Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
DeSantis steps in... Offers, declines and power shifts at the University of Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis personally contacted conservative scholar Robert P. George about the University of Florida presidency after the Board of Governors rejected Santa J. Ono, according to multiple...
Harvard tenure fight: Community standards cited in high‑profile denial
Harvard Business School denied tenure to Benjamin Edelman despite broad praise for his scholarship and teaching, former Dean Nitin Nohria testified, citing a failure to meet the school’s nebulous...
AI in class... Professors and campuses pilot co‑teachers and curricula
Colleges are embedding generative AI into instruction as faculty and administrators pilot models aimed at both practical training and literacy. Writing and English professors are experimenting...
AI cheating... Detection tech and new assessments to save analytical papers
Instructors and researchers are pressing for reliable frameworks and tools to detect large‑language‑model use so that analytical writing assignments can survive the AI era. One prominent faculty...
Students sidestep four‑years: Community college and certificate enrollments surge
New data from the National Student Clearinghouse shows undergraduate enrollment growth is concentrated in community colleges and certificate programs, not traditional four‑year bachelor’s...
Small colleges on edge: audits warn of closure risk and campus acquisitions
Financial audits and campus announcements this month underscored the precarious finances facing smaller colleges. Hampshire College’s latest audit warns of potential closure risk if the...
ED details higher‑ed grant staff to Labor: federal handoff begins
The U.S. Education Department this week began detailing staff who run higher‑education grant programs to the Labor Department as part of an interagency agreement that shifts administration of...
State Dept. visa freeze hits campuses: international pipeline under strain
The State Department announced a pause on immigrant‑visa processing for nationals of 75 countries effective Jan. 21, a move that threatens the flow of international students to U.S. campuses. The...
Students pivot to two‑year paths: community colleges and certificates surge
New federal and clearinghouse data show undergraduate growth this fall was concentrated in community colleges and short‑term credentials, undercutting demand for traditional four‑year degrees. The...
Education Dept. pauses forced collections — White House delays garnishments
The Education Department announced a temporary pause on plans to seize tax refunds and garnish wages from borrowers in default, delaying a restart of aggressive forced‑collection tools. The...
ED opens sweeping Title IX probes: 18 districts and colleges targeted
The Education Department launched investigations into 18 school districts and colleges alleging noncompliance with Title IX rules on sex‑segregated athletics, focusing on policies that allow...
Federal courts move to shield noncitizen scholars: judges weigh deportation limits
Federal judges in multiple districts signaled willingness to protect noncitizen academics and student activists amid aggressive immigration enforcement that has targeted campus organizers. A...
GenAI enters the classroom — co‑teacher pilots and a debate over paper‑based assessment
Indiana University launched GenAI 101, pairing an animated AI co‑teacher called Crimson with human instructors and enrolling more than 100,000 learners across campuses and alumni networks. The...
Harvard tenure fight lands in court — 'community standards' vs. scholarship
Former Harvard Business School professor Ben Edelman has sued HBS after the school denied him tenure despite faculty agreement that he met intellectual and teaching standards. Dean Nitin Nohria...
Lawmakers press hiring decisions: U. of Arkansas rescinds dean offer after GOP backlash
The University of Arkansas withdrew a previously announced contract for law dean Emily Suski after Republican state lawmakers and key external stakeholders objected to her signing an amicus brief...
Mental‑health funding whiplash: Project AWARE grants canceled — then restored
The administration abruptly canceled up to $2 billion in school mental‑health and addiction grants, including Project AWARE awards that fund training, screening and referral services in K‑12 and...
U. of Arkansas rescinds law-dean hire — Lawmakers cite trans‑athlete brief
The University of Arkansas abruptly withdrew its offer to law professor Emily Suski after Republican state lawmakers raised objections to her signing of an amicus brief supporting transgender...
Education Dept. details higher‑ed staff to Labor — Grants pulled and restored
The U.S. Department of Education is transferring staff who run higher‑education grant programs to the Labor Department as part of an interagency detail intended to shift grant administration;...
Students favor community colleges and certificates — enrollment mix shifts
New data from the National Student Clearinghouse show overall postsecondary enrollment rose about 1% in fall 2025, but the increase concentrated at community colleges and in short‑term...
Education Department opens 18 Title IX investigations into trans‑athlete policies
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights launched investigations into 18 school districts and colleges over athletic policies that allow transgender students to compete on teams matching...