Building Pathways for Women in Construction
Stephens College in Missouri launched a four‑week pre‑apprenticeship micro‑credential that guides women into union carpentry, converting cohorts of roughly ten students into full‑time construction roles. The program tackles the industry’s deep labor shortage—exacerbated by an aging carpenter workforce—by offering technical training, childcare, transportation, and mentorship. Women now represent just over 11% of the national construction workforce, but only about 5% in Missouri, highlighting the need for targeted pipelines. Partnerships with local contractors and social service agencies create an ecosystem that supports participants beyond the classroom.
Power Vacuum at Oxnard College
Oxnard College is facing an unprecedented leadership vacuum as President Roberto Gonzalez and the vice president of business services have been placed on leave, while two other senior positions remain vacant. Interim administrators have been appointed, marking the first time...
Integrating AI Across the Liberal Arts
The University of Richmond has launched the Center for Liberal Arts and AI, a cross‑campus effort to weave artificial‑intelligence tools into liberal‑arts curricula while foregrounding ethics and critical thinking. Partnering with the Associated Colleges of the South, the center convenes...
NACIQI Rejects Renewal for Naturopathic Accreditor
The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) voted 12‑to‑0 to reject renewal of the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education’s (CNME) federal recognition, citing poor student outcomes, demographic justifications, and concerns over faculty expertise and finances. CNME, which...
K-Pop Band BTS Misrepresents Howard University as Predominantly White in Video
BTS released an animated teaser for their album *Arirang* that portrays Howard University – a historically Black institution – as overwhelmingly white, featuring almost no Black students. The video references a 1896 Washington Post story about seven Korean students at...
Canvas Unrolls AI Teaching Agent
Instructure’s Canvas platform has launched IgniteAI Agent, an agentic artificial‑intelligence assistant that automates routine faculty tasks such as rubric generation, content alignment and discussion‑board reviews. The tool, powered by Amazon Web Services, is offered free to U.S. Canvas customers through...
Cornell Module Builds Critical Thinking in AI Era
Researchers at Cornell University have launched an online, asynchronous 75‑minute module to teach critical‑thinking skills across introductory courses. Piloted in 2022, the module now reaches roughly 7,000 students and provides a shared language for evaluating information, evidence, and ambiguity—capabilities increasingly...
‘Nice-to-Have’ FAFSA User Experience Updates Coming Soon
The U.S. Department of Education announced a suite of FAFSA user‑experience upgrades slated for this summer, including an ITIN option for parents without Social Security numbers and an autofill feature for repeat filers. Applicants will see their federal aid eligibility,...
Marshall Backtracks on Plan to Cut Women’s Swimming and Diving
Marshall University reversed its decision to eliminate the women’s swimming and diving program after a group of athletes filed a Title IX lawsuit. The university cited financial realities and the cost of maintaining Division I swimming facilities as the original reason for...
Helping Transfer Students Complete Degrees Abroad
The Transfer Abroad Network (TAN) has launched a digital platform that lets U.S. community‑college graduates transfer directly into bachelor programs at overseas universities. By detailing required associate degrees, GPA thresholds, costs and financial‑aid options, TAN removes the opaque, ad‑hoc process...
5% Cap on Out-of-State Enrollment at Florida Universities Fails
Florida lawmakers abandoned a proposal to cap out‑of‑state undergraduate enrollment at the state’s flagship research universities at 5 percent. The bill, House Bill 1279, would have reduced the current out‑of‑state share, which stands at 20 percent at the University of...
Ohio State Quickly Finds a President
Ohio State University appointed Ravi Bellamkonda as president, bypassing a traditional national search after Ted Carter resigned amid scandal. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the internal hire, citing Bellamkonda’s experience as executive vice president and provost. He will earn...
Iowa House Advances Bill to Limit Use of H-1B Visas
Iowa's House passed Bill 2513 limiting public universities' use of H‑1B visas for nationals of designated foreign adversaries. The measure, supported by a 68‑27 vote, would bar hires from countries such as China, Russia, Iran and others, affecting roughly 120‑130...
How Libraries Shape AI Literacy on Campus
Campus libraries are evolving into neutral AI sandboxes where librarians guide responsible AI use, academic integrity, and workforce readiness. At Bryn Mawr College, librarian Lauren Dodd highlights the shift from traditional collection work to AI literacy, leveraging platforms like BoodleBox...
AI, Ethics and You
The essay charts how AI moved from a novelty to a classroom mainstay, splitting faculty into alarmist critics and eager adopters. It argues that many skeptics have never tried the tools, while self‑appointed innovators often overlook widespread student reliance on...
The Bipartisan Appeal of Growing Talent Amid the AI Boom
The Bipartisan Policy Center released a report outlining a national talent strategy to modernize the U.S. workforce amid AI‑driven change. The commission identified falling literacy, underemployment, and 43 million credential‑less graduates as critical gaps, noting that one‑third of job skills shifted...
U of Iowa Board Approves Discipline of Employee Secretly Filmed Discussing DEI
The University of Iowa Board of Regents approved disciplinary proceedings against one employee who was secretly recorded discussing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The two staff members involved, Andrea Tinoco and Cory Lockwood, have been on paid administrative leave since...
No, I Don't Want My Article Turned Into a Podcast
Academia.edu has begun converting scholarly papers into AI‑generated podcasts through a partnership with Spotify, offering the content to premium listeners while using authors' work without explicit consent. A September 2025 terms update gave the platform broad rights to create derivative...
Teaching Toward Slow Hope
Douglas Haynes’s new book *Teaching Toward Slow Hope* argues that the prevailing transactional model of higher education undermines student agency and well‑being. Drawing on place‑based learning experiments at regional colleges, the book showcases how community, collaboration and a slower, reflective...
What’s Keeping Presidents Up at Night in 2026
The Inside Higher Ed‑Hanover Research 2026 Survey of 430 college and university presidents shows financial volatility and political interference emerging as the fastest‑growing risks, with 45 percent and 43 percent of leaders flagging them respectively. A second Trump administration has intensified regulatory...
Presidents Pressured in Trump’s Second Term
A new Inside Higher Ed survey of U.S. college presidents reveals that the second Trump administration—dubbed Trump 2.0—has deepened regulatory and financial strain on higher education. Over 80% of respondents say the administration harms the sector’s financial outlook and diversity, equity,...
Judge Dismisses Case of Wrongfully Deported Babson Student
A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit of Any Lucia López Belloza, a Babson College freshman who was wrongfully deported after the government admitted its mistake. The dismissal hinged on Belloza's decision to refuse a government‑offered flight back from Honduras, causing...
Bard College Is More Than Leon Botstein
Bard College’s Board of Trustees has hired an external law firm to conduct an independent review of communications between President Leon Botstein and convicted donor Jeffrey Epstein after the DOJ released related emails. Botstein maintains that Epstein was only a...
Legal Advocacy Group Raises Concern About AI Use in Federal Student Aid
Student Defense, a legal advocacy group, has launched a public‑interest investigation into the Trump administration’s use of artificial intelligence for federal student aid programs. The group filed 12 Freedom of Information Act requests covering AI‑driven handling of student inquiries, loan‑forgiveness...
3 Questions for 2U’s Jihan Quail
Jihan Quail rejoined 2U as global head of growth, citing the firm’s disciplined leadership and timing amid higher‑education turbulence. Her stint at Pathstream and Honor Education gave her a panoramic view of the ed‑tech ecosystem, informing a refreshed partnership strategy....
What if Colleges Experimented at the Edges?
Higher education faces mounting pressure from rising costs, waning public trust, AI disruption, and a striking 25% first‑year student attrition rate. Researchers like Bob Zemsky argue the solution lies in product innovation, championing three‑year degree programs that are already being...
Flood the Zone
Graduates entering 2026 face a “low‑hire, low‑fire” labor market, with traditional internships shrinking by 10‑20% annually and each posting attracting 100‑300 applicants. A recent AAU survey shows employers value real‑world application and teamwork, yet doubt colleges fully prepare students. The...