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State lawmakers target campus DEI — Bills would curb race, gender, sexuality instruction
Legislatures in multiple states are advancing measures that would restrict how race, gender and sexuality are taught or discussed in higher education classrooms. Proposals in states such as Iowa...
Universities lag on AI skills — Employers press for curriculum change as faculty shift policies
A new employer survey found that 77% of employers expect new hires to have hands‑on AI experience, while 58% say universities are not doing enough to prepare graduates. The See the Future 2026...
AI access gap widens: K‑12 tools skew to wealthy districts — Microsoft offers training
Analysts and educators warn that AI adoption in K‑12 is accelerating fastest in high‑income districts, leaving Title I and rural schools behind. Reporting from Chicago highlights stark disparities...
Campus identity policies tighten — UT Austin merges programs; Virginia Tech bans funded identity graduations
The University of Texas at Austin consolidated gender and ethnic studies into a single department as part of a curricular and administrative reorganization intended to reshape interdisciplinary...
Students value mental health — awareness high, but counseling uptake remains low
A national survey finds 93% of college students consider mental health important and 73% trust campus counseling, yet only 18% report using on‑campus services. The Thriving College Student survey...
Justice Department sues Harvard — Files bid to force admissions records
The Justice Department escalated its year‑long probe into Harvard’s admissions practices, filing a lawsuit to compel the university to turn over applicant‑level records, the agency said. The...
Pell Grant fund faces $11.5 billion hole — CBO warns
The Congressional Budget Office projected an $11.5 billion shortfall in the Pell Grant program if Congress fails to add funding to the Federal Student Aid account by Sept. 30, warning that without...
Heritage blueprint and accreditors — Washington prepares overhaul of federal gatekeeping
The Heritage Foundation laid out policy recommendations that would sharply reduce accreditors’ role as gatekeepers of federal student aid, advocating state certification and a decoupling of...
State legislatures press anti‑DEI measures — Colleges brace for classroom limits
Lawmakers in Iowa and Kansas introduced bills aimed at curbing instruction on race, gender, and sexuality in some college courses and rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The...
UNC formalizes no‑notice recording policy — Campus debates privacy and academic freedom
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill finalized a policy allowing administrators to record or access classroom recordings without notifying instructors in specified circumstances,...
Labouré College to close in August — Curry College to absorb nursing program
Labouré College of Healthcare announced it will cease academic operations at the end of August, citing persistent financial, enrollment, and regulatory pressures. Nearby Curry College agreed,...
Lourdes University to wind down — Trustees cite unsustainable model
Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio, announced it will close at the end of the academic year after trustees and the sponsoring Sisters of St. Francis pointed to declining enrollment and mounting...
Campus protests and reputational fallout — Trials, Epstein files spread scrutiny
A jury deadlocked in the trial of five current and former Stanford students charged over pro‑Palestinian demonstrations, prompting a mistrial that leaves unresolved legal and reputational...
AI and the pipeline — Students use chatbots for searches; employers say grads lack AI fluency
Students are increasingly using ChatGPT and other AI tools to research colleges, prompting institutions to prioritize ‘AI visibility’ in recruitment and digital outreach. Admissions teams told to...
Foreign funding disclosure — Education Dept. posts $5B in 2025 gifts and contracts
The U.S. Department of Education released data showing colleges reported more than $5 billion in foreign gifts and contracts in 2025, part of an administration push for transparency on outside...
DOJ lawsuit compels Harvard: records demand
The Justice Department sued Harvard University, alleging the school has withheld documents needed to determine whether race plays an unlawful role in admissions decisions. The department filed...
Pell Grant shortfall: CBO flags funding gap
The Congressional Budget Office warned of an $11.5 billion shortfall in the Pell Grant program if Congress does not replenish the Federal Student Aid account by Sept. 30. The CBO said without new...
UNC formalizes secret-recording policy after class tapes
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill published a classroom‑recording policy that allows administrators, under written authorization from the provost and university counsel, to record or...
Small colleges fold — teach-outs and transfers under way
Two small, tuition‑dependent institutions announced closures and teach‑out arrangements this week as enrollment and financial pressures mount across the sector. The Labouré College of Healthcare...
California sues Education Dept. over gender‑disclosure demands
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed suit against the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary Linda McMahon after the department found the state out of compliance with FERPA over...