UC Davis suspended a professor without pay for an inflammatory social-media post that many found threatening. Some free-speech experts argue that punishing someone because of how others react constitutes a “heckler’s veto.” www.chronicle.com/article/a-pr...

A Professor Said a Threatening Post About Zionists Was Satire. Her University Concluded It Was ‘Disruption.’

Reacting to conservative activists’ calls for punishment, experts say, is a violation of professors’ free-speech rights and incentivizes more online harassment.

chronicle.com

Even at the end, Ryan struggled to believe that it was really over. Surely the full board, once informed, wouldn’t accept it. Surely they wouldn’t hand over their authority so readily. But they did. Another must read by @jackstripling.bsky.social www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

The Plot Against Jim Ryan

Was his ouster a federal coup — or an opportunistic inside job?

chronicle.com

As a Black, Christian, former Democrat, Leo Terrell seemed an unlikely pick to head Trump's antisemitism task force that's waging war on "woke" and "Jew-hating" colleges. In other ways, he's right out of central casting, @peterelkind.bsky.social and I discovered www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

Why the Unlikely Leader of Trump’s Antisemitism Task Force May Be the Perfect Man for the Job

As a Black, Christian, former Democrat with little previous engagement with Jewish causes, Leo Terrell seemed an improbable pick to eradicate anti-Semitic harassment in higher ed. But his zeal and foo...

chronicle.com

As a Black, Christian, former Democrat, Leo Terrell seemed an unlikely pick to head Trump's antisemitism task force that's waging war on "woke" and "Jew-hating" colleges. In other ways, he was right out of central casting, @peterelkind.bsky.social and I discovered www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

Why the Unlikely Leader of Trump’s Antisemitism Task Force May Be the Perfect Man for the Job

As a Black, Christian, former Democrat with little previous engagement with Jewish causes, Leo Terrell seemed an improbable pick to eradicate anti-Semitic harassment in higher ed. But his zeal and foo...

chronicle.com

Before most of the task force’s investigations had even launched, Terrell publicly promised “massive lawsuits” against “Jew-hating” universities, including Harvard, UCLA and dozens of others. @propublica.org @chronicle.com @katiemangan.bsky.social @peterelkind.bsky.social

When George Mason's president came under attack by the Trump administration, he did what few embattled presidents dared; he spoke out and defended his actions. On Friday, he may learn whether publicly challenging the government's narrative helped or hurt him. www.chronicle.com/article/greg...

White House Tightens Screws on George Mason President, Faculty Leaders

The president of George Mason — and faculty leaders — may be punished for defending university policies.

chronicle.com

The DOJ has given UVA's president and board until Friday to update it on everyone who’s been fired or moved and every program that's been cut because of the board’s vote to eliminate DEI. www.chronicle.com/article/afte...

After Feds Warn U. of Virginia It Is Moving Too Slowly, Board Quickly Rescinds Diversity Goal

DEI is “pushed into every nook and cranny of life,” a conservative alumni group said.

chronicle.com

DEI won’t die in my school, one U of Michigan dean told his colleagues. Shortly after links to his letter disappeared from social media, Michigan’s provost said she had talked to the dean and he was ready to “clarify” his message. Here’s how it changed. www.chronicle.com/article/dei-...

DEI Will Continue at His School, U. of Mich. Dean Says in Since-Deleted Post

A spokesperson said after a talk with administrators, Carlos F. Jackson, who oversees the School of Art & Design, will issue a new statement to “clear up any confusion.”

chronicle.com

The University of Michigan faculty member who served as its first chief diversity officer says he’s disappointed and embarrassed by the administration’s “cowardly move” to dismantle DEI efforts in the face of President Trump’s funding threats. www.chronicle.com/article/afte...

After Backlash and Trump Edicts, U. of Michigan Shutters DEI Office

The flagship has struggled mightily to recruit and retain students of color, but the scope of Thursday’s cuts still came as a shock to many.

chronicle.com

For weeks, as contracts were halted, workers fired, and a center created in 1867 essentially dismantled overnight, workers scrambled to save data used to inform educational policy and practice. Here’s how it looked from inside. www.chronicle.com/article/brea...

‘Breathtakingly Irresponsible’: Former Workers Decry Decimation of Education Dept.’s Data Warehouse

Fired NCES and IES employees describe a mad dash to save data that has informed higher education policy and practice since the days of Abraham Lincoln.

chronicle.com

President Trump announced today that the nation's $1.7-trillion student loan program is on the move. Next stop, the Small Business Administration, which announced today that it's slashing its staff by 43 percent as it prepares for its new role. www.chronicle.com/article/trum...

Diversity officers celebrated just a few years ago by colleges eager to show their commitment to DEI are having to justify their existence today. Jobs are being slashed, departments eliminated, and diversity work redefined. They say they’re not giving up. www.chronicle.com/article/dive...

Diversity Officers, Under Siege, Dig Their Heels In

At a mass convening, DEI administrators described feelings of betrayal, fear, and courage.

chronicle.com

Diversity officers celebrated just a few years ago by colleges eager to show their commitment to inclusion are having to justify their existence today. Jobs are being slashed, departments eliminated, and diversity work redefined. They say they’re not giving up. www.chronicle.com/article/dive...

Diversity Officers, Under Siege, Dig Their Heels In

At a mass convening, DEI administrators described feelings of betrayal, fear, and courage.

chronicle.com

The story of how the U. of Michigan's student-body president landed in that role says a lot about how messy and complicated student activism can be when students with shared goals disagree sharply about how to achieve them. www.chronicle.com/article/afte...

After a Year of Bitter Conflict, a Pro-Palestinian Activist Tries to Build Bridges

His campus, like others nationwide, is more polarized than ever.

chronicle.com

A federal judge has temporarily blocked much of Trump’s effort to dismantle DEI. Here’s what that could mean for colleges struggling to respond to the administration’s latest threats and deadlines. www.chronicle.com/article/judg...

Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Anti-DEI Orders

The orders declared DEI illegal and aimed to put an end to “equity-related grants or contracts.” But the judge’s injunction called them “unconstitutionally vague on their face.”

chronicle.com

“There’s simply no federal precedent for the proposition that all diversity, equity, and inclusion practices are categorically unlawful," one former OCR official says. "But that’s certainly the view that the letter seeks to convey.” www.chronicle.com/article/in-s...

In Sweeping Letter, Ed. Dept. Says SCOTUS Ruling Applies to All Race-Conscious Programs

The letter’s expansive interpretation of the court’s 2023 admissions decision warns colleges that race-related policies and programs could trigger a federal investigation and put funding in jeopardy.

chronicle.com

Can shifting attention away from race to socioeconomic status provide the kind of diversity the U. of Michigan — and others — are seeking? Some are doubtful, but the pressure is intensifying www.chronicle.com/article/iden...

After $240-Million DEI Push, U. of Michigan’s Black Enrollment Barely Budged. What Now?

The selective flagship has widely been seen as a model. A backlash could result in cuts.

chronicle.com

The Education Department's research arm became the latest target of Elon Musk's cost-cutting purge, with the vast majority of its contracts suddenly cancelled. www.chronicle.com/article/educ...

Education Data in the Lurch as Dozens of Department Contracts Are Axed

The nonpartisan data is used by policymakers, college leaders, and parents to assess the state of higher education.

chronicle.com

If you or someone you know has had a particular research project suspended by recent actions at IES, please get in touch either by DM or by replying here. There are journalists who'd like to report on this.

I also looked at how much each institution that got a grant would lose with this cut to NIH funding.

“Our competitors are loving watching us do this …at the very time when we’re in a global competition that is determined by technological capability. This is certainly not the time when you want to be cutting down on the research acumen of the United States.” www.chronicle.com/article/rese...

Research Universities Are Poised to Lose Billions Under Trump’s Sudden Cut

The NIH’s decision late Friday to drastically shrink its reimbursement of indirect costs, which help pay for facilities, equipment, and staff to support grants, will have an immediate impact on higher...

chronicle.com

Fresh material in @chronicle.com's coverage of the NIH indirect-funding cap includes some information about next steps. Hint: Legal action coming soon. #AcademicSky #HigherEd www.chronicle.com/article/rese...

Research Universities Are Poised to Lose Billions Under Trump’s Sudden Cut

The NIH’s decision late Friday to drastically shrink its reimbursement of indirect costs, which help pay for facilities, equipment, and staff to support grants, will have an immediate impact on higher...

chronicle.com

A diversity official whose group is suing over Trump's anti-DEI orders urges colleagues to defend their work. "As frightening as it feels right now, there’s a point at which you have to say enough.’” www.chronicle.com/article/enou...

Minority-serving institutions enroll more than half of all students of color and have historically been underfunded. Critics who want to eliminate the program that makes them eligible for special grants say it discriminates against white students. www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

My colleague Emma Pettit and I took a deep dive on general-education reform in Florida. Hundreds of courses are being cut, but how did that process unfold and who was making the calls? We tried to find answers @chronicle.com. #HigherEd #AcademicSky www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

How Florida Scrubbed ‘Identity Politics’ From Universities’ General-Education Curricula

A sweeping new law required vast curricular change, leading to a confusing implementation that has professors contemplating the limits of their autonomy.

chronicle.com

In retrospect, getting large numbers of anxious academics to join one small social media platform en masse was a mistake

a man from schitt 's creek says he 's feeling this like deep aching sense of dread

ALT: a man from schitt 's creek says he 's feeling this like deep aching sense of dread

media.tenor.com

Colleges will no longer be required to prove that their employment practices are equitable, now that President Trump has rescinded an antidiscriminatory measure signed 60 years ago by LBJ. www.chronicle.com/article/how-...

How a Trump Executive Order Could Upend Colleges’ Hiring Practices

Antidiscrimination and affirmative action efforts at colleges that receive federal aid are no longer required and could be prohibited, several lawyers said.

chronicle.com

Offices and centers focused on serving women, LGBTQ students, and students of color will likely be forced to close across Iowa due to a sweeping Board of Education vote, @jasperjsmith.bsky.social reports

In Sweeping Action, Idaho’s Education Board Bans ‘DEI Ideology’ on College Campuses

Board leaders said the action would force administrators to support all students “regardless of their identifying characteristics.”

chronicle.com

Really difficult, well-reported story on Knoxville College from @jasperjsmith.bsky.social. It is worth your time: www.chronicle.com/article/once...

A Black College Lost Its Accreditation Almost 30 Years Ago. Why Won’t Its Leaders Pull the Plug?

Alumni and local residents disagree on the role the college plays today.

chronicle.com

Some colleges are setting up expansive free-speech teams to make sure protests stay peaceful and everyone knows their rights. One free-speech advocate says they're going overboard trying to prepare for protests ...“This is not the invasion of Normandy,” he told me. www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

A New Team of Campus Administrators Tries to Pacify Protests

Officials say they’re protecting free speech. But are they undermining it?

chronicle.com