Higher education news covering universities, college admissions, tuition, academic research, campus news, and higher ed policy.
University of California professors sent a letter to leadership requesting reinstatement of college-entrance exams like the SAT and ACT, citing severe preparation deficits in incoming students. Nearly a third of students taking first-semester calculus at UC Berkeley display deficits requiring reteaching of middle-school math. Elite colleges including MIT, Harvard, Dartmouth, and Yale have reinstated SAT requirements.
The authors argue that universities' compliance with anti-DEI laws extends beyond legal requirements, suppressing activities not explicitly prohibited. Based on a study of Texas's Senate Bill 17 at UT Austin, they describe 'suppressive compliance' where risk-averse governance leads to closures and layoffs, suggesting this pattern may recur in other states.
This commentary argues that US universities canceling graduation speakers due to their controversial opinions sends a troubling message about free speech. It contends that such cancellations undermine the principles of open discourse and academic freedom, potentially chilling expression on campuses.
Col. Russell 'Russ' Vander Lugt, commander of the 11th Airborne Division's Arctic Aviation Command, was selected as permanent chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He will assume the role on September 8 with a $309,000 salary. Larry Hinzman will serve as interim until then.
A Yale AAUP report found nearly half of surveyed faculty fear discipline for public engagement, and one-fifth were asked to change course or research language. The AAUP calls for explicit academic freedom protections in the faculty handbook.
Westminster University in Utah faces potential closure due to serious financial shortfalls, according to a Forbes list. The private university reported a negative net income of $12.5 million in its latest financial statement.
Proposed regulations would deny federal loans to students in fields like cosmetology, theology, and performing arts. Higher education groups are lobbying for revisions. The rules could affect 89% of master's students in religion programs.
The commentary argues that California's public universities' aggressive adoption of AI has led to internal conflict and dysfunction. It contends that the rush to integrate AI without adequate safeguards or consensus has created divisions among faculty, students, and administrators, undermining the institutions' educational mission.
This commentary describes the experience of students at San Jose State University as it becomes the first AI-powered university under the California State University system's $16.9 million OpenAI deal. It argues that the integration of AI across campus, including an AI avatar of the president, has resulted in chaos rather than innovation.
Charlotte, a medical student, reported years of sexual harassment at the University of Manchester, with 30 female students coming forward with similar abuse. She wrote an open letter requesting a formal review of sexism in the School of Medical Sciences, which has over 1,000 signatures. The university stated the allegations are being treated with utmost seriousness and a formal investigation is under way.