Leadership
-
Getty Images
Florida public universities plan to cut at least 18 academic programs
The eliminations are part of a regular review of degree productivity based on graduate numbers. The latest review found 214 underperforming programs.
By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 24, 2025 -
Courtesy of Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University gets new leader after turbulent year of cuts
Cal State veteran Michael Spagna is set to take over the institution in January following widely opposed budget cuts and amid ongoing enrollment troubles.
By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 21, 2025 -
Getty Images
University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty vote no confidence in chancellor
The vote follows a contentious plan by the public university’s leader to slash four programs as part of an effort to reduce spending by $27.5 million.
By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 19, 2025 -
University of Nebraska-Lincoln leader reduces program cuts from 6 to 4
While the public institution's chancellor backed away from some cuts, he is moving forward with others that face fierce opposition.
By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 12, 2025 -
Getty Images
University of Nebraska-Lincoln committee opposes most academic program cuts
The committee recommended leaders allow more time to consider alternatives to those reductions as the university looks to save $27.5 million annually.
By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 5, 2025 -
Getty Images
Leadership LedgerUtah makes its first secret college presidential selection
We’re rounding up some of the most significant leadership changes in October. Who's coming and who's going?
By Laura Spitalniak • Nov. 4, 2025 -
The image by Button74 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
University of Northern Colorado plans to lay off 50 employees
State budget cuts and a smaller-than-expected fall class contributed to millions of dollars of pressure on the public institution’s budget.
By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 23, 2025 -
Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
‘Nothing less than government control’: Higher ed responds to Trump’s compact
Federal officials offered preferential funding treatment to nine initial colleges in exchange for sweeping changes. Here’s how they replied.
By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 20, 2025 -
Permission granted by Antioch University
Q&AAntioch University’s president talks leadership and democratic education in uncertain times
Lori Varlotta took the helm of the nearly 175-year-old university this summer as it looks to raise its profile and grow the college coalition it co-founded.
By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 14, 2025 -
Retrieved from Chad McNeeley for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Leadership LedgerAt least 4 presidents abruptly departed their institutions last month amid pressure campaigns
New Jersey City University and the University of Vermont also formally installed their new leaders in September.
By Laura Spitalniak • Oct. 2, 2025 -
Getty Images
Virginia Democrats accuse George Mason board leader of ‘untenable ethical conflict’
The lawmakers called for Charles Stimson to recuse himself in negotiations with the Trump administration, but he reportedly rebuffed those demands.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 10, 2025 -
The image by COGpio is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
East Carolina University eyes $25M in cuts
The three-year savings goal would be met through permanent cuts, academic program changes and operational restructuring, the public institution said.
By Ben Unglesbee • Updated Sept. 9, 2025 -
George Mason University’s board looks to negotiate with Trump administration
The governing body wants a resolution to claims by the U.S. Department of Education that the public institution violated civil rights law.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 3, 2025 -
urbsinhorto1837 via Getty Images
University of Chicago braces for job cuts amid effort to shed $100M in costs
The private institution is taking dramatic steps like pausing doctoral enrollment for several programs as it faces rising expenses and federal policy shifts.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 2, 2025 -
Permission granted by Catholic University of America
Q&ACatholic University’s president on balancing budget cuts with growth
The institution laid off 7% of its staff this year, but leaders first raised money for separation packages and a plan for future growth.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 2, 2025 -
Alex Brandon/AP
George Mason University leader rebukes Trump administration’s apology demand
President Gregory Washington’s lawyer called the U.S. Department of Education's allegations of Title VI violations "a legal fiction" in a Monday letter.
By Laura Spitalniak • Aug. 26, 2025 -
Getty Images
Utah State University to face state audit amid concerns about former leader’s spending
An initial review raised concerns about the public institution’s “governance, leadership, and culture of policy noncompliance.”
By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 20, 2025 -
Getty Images
University of Iowa launches ‘proactive’ committee to hunt for revenue and boost efficiency
Officials said they're launching the initiative, dubbed Resparc, “from a position of financial health” as the higher ed sector faces choppy waters.
By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 19, 2025 -
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
NACUBO '25‘Everything, everywhere, all at once’: How Trump has upended higher ed finance in 2025
Experts at the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ annual conference broke down the wave of policy changes the sector is facing.
By Ben Unglesbee • July 31, 2025 -
The image by U423310 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Q&A‘Who’s going to want these jobs?’: How the role of college president is changing
Public policy professor James Finkelstein spoke with Higher Ed Dive about the increased political and private sector influence on higher education’s top role.
By Laura Spitalniak • July 30, 2025 -
Permission granted by The California State University system
NACUBO '25How Cal State is betting on shared services amid funding cuts
Campuses are increasingly collaborating on backend services to save costs and become nimbler in a tough financial environment.
By Ben Unglesbee • July 28, 2025 -
‘Inadequate and deeply troubling’: George Mason AAUP votes no confidence in board
The group blasted the governing body, alleging it failed to defend the university and its president amid successive investigations by the Trump administration.
By Ben Unglesbee • July 23, 2025 -
Trump administration opens a fourth probe into George Mason University
The federal government is ratcheting up pressure on the institution through a flurry of investigations, with the latest focused on its admissions practices.
By Ben Unglesbee • July 22, 2025 -
Getty Images
Temple University to lay off 50 employees
The public institution is cutting 190 positions in an effort to slash its $60 million deficit in half.
By Ben Unglesbee • July 21, 2025 -
Column // College Closure Files
Bacone College shut down after 145 years. What went wrong?
The Oklahoma institution had shaky finances for years. And some insiders have accused it of straying from its mission of serving Native American students.
By Ben Unglesbee • July 14, 2025
