Christa Dutton

He Wrote a Course Syllabus. Is It Still His? After an AI expert finished teaching a course at the University of California at Los Angeles, he was alarmed to discover that a version of his syllabus was still being used.

After a tech executive taught an AI course he developed, UCLA kept offering it using a version of his syllabus. Now, he wants an investigation.

www.chronicle.com/article/he-w...

Facing Federal Uncertainty, Swarthmore Makes a Novel Plan: the 3-Month Budget With an expanded endowment tax, research cuts, and a possible chill on international enrollment looming, the college opted to budget for just a quarter “to avoid overcorrecting.”

With federal funding in flux, Swarthmore College is taking a novel approach to financial planning.

The liberal arts college's board approved a budget that covers just the first quarter of the next fiscal year "to avoid overcorrecting."

www.chronicle.com/article/faci...

A couple months ago, I wrote about how an Indiana law aimed at promoting free inquiry in college classrooms actually made many professors feel constrained.

The law also asked colleges to create a complaints system for violations. Here's how many they got:
www.chronicle.com/article/indi...

In Indiana, Last-Minute Additions to the Budget Take Aim at Higher Ed The budget bill, expected to become law, adds productivity standards to post-tenure review, targets low-enrollment programs, and defines faculty senates as “advisory only.”

In approving a new state budget late last week, Indiana lawmakers also gave the green light to several measures that would dramatically change public higher education in the state.

www.chronicle.com/article/in-i...

How One State’s ‘Intellectual Diversity’ Law Has Changed Professors’ Teaching Public colleges in Indiana are now required to make rules for disciplining faculty who don’t promote free expression. Instructors across the state say they’ve gotten the message.

1/ Great reporting here from @christadutton.bsky.social and a stark reminder that laws supposedly mandating free speech can sometimes be a deterrent to such

www.chronicle.com/article/chan...

‘I Want to Stand Up for Higher Ed’: Protesters Rally Against Education Dept. Cuts As demonstrators gathered in Washington, D.C., researchers met across town to discuss the toll that drastic reductions at the agency would have on their work.

Protesters rallied Friday against layoffs at the Education Department. People who rely on the agency's student aid distributions, civil rights investigations, & data collection — seriously doubt if the reduced staff will be able to keep performing those services
www.chronicle.com/article/i-wa...

If you'll be in DC for #AEFP25, I'm a higher ed reporter covering how education researchers will be impacted by the ED layoffs and I'd love to chat with you. Feel free to reach out here or at christa.dutton@chronicle.com.

How One State’s ‘Intellectual Diversity’ Law Has Changed Professors’ Teaching Public colleges in Indiana are now required to make rules for disciplining faculty who don’t promote free expression. Instructors across the state say they’ve gotten the message.

An Indiana law aimed at broadening free expression has some professors feeling constrained.

Professors statewide have opposed SB 202 since it was proposed last year. I talked to several professors to learn how the law prompted them to change their teaching.

www.chronicle.com/article/chan...

A reminder to students / those working in #HigherEd - help The Chronicle report on changes to DEI practices and programs.

Has your college closed an office? Removed a website? Revised DEI messaging? Let us know here!⬇️
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Higher-Ed Employees Talk About How Trump’s Actions Have Changed Their Lives Here’s what leaders, professors, researchers, and students told us about the personal impact of White House policy directives.

There's a lot happening in #HigherEd right now. But what are the human effects of the executive orders, funding freezes, and targets on DEI? Folks across academe told @karinfischer.bsky.social, @christadutton.bsky.social and I their stories. #AcademicSky

These Colleges Banned DEI Even Though It Wasn’t Required by Law Dozens of institutions in 2023 and 2024 altered or shuttered diversity offices and programs pre-emptively, as lawmakers and the public increasingly turned against them.

New from me + @jasperjsmith.bsky.social

Dozens of colleges altered or closed diversity offices/programs preemptively in the past two years, as lawmakers and the public increasingly turned against them.

With Trump now in office, that number is likely to grow.

www.chronicle.com/article/clin...

People of #AcademicSky #HigherEd, how have events of the past few weeks affected you? Have you had a grant application withdrawn or job offer rescinded? Did your lab pause work? Were you overseeing campuswide decisions or messaging? We @chronicle.com want to hear what it’s been like. DM or email.

Tell Us How Trump’s Second Term Is Affecting Your Campus President Trump has quickly begun advancing his education agenda. What are you seeing, hearing, and experiencing so far?

Higher ed folks, how have Trump's executive actions affected your role and your campus? Tell us more using the form or contact information in the story below.

Your responses will be kept confidential unless you give us permission to publish them.

www.chronicle.com/article/tell...

A New Snapshot of Last Fall’s Freshman Enrollment Paints a Very Different Picture The number of first-time first-year students actually increased by 5.5 percent, and total postsecondary enrollment rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.

You may have heard that freshman enrollment saw a sharp decline last fall.

Then last week you may have heard that was wrong.

An updated report today shows that freshman enrollment actually increased last fall — by 5 percent!

www.chronicle.com/article/a-ne...

Why the American Historical Association Rejected a Resolution on Gaza The decision comes after the Modern Language Association refused in November to let its members take a similar vote.

More than 400 scholars in the American Historical Association supported a resolution that condemns Israel's deadly attacks on Gaza.

The organization's leaders announced today that they vetoed it.
www.chronicle.com/article/why-...

Many College Professors Say Their Academic Freedom Is In Decline, Study Finds More than a third of faculty members feel like they have less of it than they did several years ago, according to two associations.

A new @aacu.org report on academic freedom dropped yesterday.

More than a third of faculty members said they have less academic freedom today than they did several years ago.

More on the survey's findings here:
www.chronicle.com/article/many...

We’ve Been Tracking Colleges’ Dismantling of DEI for 8 Months. Here’s What We’ve Found. While many changes have been made as a result of state-level directives, more colleges are eliminating diversity offices and staff even when they aren’t required to do so.

The Chronicle has been tracking the impacts of state-level DEI legislation for 8 months now. @declanrjb.bsky.social crunched the numbers to help you visualize the data.

The most striking number to me? More than 80 campuses made changes without legislative mandates.
www.chronicle.com/article/weve...

The Course Is About Literature. Its Textbook Was Generated by AI. News of the UCLA course has spurred worry and criticism, but its professor is unfazed. “I feel more empowered by this process,” she says.

A literature course at UCLA will use an AI textbook next term. You may have seen the cover, which has fake Latin words on it.

The professor who created the book is unfazed by the online criticism and says she feels like "more of a teacher than I’ve ever been."
www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

The Colleges That Shape Congress We analyzed the educational backgrounds of every current and incoming member of Congress. Here’s what we found.

Fascinating data analysis from Declan Bradley showing the colleges that shape Congress.

More than 96% of the 119th Congress — set to take office in January — holds a bachelor’s degree or higher. Only 38% of American adults hold equivalent degrees.

www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

Will Submitting the FAFSA Put Undocumented Parents at Risk? This Group Thinks It Could. A prominent association warns that mixed-status families could be “targeted for punitive action.”

"For many students, the FAFSA is a gateway to college. Sooner or later, we’ll find out if there’s a good reason for some families to think of it as a trap door."

www.chronicle.com/article/will...

The Controversy Roiling College Volleyball Just Keeps Growing Controversy over a player’s eligibility at San Jose State University has escalated with a new lawsuit that seeks to disqualify her from postseason play.

A federal judge will decide tomorrow whether to disqualify a San Jose State volleyball player from the Mountain West conference tournament.

A new lawsuit claims the player is transgender & that the conference and SJSU acted illegally in letting her compete.

www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

Christa Dutton Christa is a reporting fellow at The Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter @christa_dutton or email her at christa.dutton@chronicle.com.

Hi! I’m new here so I thought I’d introduce myself.

I’m a reporter at The Chronicle of Higher Education who covers many corners of academe. You can read my work here: www.chronicle.com/author/chris...

Have a tip? Email me at christa.dutton@chronicle.com

(P.s. I have fomo so I’m still on X too)