Top Takeaways for College Leaders From ASU+GSV
The 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego highlighted how artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education. University leaders discussed AI’s potential to personalize learning for non‑traditional students while warning that technology alone won’t solve systemic challenges. Panels emphasized the need for skills‑focused curricula and public‑private partnerships to prepare graduates for an evolving job market. The conference also surfaced concerns about data privacy, bias, and the pace of institutional adoption.
Higher Education Groups Challenge Trump’s Latest Anti-DEI Order
Higher education groups, including NADOHE and AAUP, filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging President Trump’s March executive order that would strip federal contracts from colleges engaging in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) activities. The order requires contractors to certify they...
4 Higher Education Leaders on AI’s Biggest Benefits and Risks
At the ASU+GSV Summit, presidents from Radford University, Southern New Hampshire University, the University of North Texas and UC San Diego discussed AI’s transformative potential for higher education. They highlighted opportunities such as boosting employability for under‑prepared students, delivering personalized...
Redefining Leadership in Athletics: The CEO Model
Intercollegiate athletics has rapidly transformed, with NIL compensation, billion‑dollar media contracts and nine‑figure budgets prompting universities to treat departments like businesses. The University of South Florida responded by creating a chief executive officer role for its athletics program, appointing alumnus...
Sonny Perdue to Retire as University System of Georgia Leader
University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue announced he will retire, remaining in post until a successor is appointed. During his four‑year tenure, USG recorded three straight years of record fall enrollment and saw inflation‑adjusted tuition drop about 24% since...
Syracuse University Offers Early Retirement to 175 Faculty
Syracuse University announced voluntary early‑retirement buyouts for roughly 175 faculty members, targeting those with 35+ years of service or teaching in low‑enrollment programs slated for closure. The university plans to eliminate 93 academic programs, reducing its catalog from about 460...
‘There Is No Silver Bullet’: How 2 Colleges Use AI to Support Nontraditional Learners
Colleges targeting adult, nontraditional learners are turning to artificial intelligence to boost enrollment and improve outcomes, but leaders stress that AI must be guided by a clear strategy. Southern New Hampshire University and the University of Phoenix shared that successful...
Donations to Colleges Hold Steady Amid Higher Ed Disruption
U.S. colleges reported $78.8 billion in gifts for fiscal 2025, a modest 4% rise that merely kept pace with inflation. Alumni donor numbers declined, yet total alumni giving jumped 10.9%, reflecting larger gifts from fewer donors. Individual contributions grew 12% to...
Dozens of Colleges Get More Time to Submit Race and Sex Admissions Data
A federal judge granted dozens of colleges and six private nonprofit institutions an extension until April 24 to submit race and sex admissions data to the U.S. Department of Education. The ruling also permits these schools and their association members to...
Responsible AI: Where Student Expectations Meet Academic Integrity
AI tools are now commonplace in classrooms, prompting educators to balance innovation with academic integrity. Research from VitalSource shows most students use generative AI only occasionally, mainly for formatting, and remain uncertain about its academic impact. Students value AI for...
Renovation Backlog for College Facilities Hits New Highs
The 2026 Gordian facilities report shows college renovation backlogs reaching a record $156 per gross square foot in 2025, an 8% rise and nearly double the 2007 level. Institutions are only allocating 73.5% of the funds required to keep campuses...
Southern Oregon University Gets $15M Lifeline From the State
Southern Oregon University received a $15 million emergency appropriation after Governor Tina Kotek signed a funding provision into the state budget. The money, allocated to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, is intended to bridge a projected $7.4 million cash shortfall through June 2027....
Education Department Rescinds Title IX Pacts Protecting LGBTQ+ Students
The U.S. Department of Education announced on April 8, 2026 that its Office for Civil Rights is rescinding parts of resolution agreements that previously extended Title IX protections to LGBTQ+ students. The agreements, enacted under the Obama and Biden administrations, mandated policies on...
Colleges Ramp up Offerings to Teach Students to Be AI Ethicists
Colleges across the United States are rapidly expanding AI‑ethics curricula, from certificates at San Francisco State to master’s degrees at the University of Florida and Baylor. A 2025 Lightcast study shows generative‑AI skill postings surged ninefold between 2022 and 2024, and...
University of Missouri Cuts Designated Funding for Student Affinity Groups
The University of Missouri’s Student Affairs office announced that, effective July, five multicultural umbrella organizations will lose their designated funding and space, shifting to a common resource pool shared by over 600 campus groups. The decision cites recent U.S. Department...
More Colleges Get Delay on Submitting New Admissions Data
A federal judge granted the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM) a deadline extension until April 14 to submit race and sex data on applicants, admits, and enrollees to the U.S....
Lane Community College Could Cut 20 Positions Amid Looming $4M Deficit
Lane Community College in Oregon is proposing to eliminate about 20 positions and shut two academic programs to close a projected $4.2 million deficit for fiscal 2027. The cuts would remove 17 full‑time staff roles, save $2.2 million in operations, and trim...
DOJ Sues Harvard in Bid to Recoup Federal Grants, Cut Off Future Access
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit accusing Harvard University of violating Title VI by failing to curb antisemitic harassment and enforce campus protest rules, seeking repayment of all federal grant money and an injunction against future funding. The complaint...
Entry-Level Jobs Should Be Entry Level
Cindy Meis, director of undergraduate career services at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business, highlights a growing mismatch between how employers label "entry‑level" positions and the experience they actually require. A SHRM study shows 61 % of advertised entry‑level...
Education Department Official Warns 2 Accreditors over DEI Standards
U.S. Education Department Under Secretary Nicholas Kent sent letters to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, ordering them to formally eliminate any remaining diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) standards. The...
Former Indian River State College CFO Files Whistleblower Retaliation, Defamation Suit
Former Indian River State College CFO Marvin Pyles filed a civil suit alleging whistleblower retaliation, defamation, and breach of contract after his April 2024 termination. He claims to have uncovered a $75 million mismanagement scheme involving false vendors, inflated ERP costs,...
Virginia Lawmakers Weigh Changes to Academic Freedom, Governing Boards
Virginia lawmakers are poised to pass a bill that limits political interference and protects First Amendment rights at the state’s public colleges. The legislation bars governing boards from censoring speech, mandates shared‑governance policies, and expands the Virginia Commission on Higher...
GSA Plan Would Ban DEI for All Federal Funding Recipients — Including Colleges
The General Services Administration has drafted a certification rule that ties receipt of any federal money to the absence of diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Under the proposal, colleges, K‑12 districts, nonprofit contractors and other fund recipients must sign a...
Portland State University Could Close 3 Departments, Trim over a Dozen Others
Portland State University is evaluating the closure of three academic departments and reductions in another 16 to bridge a $35 million budget shortfall. The proposal follows a 21.2% enrollment decline over five years, which has slashed tuition revenue and state funding...