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AI adoption shaping student major choices
New data suggests generative AI is already reshaping higher education decision-making: a Gallup-Lumina analysis reports that 47% of college students have considered changing majors because of AI’s...
Universities face governance clashes over DEI and presidential authority
Two University of Wisconsin system stories signal a leadership standoff that is moving beyond internal disagreement into open board pressure. Jay Rothman, the system president, is resisting an...
State-driven program consolidation reshapes academic offerings
Indiana’s public colleges are preparing to cut, merge, or suspend roughly 580 academic programs under a 2025 state law designed to remove offerings that fail to graduate enough students. The...
Federal scrutiny and compliance pressure target campus DEI and antisemitism investigations
A federal judge ordered the University of Pennsylvania to turn over personal contact information for employees affiliated with Jewish groups, as part of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission...
Colleges respond to shrinking enrollments with program eliminations
Syracuse University announced it will eliminate 93 academic programs identified as having low or no enrollment, cutting offerings across bachelor’s degrees, certificates, and graduate programs....
Education funding and affordability policy pressures intensify
Maine is considering making its free community college program a permanent feature of the state budget, but lawmakers are also moving to narrow eligibility and shift cost responsibility. Proposed...
Visa policy shifts raise risks for skilled-worker hiring by higher ed employers
The Department of Labor is seeking to increase H-1B wage rates for visa holders as part of efforts to curb alleged “abuse” of the program. The change revives earlier regulatory efforts associated...
Campuses confront antisemitism data demands and information governance
Beyond Penn’s ruling, broader enforcement actions show how federal agencies are seeking granular employee contact details to investigate alleged antisemitism, leading institutions to evaluate data...
AI governance and cybersecurity failures reach AI training ecosystems
Mercor, a $10 billion AI startup that provides training data to major AI companies including OpenAI and Anthropic, confirmed a major data breach that may have exposed sensitive customer and user...
Energy and data-center expansion collide—new heat-and-climate findings
A new working paper warns that the rapid buildout of AI data centers is creating measurable “heat island” effects that extend beyond the facility footprint. Researchers at the University of...
Student success and workforce mobility: wraparound support and outcomes
One Million Degrees and City Colleges of Chicago expanded their wraparound approach to student success by emphasizing what happens after credential completion, not just graduation. CEO Aarti...
Wisconsin system leadership standoff
Universities of Wisconsin president Jay Rothman is resisting a regents push to resign, setting up a high-stakes governance confrontation for the 25-campus system. Rothman said he has not received...
George Mason board escalates conflict with president over DEI
Conservative board leadership at George Mason University is reportedly escalating its campaign against president Gregory Washington over the university’s DEI programs, according to text messages...
Syracuse cuts academic programs despite financial stability
Syracuse University announced it will eliminate 93 academic programs, including 41 bachelor’s degrees, 33 certificate programs, and 19 graduate degrees, citing low or no enrollment. The changes...
Penn faces court-ordered disclosure in EEOC antisemitism investigation
A federal judge ordered the University of Pennsylvania to turn over personal contact information for employees affiliated with Jewish groups as part of an EEOC investigation into alleged...
EEOC subpoenas broaden scrutiny of antisemitism investigations
Across the higher education sector, an EEOC-led enforcement push around campus antisemitism is expanding into subpoenas that request employee contact information. Coverage describes Penn as a key...
Data breach hits Mercor, an AI training-data startup tied to major model makers
Mercor, a $10 billion AI training-data startup serving customers including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, confirmed a security breach that may have exposed sensitive customer and contractor...
AI oversight and ethics collide with higher ed funding compliance
Higher education associations and Democratic attorneys general urged the General Services Administration to rescind an anti-DEI certification proposal that would require federal funding recipients...
AI changes students’ major decisions
New survey results show generative AI is reshaping how students think about the labor market, driving widespread reconsideration of majors. A Gallup and Lumina Foundation analysis cited in...
Oregon moves toward state review of public college operations and programs
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed a measure requiring the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to review the state’s public colleges and recommend steps to improve financial footing. The review...