Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
Darden names interim dean who won't seek the permanent post — UVA launches external search
The University of Virginia appointed Michael Lenox as interim dean of the Darden School of Business; Lenox explicitly told administrators he does not want the permanent role. UVA named Lenox to...
Campus restructurings and employer ties — closures rise as colleges double down on career pipelines
The sector closed at least 15 college campuses in 2025 and recorded a wave of mergers and acquisitions as smaller, tuition‑dependent institutions struggled, according to a year‑end roundup. Public...
NIH agrees to revisit hundreds of shelved grants after court pressure
The National Institutes of Health told a federal court it will reexamine hundreds of grant applications that had been shelved or denied, reversing part of a wider funding stance under the prior...
Virginia moves to end in‑state tuition for undocumented students — legal fight looms
Virginia's outgoing Republican officials petitioned a federal court to block the Virginia Dream Act, asking the judiciary to scrap in‑state tuition for undocumented students and aligning with the...
Federal overhaul of loans and aid lands in 2026 — borrowers face tighter choices
A sweeping package of financial‑aid reforms in the One Big Beautiful Bill will take effect in July 2026, curbing access to certain federal student loans, reshaping repayment rules, and channeling...
Predictions for 2026: credentials, AI and data governance reshape campus strategy
Higher‑education leaders expect 2026 to accelerate three interlocking shifts: deeper investment in short‑term credentials, stronger employer engagement, and expanded institutional use of AI....
Campus food insecurity climbs — two in five students lack reliable access to food
About two in five college students face food insecurity, and campus food pantries are reporting sharp increases in demand, according to reporting from NPR and campus officials. Penn State...
MBA programs lean into practitioner mentorship — Kellogg APEX and HBS case method stress judgment
Two business‑school accounts highlight a continuing strategy among top MBA programs: intensify practitioner access and real‑deal experiences. Kellogg’s Advanced Private Equity Experience (APEX)...
Northwestern pact with federal government: international students singled out for 'open debate' training
Northwestern University agreed to terms with the Trump administration to restore nearly $800 million in previously frozen federal research funds, and one provision requires focused training and...
Darden interim dean named — he says he won't be permanent
The University of Virginia appointed Michael Lenox as interim dean of the Darden School of Business as Scott Beardsley moved to the university presidency. Lenox, a long‑time Darden strategy...
Ackman backs Francesca Gino: high‑profile donor amplifies tenure fight at Harvard
Billionaire Harvard Business School alumnus Bill Ackman publicly declared support for former HBS professor Francesca Gino and said he is financing her litigation against Harvard after the...
University calls 'satire' post 'disruption' — campus free‑speech dispute intensifies
A university concluded that a professor's online post about Zionists constituted 'disruption' even after the instructor argued the message was satirical. The case drew conservative activists...
NIH agrees to review grants it shelved: court pressure forces funding re‑examination
The National Institutes of Health has agreed in court filings to revisit hundreds of grant applications it previously shelved or denied, reversing a pattern of pre‑2026 rejections tied to the...
Student‑aid overhaul in 2026: federal rules to curb loans, reshape repayment
New federal rules tied to the law known colloquially as the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' will curb access to billions in student loans, change repayment frameworks and create new grant funding for...
Campus contraction... 2025 saw mass closures and strategic mergers
The higher‑education sector continued consolidation in 2025: at least 15 college campuses closed and a dozen institutions merged or were acquired as tuition‑dependent models strained under...
Bad data, broken AI: colleges warned on governance and readiness
Higher education institutions are embracing AI tools but frequently lack the data governance needed to make models reliable and scalable, industry analysts say. An editorial and advisory content...
Tech giants in classrooms... governments roll out chatbots as schools race to adopt AI
Governments and large technology firms are rapidly deploying AI chatbots and other instructional tools in schools worldwide, prompting debate over instructional quality and the role of teachers....
Two in five college students face food insecurity — campuses scramble to respond
A nationwide trend shows roughly 2 in 5 college students reporting food insecurity as campus food pantries and emergency programs see rising demand. At Penn State Harrisburg, pantry visits jumped...
Campus AI Fails Back to Bad Data — Governance gap exposed
Universities and school systems are rushing to embed AI tools while confronting gaps in the data and governance that underpin them. Reports show vendors and tech giants are rolling chatbots and...
Northwestern deal with feds — international students singled out for 'open debate' training
Northwestern University agreed to a settlement with Education and Justice Department officials to unlock nearly $800 million in frozen federal research funding, and the deal includes targeted...