Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
Education Department warns accreditors: ditch DEI or face review
The U.S. Department of Education’s under secretary, Nicholas Kent, sent formal letters this week to two accrediting bodies — the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Commission on...
ED moves to unclog mergers — colleges eye new lifelines
The U.S. Education Department unveiled plans to streamline merger pathways for colleges seeking financial lifelines, arguing current rules create needless delays and barriers. Agency officials...
Small colleges retrench: program cuts and layoffs on the table
Financial strain is forcing small institutions to consider deep retrenchment. The University of Providence disclosed a program review and possible staffing cuts after its health system partner...
Shared governance under strain — campus leaders clash with faculty
Shared governance on public campuses is again in the crosshairs. The University of Arizona’s president refused to sign a traditional shared‑governance memorandum, setting up a public clash with...
Free‑speech fights ignite campuses: pride flags, GOP chapter deactivation
Two separate campus controversies this week put student expression and institutional discipline in the spotlight. At Boston University, administrators removed pride flags from residence‑hall...
Transfer surge and international slump reshape enrollments
Enrollment patterns are shifting sharply. The National Student Clearinghouse reported nearly 1.2 million students transferred colleges in fall 2024, marking a continuing rise in mid‑degree moves...
Federal data crunch: NCES overhaul and admissions demands strain campuses
A new group has been convened to recommend reforms to the National Center for Education Statistics after repeated criticism of the agency’s capacity and methods; leaders say NCES needs...
Universities race to tame AI risk — IT leaders sound the alarm
Campus IT leaders are adopting AI risk frameworks as universities accelerate deployments across student services, research and operations. Higher‑education IT experts warn that many institutions...
Accreditors and credentials: microcredentials gain formal acceptance
The Higher Learning Commission took a notable step by endorsing the first microcredential providers, signaling a broader acceptance of short‑form credentials for workforce alignment. HLC’s move...
Entry‑level jobs evaporate — graduates and career services under pressure
A new report finds CUNY graduates are encountering a shortage of entry‑level positions in New York City despite rising graduation rates, prompting calls for stronger employer partnerships and...
Education Department orders accreditors: Remove DEI standards now
The Education Department’s under secretary, Nicholas Kent, sent formal letters directing two accrediting agencies to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion standards he says violate federal...
Colleges scramble: Federal demand for admissions data strains IR offices
Institutional research offices are scrambling to respond to a sweeping federal demand for admissions and enrollment data, according to reporting by Eric Hoover. Colleges across the country are...
International applications collapse – U.S. campuses face $55 billion hit
U.S. universities are seeing a sharp drop in international applicants and enrollments after a visa‑interview pause and processing delays last year, according to reporting that calls the decline a...
HLC endorses microcredentials: Accreditation opens to short courses
The Higher Learning Commission has formally endorsed its first microcredential providers, signaling an accreditation pathway for short, competency‑based credentials outside traditional degree...
Students shift mid‑degree — transfers hit record high
Nearly 1.2 million students transferred colleges in fall 2024, a 4.4% year‑over‑year rise and a continuing trend that now makes transfer students roughly 13% of non‑first‑year undergraduates,...
Small colleges cut or lay off: Subsidy losses and structural deficits force moves
Two private institutions signaled deep cost‑cutting moves this week as fiscal pressures mount. The University of Providence in Montana launched a program review after its affiliated health system...
Campus antisemitism and speech collide: Lawsuits and congressional findings
A University of Florida student organization sued the university after the campus chapter of the College Republicans was deactivated following allegations of an antisemitic gesture by a member;...
Shared governance vs. transparency: Boards, presidents and state rules at odds
Conflict over faculty governance and curricular transparency intensified as the University of Arizona president refused to sign a traditional shared‑governance memorandum amid state legislative...
Boards and accreditation: Toolkit and a caution about reforms
Two items this week framed governance’s role in accreditation. The Association of Governing Boards released a toolkit aimed at helping trustees understand and use accreditation effectively,...
Business schools reposition: Data‑driven admissions and research dominance
Business schools moved on two fronts this week: admissions strategy and research standing. The Darden School of Business hired Willie Green, a talent recruitment leader from Google and Amazon, as...