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Latest Higher Education News

Microsoft launches educator AI training as employers say grads lack skills

February 15, 2026

Microsoft announced Microsoft Elevate for Educators to provide year‑round AI training, community resources and credentials to K–12 teachers and school leaders, joining Google and Apple initiatives...

Epstein files ripple through campuses—donors, donors’ ties under review

February 15, 2026

Colleges are confronting fallout from newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents as institutions examine faculty, donors and building names connected to the financier. Universities have opened...

Students value mental health but avoid counseling—campus gap persists

February 15, 2026

A national student survey found that 93% of college students view mental health as important and most know where to find resources, yet only 18% used on‑campus counseling services. Stigma,...

Campus AI governance: faculty rules soften while boards get practical tools

February 15, 2026

Higher‑education institutions are moving from outright bans on student and faculty use of generative AI toward nuanced policies that govern research, assessment and classroom use. A...

State legislative fights target DEI and classroom content at colleges

February 15, 2026

State lawmakers in Iowa, Kansas and other states are advancing bills to restrict race, gender and sexuality content in required college courses, limit DEI offices, and curb diversity trainings and...

DOJ sues Harvard: court fight over admissions records

February 14, 2026

The Justice Department filed suit against Harvard, alleging the university has stalled or withheld documents in a federal probe of its admissions practices. The complaint argues Harvard refused to...

Pell grant faces $11.5B shortfall — Congress must act

February 14, 2026

The Congressional Budget Office projects a $11.5 billion shortfall in the Pell Grant program if Congress does not add funding by Sept. 30, putting millions of need-based awards at risk. Federal...

UNC formalizes no-notice recording policy — admins can access class footage

February 14, 2026

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill finalized a classroom‑recording policy that permits administrators to record or access lectures without notifying instructors in specific...

Two small colleges to close — teach-outs and transfers arranged

February 14, 2026

Two small institutions announced closures that will reshape local higher‑education landscapes and force student transfers. Labouré College of Healthcare said it will cease academic operations at...

Epstein files: colleges probe faculty and donor links

February 14, 2026

Universities are responding to newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents by launching internal reviews of faculty, donors and trustees with links to the disgraced financier. College leaders face...

AI coding surge: employers say colleges aren’t keeping pace

February 14, 2026

Employers and developers are signaling a rapid shift in technical skill expectations as advanced coding models from OpenAI and Anthropic accelerate software automation. A new employer survey and...

Stanford protest trial ends in mistrial — jury deadlocks

February 14, 2026

A criminal case arising from pro‑Palestinian demonstrations at Stanford ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a verdict on felony charges against five current and former students. The...

University safety: dorm shooting and measles outbreak raise alarms

February 14, 2026

Two campus safety incidents over the past week have put health and security teams on high alert. A residence‑hall shooting at South Carolina State University left two students dead and another...

Conservative push reshapes campus policy: accreditors and course content targeted

February 14, 2026

A coordinated policy push from conservative groups and state legislatures is reshaping higher‑education debate over accreditation, curriculum and campus operations. The Heritage Foundation’s...

Academia moves from bans to governance: nuanced AI policies emerge

February 14, 2026

Institutions and faculty are shifting from blunt prohibitions on generative AI toward governance models that integrate tools into pedagogy and oversight. A study found many faculty easing outright...

DOJ sues Harvard — Government demands applicant-level admissions records

February 14, 2026

The Justice Department filed suit this week seeking to compel Harvard University to produce applicant-level admissions documents as part of a federal probe into whether the Ivy League school...

Pell grant faces $11.5B shortfall — CBO warns of cuts or eligibility limits

February 14, 2026

The Congressional Budget Office warned that the Pell Grant program faces an $11.5 billion shortfall if Congress does not replenish the Federal Student Aid account by Sept. 30. The CBO’s projection...

Small colleges fold — Labouré and Lourdes set closure plans and teach‑outs

February 14, 2026

Two small, mission-driven institutions announced closures this week as declining enrollment and fiscal pressure forced trustees to seek teach-out solutions. Labouré College of Healthcare in...

UNC formalizes no‑notice recordings — Classroom surveillance policy takes effect

February 14, 2026

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill finalized a policy allowing administrators to record classes without notifying instructors under narrowly defined conditions—chiefly when the...

Epstein files roil campuses — Investigations, donor scrutiny, and safety tensions

February 14, 2026

Universities continue to confront reputational and governance fallout from newly released Epstein-related documents. Campus leaders are launching investigations, fielding demands to sever donor...