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Brianna Atkinson

@batkinson2501.bsky.social

Journalist ~ Green tea enthusiast ~ Higher ed reporting @wunc.org @opencampus.org Tips: batkinson@wunc.org

396 Followers  |  85 Following  |  12 Posts  |  Joined: 02.12.2024
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Posts by Brianna Atkinson (@batkinson2501.bsky.social)

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It's official, North Carolina professors will have to publicly post syllabi UNC System President Peter Hans' decision puts North Carolina in league with other Southern states like Florida and Texas, which legislatively mandate syllabi to be public records.

From @batkinson2501.bsky.social A late-week, right-before-the-holiday policy change: (it's official) public university professors must post syllabi.
www.wunc.org/education/20...

20.12.2025 16:53 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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It's official, North Carolina professors will have to publicly post syllabi UNC System President Peter Hans' decision puts North Carolina in league with other Southern states like Florida and Texas, which legislatively mandate syllabi to be public records.

The UNC System got in one more policy change before the new year. All public university professors are now officially required to publicly post their syllabi, more here: www.wunc.org/education/20...

20.12.2025 16:59 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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How their lives changed: Student activist who lost prestigious scholarship reflects on year since UNC pro-Palestinian protest In a two-part series, student activists reflect on their lives one year since UNC-Chapel Hill Polk Place protest. UNC student Laura Saavedra Forero shares her personal journey in activism leading up t...

In-depth profiles on how their lives changed that day and in the year since @wunc.org:

www.wunc.org/education/20...

www.wunc.org/education/20...

30.04.2025 15:12 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

🧡 One year ago today, a pro-Palestinian protest at UNC-Chapel Hill made national headlines. I've spent the past month speaking with two students, who were there for different reasons, that got caught up in the news and social media frenzy. (1/2)

30.04.2025 15:12 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1
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A federal directive is coming after inclusive campus policies. Will North Carolina university leaders fight back? The Trump administration's "Dear Colleague" letter comes at a time when N.C. universities are already paring back their diversity efforts.

This is the first series of investigations to result from the dept's Dear Colleague letter. In it, the federal government threatens to remove funding from universities with programs that consider race in any aspect of student, academic or campus life. More on that here: www.wunc.org/education/20...

14.03.2025 16:51 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Office for Civil Rights Initiates Title VI Investigations into Institutions of Higher Education Office for Civil Rights Initiates Title VI Investigations into Institutions of Higher Education

Duke University is one of 45 institutions the US Department of Education is investigating for alleged racial discrimination. The department says universities violated the civil rights act by partnering with a nonprofit that helps students of color pursue their PhDs: www.ed.gov/about/news/p...

14.03.2025 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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In Trump’s First Weeks, Dozens of Colleges Have Shut Down DEI Efforts The president has aggressively targeted campus diversity initiatives. Many institutions have made changes.

The impact of Trump's anti-DEI directives is swiftly taking shape. Colleges have closed offices, canceled events, and scrubbed websites. chroni.cl/3XqSK3R

06.03.2025 18:04 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Saint Augustine's University loses accreditation appeal The university said it will remain open and is pursuing an "arbitration process."

Saint Augustine’s University has lost an appeal to keep its accreditation. The university says it will remain open & is pursuing an "arbitration process," so May grads will earn their degrees from an accredited institution: www.wunc.org/education/20...

06.03.2025 18:20 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Episode 18: This is March Podcast Episode Β· The Women's Basketball Podcast With Mia & Mitch Β· 03/05/2025 Β· 1h 6m

Latest episode of THE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PODCAST is live! We discuss:

- SEC coin flip
- Diana Taurasi’s retirement
- What I’m hearing on the coaching carousel
- UNC’s chances at hosting potentially dwindling?
- Maryland’s resurgence
- and much more…

πŸŽ™οΈπŸ€ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

05.03.2025 20:01 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A federal directive is coming after inclusive campus policies. Will North Carolina university leaders fight back? The Trump administration's "Dear Colleague" letter comes at a time when N.C. universities are already paring back their diversity efforts.

Almost across the board, university leaders are remaining quiet on what changes they may implement to adhere to the Trump administration's "Dear Colleague" letter.

www.wunc.org/education/20...

04.03.2025 19:21 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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Trump's order to cut NIH research funding would cut millions from NC universities North Carolina's top research universities could lose millions of dollars in support if a Trump administration revision to funding from the National Institutes of Health holds up.

From @wunc.org's @batkinson2501.bsky.social, a look at how NIH cuts could dramatically change research & the economy in NC: www.wunc.org/education/20...

14.02.2025 21:29 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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NC State University is pausing hiring of faculty and staff. Provost Warwick Arden announced the change in a memo to deans today. The freeze comes as the Trump administration has ordered several policies reducing federal research funding for universities.

14.02.2025 19:26 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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North Carolina A&T narrowly misses out on crucial research classification Carnegie announced the new classifications on Thursday, using new criteria that greatly expanded the number of institutions classified as "R1".

North Carolina A&T State University has fallen just short of a major stated goal: attaining a "Research 1" classification from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

R1 status makes universities more competitive for federal and private grants.

www.wunc.org/education/20...

13.02.2025 15:18 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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UNC System President Peter Hans writes letter of support for Linda McMahon to become the next US Secretary of Education: x.com/Linda_McMaho...

13.02.2025 19:27 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 9
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NIH funding cuts and NC universities; Greensboro neighborhood joins National Register of Historic Places; Duke Gardens renovation Podcast Episode Β· Due South Β· 02/12/2025 Β· 36m

What would NIH funding cuts mean for North Carolina's universities and research?

WUNC's @batkinson2501.bsky.social joins Leoneda Inge to discuss the potential impact.

Listen on @wunc.org or subscribe to the Due South podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...

12.02.2025 18:18 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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A western North Carolina college president looks back on a tumultuous semester Warren Wilson college is located in one of the areas Hurricane Helene hit hardest earlier this year. President DamiΓ‘n FernΓ‘ndez talks about ongoing repairs, losses, and lessons learned in an interview...

"Before Helene, we thought we lived in a climate haven. Now, we know that there are no such things." @batkinson2501.bsky.social takes a look at Helene recovery at a small private college in Western NC: www.wunc.org/education/20...

06.01.2025 15:02 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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DA dismisses all remaining criminal charges against UNC pro-Palestinian protesters Several cases were set to go to trial today. The protest was one of the largest and most intense on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office is dismissing all remaining criminal cases against protesters who led pro-Palestinian demonstrations on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus last spring. The decision came a day before some trials were set to begin.

www.wunc.org/education/20...

20.12.2024 14:50 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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β€˜Easy to just write us off’: Rural students’ options shrink as colleges slash majors - Open Campus As enrollments fall, rural-serving universities are shedding degree programs from music to chemistry.

β€œAll you hear is, β€˜We used to have this, because we used to have more students.’” Across the country, regional publics in rural areas are scrapping degree programs to ease budget shortfalls.

Our local reporters collaborated with @hechingerreport.org:
www.opencampusmedia.org/2024/11/26/e...

26.11.2024 15:10 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 3
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Durham Public Schools’ busing strategy aims to help those who most rely on the bus This month, Durham Public Schools is rotating bus service. Next, the district could create family responsibility zones and express bus stops that would alter service for about 2,000 students. District...

As an on-going bus driver shortage has grown more acute this fall, Durham Public Schools has turned to a new solution: rotational busing. Under this plan, all bus riders will be assigned one day a week in which their bus won’t run.

www.wunc.org/education/20...

03.12.2024 12:37 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

"...So the college has turned into a sprawling homeless encampment, a nest for drug overdoses and crime, and a burden on Mechanicsville, 40 percent of whose 3,000 residents now live below the poverty line.”

04.12.2024 14:59 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

β€œKnoxville College administrators can’t afford to raze the 17 buildings, eight of which are historic sites built by formerly enslaved people. Nor can they afford the amount of security necessary to prevent loitering on a mostly empty campus..."

04.12.2024 14:59 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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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.

Interesting deep dive from the Chronicle looking at how losing accreditation can impact HBCUs & the community they're in: www.chronicle.com/article/once...

04.12.2024 14:59 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Enrollment is up at North Carolina's public universities. How will they keep it that way? Enrollment increased at every public university in North Carolina this fall, but that doesn’t mean they are immune to changing enrollment patterns.

Latest @wunc.bsky.social: Enrollment at NC’s public universities reached an all-time high this fall. Here’s how the UNC System plans to stay ahead of national enrollment declines by β€œstreamlining” the process for first-year, transfer, and military students.
www.wunc.org/education/20...

02.12.2024 20:32 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0