Deep Dive
Industry insights from our journalists
-
Retrieved from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro/Facebook on December 01, 2023
Academic cuts loom at UNC-Greensboro. Faculty question whether they’re needed at all.
The North Carolina college is gearing up to drop degree programs, though one analysis found it’s in sound financial shape.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Dec. 4, 2023 -
ssuni via Getty Images
‘Affirmative action for well-off students’: Why early decision is under fire
Scrutiny over the practice heightened after the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions earlier this year.
Lilah Burke • Nov. 27, 2023 -
Aaron Hawkins via Getty Images
Legacy admissions remains in the spotlight. But accurate data on the subject is elusive.
Institutions sometimes report conflicting information about legacy status, complicating research efforts while debates on college access intensify.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 14, 2023 -
"Fletcher Hall at Sweet Briar" by Annette Teng is licensed under CC BY 3.0
More colleges are resetting tuition. Does the strategy work?
Some institutions have seen short-term enrollment gains from slashing their sticker prices, but the strategy doesn’t guarantee a turnaround.
Danielle McLean • Oct. 9, 2023 -
traveler1116 via Getty Images
Ohio Republicans to push revised bill limiting college DEI and faculty strikes
The author of the far-reaching proposal is optimistic it will pass the House, despite strong pushback from faculty groups and unions.
Laura Spitalniak • Sept. 13, 2023 -
sshepard via Getty Images
Why colleges are using algorithms to determine financial aid levels
The practice can help colleges optimally distribute their limited resources, but it could also cause issues for students and even create legal risk.
Lilah Burke • Sept. 5, 2023 -
Can the farm bill help fix underfunding for HBCUs?
Lawmakers have until the end of September to reauthorize the spending package, which is a significant source of funding for land-grant universities.
Lilah Burke • Aug. 25, 2023 -
sshepard via Getty Images
Should colleges use AI in admissions?
Companies are eager to help colleges use AI to streamline admissions, but the practice raises ethical concerns.
Lilah Burke • July 18, 2023 -
Vitalii Pasichnyk/Getty via Getty Images
MOVEit mass exploit timeline: How the file-transfer service attacks entangled victims
The slow-moving disaster has ensnared some of the world's largest enterprises. Cybersecurity experts expect further damage to come.
Matt Kapko • July 17, 2023 -
Alex Wong via Getty Images
Here’s why the Education Department’s proposed financial transparency website has higher ed worried
The agency pitched the new site, which will host information on every higher ed program, as part of its gainful employment regulations.
Lilah Burke • July 5, 2023 -
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf/Higher Ed Dive
Supreme Court rules against race-conscious admissions at Harvard and UNC-Chapel Hill
The recent opinion was unsurprising for college access advocates who had nonetheless urged the high court to keep with decades of precedent.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Updated June 29, 2023 -
Is University of Idaho’s acquisition of University of Phoenix a good idea?
Higher education experts warn that the public institution’s leaders will have to contend with the for-profit’s checkered past and take on unknown liabilities.
Natalie Schwartz • May 22, 2023 -
The image by Kenneth Green is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
California becomes battleground over bachelor’s degrees at community colleges
Two of the state's higher ed systems are clashing over the right to offer students four-year degrees.
Laura Spitalniak • May 11, 2023 -
Permission granted by Taytum Wymer
George Washington University’s plan to arm campus police ignites concerns over racially motivated violence
Students and faculty have highlighted the role of armed campus officers in fatal shootings nationwide, a renewed conversation since George Floyd’s murder.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • May 8, 2023 -
Permission granted by Morgan State University
HBCUs level up: Funding pours in to tackle critical needs and rewrite history after George Floyd
Historically Black institutions also saw an influx of pandemic money from government and philanthropy. But they say it's not enough.
Danielle McLean • April 14, 2023 -
marcoventuriniautieri/E+ via Getty Images
Why Vermont State’s digital library idea is so controversial
Digital-first libraries already existed in higher education. But librarians have concerns about adopting them for all disciplines and materials.
Lilah Burke • March 8, 2023 -
John Lamparski via Getty Images
A year later, governor’s revitalization plan for SUNY still getting off the ground
Kathy Hochul wants to burnish some institutions’ research profiles and reverse the system’s declining enrollment to grow to 500,000 students.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Feb. 14, 2023 -
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
Free college keeps growing — at the state level
Elected officials are calling for new programs and expansions. Policy wonks sometimes critique design choices, but free remains a powerful hook.
Lilah Burke • Feb. 9, 2023 -
What can work colleges teach the rest of higher ed?
Amid high worries about higher ed's value in the job market, work colleges offer lessons on integrating classroom learning with employment opportunities.
Laura Spitalniak • Updated Feb. 17, 2023 -
Rawf8 via Getty Images
7 higher education trends to watch in 2023
Federal financial aid will continue to hog the spotlight, but we're also waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on race-conscious admissions.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 4, 2023 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
What the UC strike meant to the academic workers who walked the picket lines
Before a recent agreement, strikers spoke of hope for relief from crushing living costs and a growing sense of connection to others in their shoes.
James Anderson • Dec. 22, 2022 -
The image by Bestbudbrian is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Why one Ivy League university joined the move to ditch enrollment deposits
University of Pennsylvania was waiving its $400 deposit for about a fifth of its students. Abandoning it aims to reduce barriers for low-income students.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Updated Dec. 15, 2022 -
Rick Seltzer/Higher Ed Dive
Women’s colleges are going co-ed to survive. Does it threaten their missions?
The number of women's colleges has dwindled, raising questions about the best way to adapt to a changing enrollment and social climate.
Lilah Burke • Nov. 7, 2022 -
damircudic via Getty Images
OPMs are having a rocky time. Is a ‘culling of the herd’ next?
Regulatory and enrollment changes heap pressure on online program managers. What happens next matters for the companies and colleges.
Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 20, 2022 -
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
8 big questions as colleges start fall 2022
Will higher ed’s financial picture clear? Can campuses innovate? Is a new generation of presidents ready to rise to the moment?
Rick Seltzer • Sept. 6, 2022
