Penn State’s AI Center Launches New Innovation Grant Programs
Penn State’s AI Center of Excellence has launched two grant programs to accelerate AI integration in teaching. The AI in Instruction Microgrant offers up to $1,000 for small‑scale generative‑AI projects, while the Program or Large Course Transformation Grant provides up to $50,000 for team‑based curriculum redesigns, with six to ten projects expected. Grants are open to tenured and non‑tenured faculty who have held a full‑time appointment for at least one academic year. The initiative builds on the university’s recent AI literacy course and business school’s AI adoption plans.
ShinyHunters Claims Nearly 9,000 Schools Affected by Canvas Data Breach
ShinyHunters, a notorious extortion group, says its recent breach of Instructure’s Canvas learning‑management system exposed data from nearly 9,000 schools, including elite universities such as Harvard and MIT. The hackers claim to have stolen several terabytes containing personal information of...
Faculty at ASU Are Concerned About a New AI-Powered Course Builder
Faculty at Arizona State University have raised concerns about Atom, an AI‑powered course builder being piloted. They say the platform repurposes their lecture videos, slides, and assignments without prior consent, raising copyright and ownership questions. The tool stitches together modules...
Northwood University Receives NSA Cyber Excellence Accreditation
The National Security Agency has named Northwood University a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, recognizing its curriculum, faculty expertise, and institutional support. The accreditation follows a prior NSA validation of the school’s cybersecurity management program. Northwood officials say...
How Account Takeover Is Reshaping Higher-Ed Cyber Risk
A new Scoop News Group report, funded by Proofpoint, finds account takeover (ATO) attacks now dominate cyber risk on college campuses. More than 70% of successful breaches involve phishing or credential misuse, and nearly 60% of compromised accounts are used...
Penn State Launches AI Literacy Course for Employees
Penn State unveiled AI Essentials, a one‑hour AI literacy course for employees, faculty and students, paired with the AI Studio service suite. The curriculum is organized into modules on technical knowledge, ethical awareness, critical thinking and practical application. By embedding...
AI Voice to Announce Names at University of New Hampshire Graduation
The University of New Hampshire will again use an AI‑generated voice to announce graduate names at its upcoming commencement. Officials say the technology guarantees correct pronunciation and removes human error from the ceremony. Some students have pushed back, arguing that...
Rasmussen University Replaces Blackboard with Brightspace
Rasmussen University announced it will replace its legacy Blackboard system with D2L Brightspace across its 20 campuses and online programs. The switch, driven by a desire for AI‑enhanced content creation and more inclusive learning, will begin with a pilot in...
Threat Actor Hijacked Subdomains at 30+ Major Universities, Researcher Found
A cybersecurity researcher discovered that a threat actor hijacked 34 .edu subdomains across more than 30 major U.S. universities, including MIT, Harvard, Stanford and Columbia. The compromised subdomains are now serving pornographic spam that Google has already indexed, exploiting the...
UC Santa Barbara Installs Loitering Alert System
The University of California, Santa Barbara has deployed new surveillance cameras and three mobile security units at the campus’s high‑risk lagoon area, with two additional units elsewhere, including one targeting bike theft. The units use motion detection to alert police...
University of Dayton Readies AI-Focused Offerings for the Fall
The University of Dayton will roll out two new AI‑focused units this fall: one covering AI fundamentals and practical use, and another examining ethical and social implications. The curriculum is designed to give all undergraduates a shared AI foundation before...
U. Florida Leads AI Education Task Force
The University of Florida has been appointed to organize and chair a new Florida K‑12 AI Education Task Force, funded by a $5 million donation from the Griffin Catalyst. The task force brings together 250 stakeholders from 39 school districts, charter...
Harvard Faces ‘Active and Specific Cybersecurity Threat’
Harvard University has identified an active, specific cybersecurity threat involving actors posing as IT staff and deploying counterfeit login portals. The campaign targets faculty, staff, and students to harvest credentials and infiltrate the campus network. Chief Information Security and Data...
Duke Steering Committee Publishes Extensive Blueprint for University AI Growth
Duke University’s AI steering committee released a 45‑page blueprint outlining a comprehensive strategy for artificial intelligence across the campus. The plan calls for establishing an Office of AI Strategy, a faculty Guidance Hub, expanded AI credential programs, and hiring additional...
Ransomware Group Claims It Stole Data From Monmouth University
The PEAR (Pure Extraction and Ransom) ransomware gang announced it stole roughly 16 terabytes of data from Monmouth University in New Jersey. University President Patrick Leahy confirmed unauthorized access and said cybersecurity experts and law‑enforcement are investigating. Comparitech highlighted the breach as...