Sarah Brown

‘The Perception of Danger Everywhere’: Navigating Campus Life Amid ICE Enforcement Locals, students, and college officials in the Twin Cities describe the mood as tense, apprehensive, and heavy.

“Every class I go to, I’m thinking, do I run out of this class if I have to?”

Such important journalism on the ground at Minnesota's colleges right now:

Trump Is Allowing Some Anti-DEI Directives to Die. That Likely Won’t Matter for Colleges. The administration on Wednesday withdrew its appeal in a lawsuit challenging Education Department guidelines. But a near-identical Justice Department memo remains on the books.

Are there legitimate questions about the legality of the DOJ memo on DEI? Probably. But no lawsuit has been filed.

Meanwhile, the Trump admin is already using it to pressure colleges to make changes.

UVa agreed to abide by the DOJ interpretation of DEI in its October deal with the government.

The Trump admin withdrew its appeal of a ruling against the Ed Dept's anti-DEI orders. So they're dead.

For higher ed, tho, it won't make much difference.

-Colleges already acted preemptively to alter/drop DEI efforts.
-There's a DOJ memo says virtually the same thing as the Ed Dept guidance did.

Most colleges ban recording classes without consent. But recent events make clear that the policies are difficult to enforce.

And if a video of a professor has gone viral, many faculty point out, the damage has already been done.

The Classroom, Caught on Camera Professors and students are increasingly worried what they say in class could end up on the internet.

Today's lead story @chronicle.com shows how secret recordings of classes — spurred on by a well-funded right-wing media apparatus — are changing the relationship between professors and students.

Complaints over what's taught in college classrooms aren’t new.

But only in the past decade have professors contended with the possibility that what happens in a class could be easily taped and shared.

Now many faculty are walking on eggshells, wondering what that means for the future of learning.

First minor drama at #NACIQI: The election for a new chair. Nominees are Zakiya Smith-Ellis, appointed by Congressional Dems and a former Secretary of Higher Ed in NJ; and Jay Greene, a new member and former Heritage Foundation fellow appointed by ED.

First round of voting ends in an 8-8 tie...

🧵 A dean is abruptly removed. Her account goes viral. At first, it looks like a fight over the humanities. But the more I reported on the University of Tulsa, the clearer it became: this controversy was just the entry point for a far larger institutional unraveling. (1/14)

The Trump Administration Detained a Longtime Faculty Member, Saying He’s an Undocumented Immigrant The government says Sumith Gunasekera of Ferris State University was ineligible for legal status in the United States due to 1998 criminal charges in Canada, including a sex offense.

Before the holiday break, you may have seen that a professor was detained by ICE en route to the Middle East Studies Association's conference.

But you may have missed that a second professor was detained. Here's what we know:

U. of Virginia Will Adopt Trump’s Interpretation of DEI in Federal Deal The university has pledged to follow government guidance arguing that a wide range of diversity-related efforts and programs are illegal discrimination.

In a new deal with Trump, UVa agreed to adopt the administration's interpretation of DEI — in other words, that most diversity-related policies and programs are illegal discrimination

UVa noted in an FAQ that it will follow anti-DEI guidance from the Department of Justice, which criticized a range of campus practices referencing race and identity. UVa will report back to DOJ on adherence to that guidance, "consistent with relevant judicial decisions."
federalinfo.virginia.edu

U. of Virginia Will Adopt Trump’s Interpretation of DEI in Federal Deal The university has pledged to follow government guidance arguing that a wide range of diversity-related efforts and programs are illegal discrimination.

In a new deal with Trump, UVa agreed to adopt the administration's interpretation of DEI — in other words, that most diversity-related policies and programs are illegal discrimination

UVA "would be required to continue to take steps to come into compliance with the administration’s expansive interpretation of a 2023 Supreme Court decision that ended explicit consideration of race in admissions to higher education, according to three people briefed on negotiations."

Compact Live Updates: U. of Arizona Says It Won’t Sign On, While Vanderbilt Describes ‘Ongoing Dialogue’ The Arizona flagship submitted a “statement of principles” to the government. Vanderbilt’s chancellor said “we have not been asked to accept or reject the draft compact,” and said the campus would pro...

Ok here's a new one: Vanderbilt's chancellor does NOT explicitly decline Trump's compact. He says, we interpreted the outreach as a chance to provide feedback to the White House, and we did that.

Compact Live Updates: U. of Arizona Says It Won’t Sign On, While Vanderbilt Describes ‘Ongoing Dialogue’ The Arizona flagship submitted a “statement of principles” to the government. Vanderbilt’s chancellor said “we have not been asked to accept or reject the draft compact,” and said the campus would pro...

Ok here's a new one: Vanderbilt's chancellor does NOT explicitly decline Trump's compact. He says, we interpreted the outreach as a chance to provide feedback to the White House, and we did that.

Compact Live Updates: U. of Arizona Says It Won’t Sign On, Becoming Seventh Campus to Decline The flagship instead submitted a “statement of principles” to the government. Meanwhile, professors at the University of Texas at Austin urged their campus not to go along with the effort.

University of Arizona president has declined Trump's compact — and sent back an alternative "statement of principles" outlining the u's current policies on international enrollment, academic freedom, admissions etc.

Trump Welcomes ‘Any Institution’ to Sign Onto Compact Outlining His Priorities An administration source told The Chronicle that “any institution that wants to adopt these principles” could sign onto the document, which offers a purported edge in grant funding.

Breaking: Trump's higher-ed compact is open to all, I confirmed for @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/blogs/the-tr...

“We welcome any institution that wants to adopt these principles to sign the compact,” a source told me.

How a Trump-Supporting Congressman Turned College President Disarmed His Critics Bill Johnson has found success at Youngstown State University by floating above the fray — or seeming to.

Full story: www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

How a Trump-Supporting Congressman Turned College President Disarmed His Critics Bill Johnson has found success at Youngstown State University by floating above the fray — or seeming to.

Johnson declined to take a public position on Ohio's Republican-backed higher-ed reform law and downplayed his involvement. But the lawmaker who spearheaded the bill told Megan that Johnson influenced its development.

Youngstown State faculty, who had been outraged at Johnson's selection, calmed down pretty quickly — because his leadership has been pretty low key. "It’s hard to say that he’s done something to be super unfavorable," one professor said.

Interesting tidbits in my ace colleague @mzahneis.bsky.social's latest piece on Bill Johnson, Youngstown State University's leader and a Trump-supporting ex-congressman:

He said he quickly got up to speed on higher ed by attending the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents.

The White House Sent Its Compact to 9 Universities. Here’s What Their Administrators and Faculty Are Saying. Presidents have been guarded in their remarks on the Trump administration’s offer. But professors have expressed grave concerns.

If you, like me, having struggled to keep straight how different universities are responding to Trump's proposed "compact," we've got you covered.

The roundup demonstrates 1) varied leadership philosophies 2) a broad spectrum re: faculty engagement (or, perhaps, willingness to speak publicly).

UNC-Chapel Hill’s Lesson in Civics The School of Civic Life and Leadership’s public fighting is part of a long-running rupture about the mission of civics schools around the country.

Great piece.

"...a central and long-running rupture over the foundational mission of civics schools... Should they reform how universities teach by prioritizing civil discourse, or should they add viewpoint diversity by hiring more conservatives?"

Trump’s ‘Compact’ Is Freaking People Out Podcast Episode · College Matters from The Chronicle · 10/08/2025 · 40m

Come for a catch-up on the latest big higher ed news, stay for the Sean Penn cameo at the end (yes, really)

Mizzou’s President Has Succeeded by Staying Out of Trouble The University of Missouri leader turned around its reputation, bolstered state funding and enrollment, and restored the faculty trust. But his tight-lipped management style has its critics.

A college president in a red state says his university is thriving right now. But there are tradeoffs.

‘A Robust Victory’: Federal Judge Says Harvard Should Have Billions of Research Dollars Restored The judge, Allison D. Burroughs, ruled that the Trump administration’s explanation for canceling the grants — that Harvard had done too little to respond to antisemitism — rang hollow.

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

Breaking News: Harvard/AAUP win summary judgment in federal district court

GMU President Refuses to Apologize for Diversity Efforts, Lawyer Calls Ed. Dept. Claims ‘Absurd’ In a 10-page letter, Gregory Washington’s lawyer says the Trump administration conducted an incomplete and haphazard investigation full of “gross mischaracterizations.”

First on @chronicle.com: George Mason University's president just refused the Trump administration's demand to deliver a "personal apology" for supporting diversity efforts in hiring.

🙃🙃🙃

Most texts between me and my husband these days are just one of us saying "Schwarrrr..." and the other one replying "💣" #Phillies #MVP

Gender Data Would Be Off-Limits Under Proposed NIH Policy A draft rule would bar scientists funded by the agency from collecting data about gender identity, following other steps the administration has taken to restrict research on LGBT topics.

SCOOP: The NIH is moving to prohibit funded scientists, inside and outside the agency, from collecting data about gender, according to a draft policy I obtained. It’s part of the NIH’s aggressive crackdown on gender-identity research. www.chronicle.com/article/gend...