Most-clicked story:
Thirty-two highly selective colleges must face an antitrust lawsuit from current and former students who allege that they’re using early decision admissions to reduce competition, charge more tuition and lower financial aid packages, a federal judge ruled earlier this month. The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status for their lawsuit.
Number of the week: 55%
The share of workers with a four-year degree or higher who live in the same state they grew up in and earned their college diploma, according to new research from the Strada Education Foundation. The report argued that states “face long odds” of attracting workers from other states and should instead focus on “homegrown talent.”
Discrimination lawsuits at Harvard, Haverford and Columbia:
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A federal judge on Thursday dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit that accused Harvard University of not doing enough to address campus antisemitism and sought to claw back federal grant funding from the Ivy League institution. The judge ruled that Trump officials failed to prove the university is out of compliance with Title VI, which bars discrimination based on race, color or national origin at federally funded institutions.
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Haverford College agreed to a settlement with a group of Jewish students and faculty members who allege the private Pennsylvania institution didn’t do enough to protect them from antisemitism on campus. Under the settlement, Haverford leaders agreed to bar discrimination specifically against Zionist students and employees, along with those who are Jewish or Israeli.
- Columbia University faces a new lawsuit that accuses the Ivy League institution of “deliberate indifference” toward and active participation in harassment and discrimination against Palestinian students and employees. The lawsuit comes after the university settled a discrimination lawsuit accusing it of not doing enough to address antisemitism earlier this year.
The latest federal updates:
- Thirty senators voiced concerns to U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio about the lack of visa application appointments for international students seeking to study in the U.S. this fall. “We are hearing from constituents and stakeholders that no timely visa appointments are available for students at some embassies and consulates,” they wrote, asking Rubio's agency to process visas in a timely manner.
- The U.S. Department of Justice concluded last week that three National Science Foundation programs that aim to increase participation of underrepresented students and scholars in STEM are unconstitutional. Congress recently allocated $104 million to the programs, the agency said.
- In a public letter to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression attorneys wrote that they largely welcomed her recent call for colleges to commit to policy reforms related to free speech, such as boosting intellectual diversity. However, they warned that such calls could harm academic freedom if they are “pretext for government supervision of curriculum, faculty hiring, classroom teaching, or research conclusions."
Quote of the week:
“You’re getting rid of a lot of potential doctors in a lot of communities if you start sifting them out by SAT scores.”
Harry Feder
Executive director, FairTest
In our latest look at the test-optional movement, Feder argued that standardized testing can harm diversity and that GPAs are more predictive of college success. However, other higher education experts contend that the tests provide valuable information to colleges about their applicants and can even help students from disadvantaged backgrounds in the admissions process.
