Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
Portland State refuses arbitrator reinstatement — union vows further action
An independent arbitrator ordered Portland State University to reinstate 10 nontenure-track faculty members laid off in June and to provide back pay, finding the university violated the...
UC Berkeley suspends lecturer for in-class political advocacy
The University of California, Berkeley suspended lecturer Peyrin Kao without pay for the spring semester after university leaders concluded he repeatedly made pro-Palestinian political remarks and...
FAFSA adds earnings flag: students alerted to low‑return colleges
The U.S. Department of Education added an earnings indicator to FAFSA that flags institutions whose graduates earn less than typical high-school graduates, displaying a “low earnings” disclosure...
Justice Dept. rule change: Disparate-impact investigations dropped
The Justice Department announced it will stop investigating claims of systemic racism or sexism under disparate-impact legal theory, formally narrowing civil-rights enforcement in higher...
Pell Grant funding gap widens: watchdogs flag long‑term shortfall
Two independent analyses released this week flagged a looming structural shortfall in the Pell Grant program after Congress provided one‑time funding in July. The Committee for a Responsible...
FAFSA adds earnings warning — tool flags low‑value colleges
The Department of Education rolled out an earnings indicator in the FAFSA submission summary that flags institutions where graduate earnings trail those of high‑school graduates. The new...
EEOC opens claims portal after Columbia settlement
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission opened a claims process for current and former Columbia University employees following a $21 million settlement over allegations of antisemitic...
Small college emerges from probation after deep cuts — Guilford’s turnaround
Guilford College announced that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges removed the institution from probation following a weekend presentation by college...
Campus immigration clashes: Arrests, detentions and students’ rights
Two high‑profile campus immigration incidents this week underscore escalating tensions between universities and federal enforcement. Augsburg University and Department of Homeland Security...
Fatal campus shooting: Kentucky State locks down after student killed
Kentucky State University confirmed a fatal shooting at a residence hall that left one student dead and another critically injured. Local police arrested a suspect who is not a student; the...
Leadership churn and succession: Clemson retirement and the board professional’s role
Clemson University president Jim Clements announced an immediate retirement at month’s end, citing health and family reasons and ending a 12‑year tenure that included research elevation and...
Financial strain and program cuts: Martin University pause and Wisconsin’s new program metric
Martin University, a private predominantly Black institution in Indianapolis, announced it will ‘‘pause operations’’ at the end of the semester amid persistent enrollment and financial shortfalls,...
AI in classrooms: Guidance, agents and faculty concerns
Higher‑education providers are moving from discussion to deployment on generative AI, with two strands emerging: faculty guidance and autonomous AI agents. A practical guide for teachers urged...
Education Dept. reshuffle — Pell program still facing long-term gap
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) this week published a Policy Watch summarizing sweeping administrative moves inside the U.S. Department of Education that shift program...
AI in the classroom... campuses scramble to place agents and preserve pedagogy
Universities are moving from debate to deployment on campus AI, telling faculty to integrate generative tools while balancing time, academic integrity and privacy. A new practical guide for...
Kentucky State shooting: campus locks down as one student dies
A shooting at a Kentucky State University residence hall in Frankfort left one student dead and another critically injured, university and local police said. Authorities arrested a suspect who is...
International and regional enrollment shifts — $1B local hit as students move south
U.S. colleges reported a 17% drop in new international student enrollment this year — the steepest non-pandemic decline in over a decade — a shift that a recent analysis ties to nearly $1 billion...
Sudden departures and closures — Clemson president exits; Martin University pauses
Clemson University announced the sudden retirement of president Jim Clements effective at month-end, ending a 12-year tenure cited for enrollment and research growth but shadowed by recent...
Faculty disputes and cuts — arbitrator orders reinstatements, campuses brace for more reductions
An arbitrator ordered Portland State University to reinstate 10 nontenure-track faculty members laid off in June, a ruling the university is resisting on contractual grounds and signaling...
Academic freedom under pressure — Berkeley suspension, Weber State revises enforcement
The University of California, Berkeley suspended electrical engineering and computer science lecturer Peyrin Kao without pay for the spring semester after he made pro‑Palestinian political...