Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
OpenAI tightens margins — compute costs fall as company pushes paid products to institutions
OpenAI has reportedly improved its internal 'compute margin' to roughly 70% for paid products, up from about 52% at the end of 2024, according to The Information. The company is focusing sales on...
UVA names Darden dean Scott Beardsley – unanimous Board pick
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors voted unanimously to appoint Scott C. Beardsley, dean of the Darden School of Business, as UVA’s 10th president effective Jan. 1, 2026. The board...
Reddit tip cracks Brown manhunt—surveillance traces suspect
A local Reddit user’s tip helped investigators link a vehicle to Claudio Neves Valente, the suspect in the Dec. 13 Brown University shooting and a subsequent killing of an MIT professor,...
Turning Point USA endorses JD Vance — campus conservative network flexes
Turning Point USA opened its AmericaFest convention with leader Erika Kirk endorsing Senator JD Vance for a potential 2028 run, signaling the organization’s effort to shape post‑Trump Republican...
Dartmouth professor: Gen Z students fear AI — classrooms tense
Scott Anthony, a Dartmouth College professor, says many Gen Z students approach artificial intelligence with deep anxiety, worrying that heavy reliance on AI will erode critical thinking and...
AI may not be killing Wall Street jobs—experts call current cuts overblown
Despite high‑profile layoffs at major banks, academics and industry experts say AI is not yet precipitating wholesale job displacement on Wall Street. Researchers note pandemic‑era overhiring,...
Top AI investors concede a bubble—but say it fuels university spinouts
Venture investors at Fortune’s Brainstorm AI conference acknowledged froth in AI markets but argued that 'bubbles' channel talent and capital into new technology frontiers. Steve Jang and Cathy...
Sam Altman targets Apple — OpenAI sets sights on a consumer AI device
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has signaled that Apple, not Google, may be OpenAI’s long‑term hardware rival as the company recruits iPhone designer Jony Ive to build a future mass AI consumer device....
Georgia regulators approve 50% power boost — utility bets on data‑center demand
Georgia regulators voted 5‑0 to let the state’s largest private utility boost capacity by 50% to serve projected demand from hyperscale data centers, a build‑out estimated at $16.3 billion....
Gen Z rethinks college—trades and apprenticeships gain traction
Two pieces of reporting illustrate a growing pivot among young Americans toward technical training and blue‑collar careers. A profile of an Arkansas automotive technician highlights stable wages,...
AGB posts guide on consent agendas — trustees urged to streamline meetings
The Association of Governing Boards published a guide explaining the use of consent agendas to streamline board meetings. The resource outlines best practices for university trustees to place...
UVA board selects Darden dean — decision lands amid political firestorm
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors on Friday appointed Scott C. Beardsley, dean of the Darden School of Business, to be UVA’s next president, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The unanimous vote...
Trump administration appeals judge’s win for Harvard — funding fight heads to appeals court
The Trump administration filed an appeal with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking to overturn a federal judge’s order that blocked its effort to freeze roughly $2.2 billion in Harvard...
University presidents on the move — wave of hires lands before the new year
A late-year surge of presidential hires swept colleges and universities, with boards naming leaders across public and private campuses in December. Appointments announced include Brendan Kelly at...
College budgets squeezed by rising operating costs — inflation pressures linger
Higher education’s cost pressures deepened in 2025 as the Higher Education Price Index topped expectations, registering 3.6% inflation that outpaced prior-decade norms. Colleges told Commonfund...
Accreditation oversight under Trump — panel probes but pauses major shifts
A National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) meeting under the Trump administration opened with partisan tension but ended without sweeping action, renewing...
Boards and consent agendas — AGB pushes trustees toward streamlined votes
The Association of Governing Boards published guidance on using consent agendas to increase meeting efficiency and focus trustee attention on high‑value governance items. The resource walks boards...
Dartmouth dean: Gen Z students are anxious about AI — classroom practices under strain
Scott Anthony, a Dartmouth faculty member, reported that many Gen Z business students approach AI with fear, worrying that overreliance will “cause them to lose their humanity.” Faculty across...
Teach Access fellowship scales accessibility education — year‑long faculty cohort
The Teach Access Fellowship Program, launched in 2023, is expanding a cohort-based model to train faculty and academic staff to embed digital accessibility principles into curricula. The year-long...
UPCEA SOLAR: online learning leaders gather — AI and program quality on the agenda
Noodle announced sponsorship of UPCEA’s 2026 SOLAR conference in Boston, positioning the event as a forum for leaders of online and hybrid programs to debate AI, program quality and student...