Alt Higher Education

Beyond concerning —student visa/legal status revocations are clearly becoming a widespread issue 👇

Inciting these terrors on international students is unconscionable. If this is the way forward, colleges and universities in the U.S. can no longer safely and ethically recruit international students.

First, it was bathrooms, then sports, and now they’re getting to what they really wanted — the complete erasure of the trans community.

Also, if you think this is going to stop at trans people, you are deeply mistaken.

Sonny Ramaswamy: Higher ed must be proactive After seven years leading an accrediting agency, Sonny Ramaswamy is retiring, but he urged higher education leaders to speak up and tell their story amid mounting political challenges.

Sonny Ramaswamy: Higher Ed Must Be Proactive

After seven years leading an accrediting agency, Sonny Ramaswamy is retiring, but he urged higher education leaders to speak up and tell their story amid mounting political challenges. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/41DVjkb

Unless I'm wildly misunderstanding "institutional neutrality," college presidents can still talk to their constituents about the work they are doing and the things they value without it being framed as an official position on a political issue.

A St. Valentine's Day massacre of academic freedom (opinion) The Feb. 14 Dear Colleague letter was one of the worst attacks on academic freedom by the government in American history, John K. Wilson writes.

Opinion | The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

The Feb. 14 Dear Colleague letter was one of the worst attacks on academic freedom by the government in American history, John K. Wilson writes. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/4bkVqFS

Trump administration faces a growing number of lawsuits Higher education groups are suing the federal government to block executive orders, DEI guidance and other policy changes. Here’s the latest on the legal challenges.

Tracking Key Lawsuits Against the Trump Administration

Higher education groups are suing the federal government to block executive orders and policy changes. Here’s the latest on the legal challenges. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/4b47qeK

Resources for ICE on Campus Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP)

📢📢Here are some general guidelines from AAUP/AFT in the event that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enters a college campus. 👇

aaup-texas.org/blog/f/resou...

ABCNews let me help.

For anyone who just wants the facts, here is the law prof memo that explains why (a) DEI is legal and (b) Trump's threats are not:
app.box.com/s/2me4mszr6p...

CBC Calls on Trump to Reinstate HBCU Agriculture Scholarship Program The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is urging President Trump to reinstate a federal scholarship program designed to support HBCU students from rural and underserved communities pursuing degrees in a...

The Congressional Black Caucus is urging President Trump to reinstate a federal scholarship program designed to support #HBCU students from rural and underserved communities pursuing degrees in agriculture and related fields.

Beyond Politics: The Moral Obligation of Equity in Higher Education Equity is institutionalized in our college mission and a means of differentiating our approach to higher education as a community college – we serve our community.

Views | Equity should not be seen as a political agenda; it is a moral imperative educators provide to society.

US judge blocks Musk's DOGE team from accessing Education Department, OPM data A federal judge on Monday blocked the government downsizing team created by President Donald Trump and spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk from accessing sensitive data maintained by the U.S. Education Department and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

BREAKING: A federal judge blocked the government downsizing team created by President Trump and spearheaded by Elon Musk from accessing sensitive data maintained by the US Education Department and the US Office of Personnel Management reut.rs/4gXZZXI

Leaders need to pay attention to what is or isn’t being upheld in the courts - stop overly complying.

Unfortunately if Trump succeeds in his vision there will be much more damage to come in higher education and beyond. Giving up and becoming complacent with censorship and anti-civil rights ideologies is not an option. There is too much at stake, we have to keep pushing back!

“Colleges need to be disciplined and persistent in defending their scholars and students for the next four years. The Trump administration can’t be bargained with—only defeated with every legal and political defense education can muster.”

This is the line to get a new membership at the Costco closest to me (45 min away). Lotta folks like me who are just outside comfortable driving distance but are finally getting a membership because it pairs nicely w/ support for labor & calling your reps everyday.

Directive to Dismiss Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Practices Presents Opportunity to Define and Seek Equity Depoliticizing diversity, equity and inclusion is essential to preserving higher education’s transformative power for individuals and society.

Views | It is widely recognized and documented that companies with diverse leadership teams are more innovative, financially successful and better equipped to navigate complex global markets.

Penn to reduce graduate admissions, rescind acceptances amid federal research funding cuts Penn notified department chairs that it will cut admissions across graduate programs — a decision faculty members say will force them to rescind offers from newly-accepted students.

That's Vanderbilt with no phd admissions, Pitt announced yesterday, and now Penn is reducing their grad admissions (and notified faculty after they already began notifying students which ouch).

www.thedp.com/article/2025...

“Bring any False Claims Act enforcement action, or other enforcement action under the anti-DEI Executive Orders.”

This gives more legal certainty for institutional leaders not to comply with the Dear Colleagues letter —educators share with your administration/collectives and keep PUSHING back! 3/3

“Pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, terminate or change the terms of any current awards, contracts or obligations;
Require any grantee or contractor to make any “certification” or other representation regarding whether they promote DEI; or…” 2/3

👏 Good News! Feb 21 - “a federal court issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the provisions of President Trump’s harmful anti-DEI Executive Orders, in the lawsuit spearheaded by NADOHE” www.nadohe.org/statements/s...

“The court ordered that the Trump Administration shall not…” 1/3

Lawmakers and institutional leaders need to think carefully about the moral guides they choose to follow. As a society, we should be striving towards increasing, not limiting, access to education.

Hitting Pause on the ‘Dear Colleague’ Letter The Department of Education is overstepping its bounds and infringing on constitutional rights.

Three major reasons why higher ed administrators must not rush to comply with the 2/14 Department of Education DCL, according to @garceslm.bsky.social:
-The letter is a massive overreach
-It contradicts the court’s ruling
-It enforcement threats are unconstitutional
www.chronicle.com/article/hitt...

📢📢📢📢

USDA says it accidentally fired officials working on bird flu and is trying to rehire them In a statement, an Agriculture Department spokesperson told NBC News that officials are "working to swiftly rectify the situation."

USDA says it accidentally fired officials working on bird flu and is trying to rehire them

In a statement, an Agriculture Department spokesperson told NBC News that officials are "working to swiftly rectify the situation."

www.nbcnews.com/politics/dog...

Civil Rights Group Details Opposition to McMahon Education Nomination The NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) has issued a scathing critique of Linda McMahon's nomination for U.S. Secretary of Education.

The #NAACP Legal Defense Fund has issued a scathing critique of Linda McMahon's nomination for U.S. Secretary of Education.

Many are experiencing the legal pressures that states like Idaho and Oklahoma have been facing for years. This new open access article in JHE can help to make sense of the current moment, illuminating conditions that make pressures worse for faculty and those that empower them to not change course.

In this latest publication with lead author @jackiepedota.bsky.social, we illustrate the importance of messages from higher education leaders and partnerships with external organizations in protecting institutional autonomy and academic freedom lnkd.in/dHMCSDDQ

2 upcoming virtual book talks. I have a lot on my mind right now (as we all do) and I have some things to share. Please spread the word and sign up.

Mon 2/24, 4 p.m. PST lnkd.in/gBRpyGRP

Thur 3/13, 6 p.m. EST www.eventbrite.com/e/asian-amer...