Deep Dive

Industry insights from our journalists

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    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
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    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
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    "FAMU#4" by 2C2K Photography is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    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
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    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
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    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
  • U.S. President Joe Biden, joined by Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, speaks on student loan debt in the Roosevelt Room of the White House August 24, 2022 in Washington, DC.
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    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
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    Jeremy Bauer-Wolf/Higher Ed Dive
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    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
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    "University of Phoenix" by Ryan McKnight is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    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
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    The image by Kenneth Green is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    The image by Sterling College is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    Rick Seltzer/Higher Ed Dive
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    Greek life chapters are rejecting their colleges. Here’s what it means.

    Fraternities disaffiliating from the University of Southern California exemplify an emerging — and dangerous — trend nationwide, experts say.

    Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 23, 2022
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    What’s the outlook for college fossil fuel divestment?

    This year hasn't had 2021's high-profile announcements, but trends say colleges are likely avoiding coal, oil and gas — whether they trumpet it or not.

    Lilah Burke • Aug. 15, 2022
  • Health workers sit at a check-in table at a pop-up monkeypox vaccination clinic which opened by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
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    Here’s what colleges should know to prepare for monkeypox

    Health experts say institutions should work with groups that support gay and bisexual men, who are disproportionately contracting the virus.

    Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 10, 2022
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    Colleges dabble in development as high-priced housing markets squeeze their employees

    Local conditions vary, but from Vermont to California, college leaders are seeking ways to make sure their students and employees can afford housing.

    Lilah Burke • June 6, 2022