as Sonoma State University’s permanent president, effective Jan. 20, tasking him with a financial and enrollment turnaround after a...

Justice Department subpoena for Penn staff roils campus—privacy and probe collide

November 23, 2025

The federal government has sued to obtain names of some University of Pennsylvania employees, saying the information is needed to investigate allegations of antisemitism. The request and...

Title II compliance and global QA moves—accessibility meets accreditation

November 23, 2025

Public colleges and universities are accelerating digital-accessibility work as Title II ADA enforcement codifies WCAG 2.1 standards and a compliance deadline approaches in April 2026....