A controversial new law that prohibits teaching students in public schools about race is set to take effect in Florida on July 1, despite attempts from education and equal rights advocates to block its enactment.
The Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (WOKE) Act bans the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) in K-12 schools and prohibits all...
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Appeals Court recently ruled that a woman who claims to be a direct descendant of enslaved people can proceed with a lawsuit against Harvard University.
The suit, filed by Tamara Lanier, alleges that a Harvard professor commissioned photographs of her ancestors without consent or compensation.
The court’s decision allows Harvard to retain possession of the images but...
Three professors of color at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology (DU GSPP) will not be returning to their posts this fall.
The professors — Terri M. Davis, Apryl Alexander, and Travis Heath — recently spoke about their reasons for pursuing more inclusive and equitable opportunities in a roundtable discussion with Colorado Public Radio (CPR) News. The...
This week, George Washington University (GWU) rejected a student-led petition to remove Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas from his position as a Constitutional law lecturer, citing academic freedom protections.
The petition, which garnered more than 7,000 signatures as of Wednesday, called for Thomas’ removal from GWU’s payroll due to his concurring opinion in the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade...
Native American undergraduates from 22 federally recognized tribes in Arizona will no longer have to pay tuition or mandatory fees to attend the University of Arizona’s (UArizona) main campus in Tucson.
Beginning in the fall 2022 semester, new and continuing full-time undergraduates from the tribes will be eligible for the Arizona Native Scholars Grant program.
Arizona has the second highest population of...
The NCAA recently released “The State of Women in College Sports” report to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. The study notes that significantly more women participate in college sports each decade.
From 1982 to 2020, the percentage of Division I women student-athletes increased from 26 percent to 47 percent, according to the report. Diversity among women athletes has...
On Sunday, a small but vocal group of Anderson University students and alumni protested the school’s recent decision not to renew the contract of former part-time theater professor Miranda Barnett because of her sexual orientation.
Approximately 20 current and former theater students met on the private South Carolina university's campus to show their support for Barnett and denounce the...
The University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) recently released statements in support of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) and Asian communities following the assault of two students near campus.
On June 14, a UW-Madison doctoral student from China was violently assaulted by a group of men in downtown Madison near campus. The same group was allegedly involved in two other...
In May, valedictorian Elizabeth Bonker broke the mold of a traditional commencement speaker at her graduation from Rollins College, a private liberal arts institution in Winter Park, Florida. Bonker, who is affected by nonspeaking autism, delivered her address through a keyboard using a text-to-speech program, her sole form of communication.
Bonker’s message focused on the importance of perseverance in the...
Diversity Champions exemplify an unyielding commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout their campus communities, across academic programs, and at the highest administrative levels. INSIGHT Into Diversity selected institutions that rank in the top tier of Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipients.
The University of Houston Law Center (UHLC), located in one of the most multicultural cities in the U.S.,...
The American Bar Association (ABA) has become a leading voice in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the legal profession and in law schools. Since 2008, one of the association’s primary goals has been to eliminate bias and enhance diversity within its membership, the attorney workforce, and the legal system overall.
One of the most important aspects of meeting...
Multiple studies have proved that diversity is a critical component in driving innovation. Yet when it comes to applying for patents in the U.S., women and people of color are severely underrepresented due to barriers such as a lack of awareness and financial resources. A 2020 report from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) found that less than...
Nineteen-year-old Texas native Haley Taylor Schlitz recently made history as the youngest Black American to ever earn a law degree when she graduated from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law (SMU Law) in May 2022.
Her accomplishment is particularly extraordinary considering only 5 percent of all lawyers in the U.S. are Black, according to the American Bar Association....
Three law schools in Washington state have joined together to create a pipeline program with Heritage University (HU), a rural Minority-Serving Institution, to encourage more Latinx and Indigenous students to pursue legal careers. The Washington Law Schools-HU Collaborative includes Gonzaga University, Seattle University (Seattle U), and the University of Washington.
The program launched with a three-week course in June for...
In 2021, documentary filmmaker Evangeline M. Mitchell released “Becoming Black Lawyers,” a short film that highlights the law school experiences of five first-generation African American attorneys. The documentary features interviews with lawyers Veronica N. Dunlap, Paula T. Edgar, Natasha M. Nurse, Marcus Sandifer, and Alexi Thomas, who recount their path to the Juris Doctor degree and the hardships of...
Yale Law School (YLS) and Stanford Law School (SLS) each recently announced that they are eliminating tuition for low-income students, making them the first elite law schools in the country to offer such extensive need-based financial assistance.
YLS revealed in February that it would begin offering an annual scholarship to cover the full cost of tuition, fees, and some health...
Reproductive justice advocates say that colleges must brace for the detrimental effects of state abortion bans, especially for marginalized students and employees.
On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a ruling that had protected reproductive rights in the U.S. for nearly half a century. While many were expecting the court to reverse the 1973 case of Roe v. Wade,...
The mental health crisis among current and former members of the armed forces continues to be a pressing concern nationwide, with much research showing that suicide rates for these populations have risen significantly in recent decades. A 2021 report from Brown University estimates that four times as many service members and veterans who served since September 11, 2001 have...
Many higher education institutions offer support to active military and veteran students through designated offices and personnel, but these individuals may still need to go off campus to receive additional services through their local Veterans Affairs (VA) facility. A growing number of colleges, however, are taking advantage of a unique federal program that allows them to streamline VA resources...
A new program at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is being praised for supporting veteran students, advancing mental health research, and providing rescue animals with good homes.
Created in early 2022, the FAU Veteran Canine Rescue Mission matches trained shelter dogs with members of the campus community who previously served in the military.
The primary goal of the program is to provide...
In June, the University of San Diego (USD) announced that it is expanding its Yellow Ribbon Program to provide more financial support to military-affiliated students, essentially eliminating tuition for service members and their spouses.
Through the program, a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, USD contributes up to 50 percent of the cost of tuition and...
As much of the U.S. labor market continues to contend with major shortages, college financial aid offices are struggling to find and retain qualified employees. While many had vacancies prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this issue has become exacerbated in the last two years amid increased demand for financial assistance from students.
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators...
In recent years, especially in the wake of the 2020 racial justice movement, a growing number of higher education institutions have begun prioritizing diversity in admissions. While many of these colleges continue to focus primarily on first-year recruitment as a means of increasing multiculturalism on campus, some top-ranking schools have turned their attention to transfer students.
At some of the...
Chief diversity officer (CDO) positions have become increasingly common across higher education in recent years, especially after the social unrest of 2020 and the demand for campuses to promote cultures of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In addition to these institution-wide positions, some colleges and universities have also hired academic diversity officers (ADOs) to lead DEI efforts within individual...
Large gaps in graduation rates between White students and students of color have long persisted in U.S. higher education. As of 2021, White college students were 250 percent more likely to graduate than their Black peers and 60 percent more likely than their Latinx peers, according to the website The Hechinger Report. One institution that has achieved remarkable success...
Colleges and Universities Offer Psychological Services for Students of Color
This July marks the 14th annual observance of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) Mental Health Month, previously known as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. The observance comes at a critical time on college campuses, as concerns regarding psychological and emotional well-being are at an all-time high for young...
READ: LGBTQ Leadership in Higher Education
Through the perspectives of 15 LGBTQ presidents and chancellors in higher education, this anthology examines why diverse leadership matters, especially when it comes to addressing challenges related to academia and human rights. In 12 essays, current and former campus leaders offer insights on topics such as mentorship, feminism, self-care, and coming out. By sharing...
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has released its first major study in nearly 20 years on tenure policies at U.S. institutions of higher education. The findings reveal significant changes in faculty career pathways over the last two decades, aligning with previous research that showed the decline in tenure at U.S. colleges and universities.
The 2022 report shows that...
The University of California (UC) system recently launched the UC Center for Climate, Health, and Equity at its San Francisco campus to find equitable solutions to health issues caused by climate change. The center will work to educate future climate and health leaders, conduct research on the health effects of climate change, and advocate for policies that support impacted...
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in Maryland announced in May that it will commit $1.5 billion to a 20-year program designed to build a more diverse workforce in the field of academic science. The Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program aims to hire and support up to 150 early career faculty members who are working to promote diversity, equity, and...
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court voted in a 6-3 decision to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion.
The decision grants individual states power to set their own abortion laws. Twenty-six states already have abortion bans that will go into effect immediately now that Roe has been overturned.
"Roe was egregiously wrong from...
The Biden administration released a proposed overhaul of Title IX on Thursday, which marks the 50th anniversary of the law’s passage.
The changes would undo much of the rules former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos set in place and extend the law’s protections to include LGBTQ students.
Signed into law in 1972, Title IX mandates that all federally funded education programs and activities protect...
This week, The Ohio State University (OSU) has granted an officially registered trademark for the use of the word “THE” on branded school products such as apparel.
The trademark victory for the university comes three years after it initially applied for exclusive rights to “THE” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. However, fashion designer Marc Jacobs will also...
A new report by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) found that full-time higher education faculty wages have decreased by 5 percent when adjusted for inflation, marking the largest one-year decline on record.
The 63rd Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession analyzed data from more than 370,000 full-time and 90,000 part-time faculty members across 900 U.S....
This week, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) signed a two-year budget that includes a measure to redirect $10 million to five historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the state from a fund earmarked for undocumented college students, who cannot receive federal loans or grants.
“I understand and agree that we need to do something for HBCUs,” Del. Lamont Bagby...
This week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that a conservative-funded group can revive its lawsuit against The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) for its race-conscious admission policies.
The organization Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) alleges the university’s policy unconstitutionally discriminates against White applicants, despite the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly siding with UT Austin...
Dartmouth College will eliminate student loans from undergraduate financial aid packages and replace them with extended scholarship awards and grants to help students from middle-income families, the school announced on Monday.
The Ivy League university in New Hampshire currently has a policy that offers need-based financial aid to undergraduates from households with an annual income of $125,000 or less without...
University System of Maryland (USM) schools will no longer be required to consider students' standardized test scores in the admissions process.
The USM Board of Regents voted to change the admissions policy during a board meeting on Friday, making the test-score requirement optional for all 12 of its member institutions, The Daily Record reports.
“Persons of color tend to have biases...
On Thursday, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) governing council passed a resolution to censure the University of North Carolina (UNC) System and its board of governors over alleged academic freedom violations, issues surrounding shared governance, and a culture of institutional racism.
The condemnation follows a special committee report that detailed political interference within the system, such as the...
In a letter published Wednesday, over 200 education, civil rights, and survivor advocacy groups called on the U.S. Department of Education to release its proposed Title IX rule by the 50th anniversary of the law on June 23.
The letter, spearheaded by the National Women’s Law Center, asserts there is an “urgent need” to release the new rule as students...
On Wednesday, George Washington University (GWU) announced that it will stop using its Colonial moniker.
The move comes after GWU and a special committee on monikers agreed to retire the name that is associated with the school and its sports teams. GWU officials also faced years of criticism from students to remove the name, The Hill reports.
“e made this decision...
Yeshiva University (YU) will now be required to formally recognize an LGBTQ student group following a Tuesday ruling by a New York state judge.
Judge Lynn Kotler of the New York County Supreme Court determined that despite the private university's “proud and rich Jewish heritage,” it is not a religious organization. Therefore, the institution is subject to the New York...
This week, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and The Steve Fund, a nonprofit organization that promotes mental well-being among young people of color, announced a two-year partnership to advance mental health support services at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) throughout the country.
In December 2021, the organizations conducted a student mental health survey across 47 HBCUs, which found...
On Monday, Virginia Tech and Boeing announced they are partnering to create a workforce development center that will help military veterans transition into civilian life.
The Boeing Center for Veteran Transition and Military Families is slated to open in 2024 and will offer veterans the ability to obtain skills and certification in technology fields such as computer science and engineering....
Mitchell Hamline School of Law recently announced that Maureen Onyelobi, who is serving a life sentence in a Minnesota women’s prison, has been accepted into its juris doctor program for the fall semester. The news marks the first time in the U.S. that an incarcerated individual has been actively enrolled in a law school accredited by the American Bar...
The State University of New York (SUNY) will require all of its 64 campuses to update their policies regarding chosen names and pronouns, according to an announcement this week from Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The policy change, directed by the SUNY Board of Trustees, will permit students to use their chosen names and pronouns on campus portals, class rosters, student email...
During an event in Washington D.C. on Thursday, a group of 20 Hispanic-serving research universities announced the launch of a new alliance to increase opportunities for Hispanic and Latinx doctoral students and professors.
The Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities seeks to double the number of Hispanic and Latinx doctorate students and boost the number of Latinx faculty members by...
In a message to the campus community on Tuesday, Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian announced that the school will offer $1,500 in inflation relief funds to eligible faculty and staff.
"As you are aware, and as was mentioned during the recent university-wide town halls, we are seeing cost increases across society, including in food prices, at the gas pump,...
Ilya Shapiro, a senior lecturer at Georgetown University Law School, announced his resignation Monday following the school’s investigation into a controversial tweet he made about President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee.
On January 26, Shapiro tweeted that Biden’s best choice to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer was Sri Srinivasan, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District...
The University of Notre Dame officially changed the lyrics to its famous “Victory March” fight song to include women, according to a recent announcement by the school’s president, Rev. John Jenkins.
The university updated the lyrics from “While her loyal sons are marching onward to victory” to “While her loyal sons and daughters march on to victory.” The change is...
This week, Loyola University Chicago (LUC) received a $100 million donation, the largest individual gift in the school’s history, to fund scholarships and other support services for racially and ethnically underrepresented and first-generation students.
John Schreiber — an alumnus, university trustee, and former Blackstone executive — and his wife, Kathleen, made the historic gift.
“Kathy and I felt called to help...
A new report released Tuesday by The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, found that the federal Parent PLUS student loan program disproportionately worsens debt for Black borrowers.
Congress first established the Parent PLUS program in 1980 to offer higher-income families flexible repayment options for their children's college loans. Because the loans were created with higher-earning borrowers in mind, Congress...
A new report released this week by the nonprofit Campaign for College Opportunity found disparities in graduation and community college transfer rates between Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students in California.
The state is home to nearly 6.8 million Asian Americans and over 330,000 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs). This population includes more than 30 different...
Through funding from the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence (JHFE), the Jewish Studies program at the University of Kentucky’s (UK) College of Arts and Sciences recently announced a new initiative to improve Holocaust education in schools throughout the state.
The UK-JHFE Holocaust Education Initiative will connect K-12 teachers with UK faculty and provide them with professional development opportunities, teaching...
This week, the NFL announced a new partnership with the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) and the Professional Football Athletic Trainer Society to increase diversity in the sports medicine profession.
The NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative will offer students at historically Black medical schools the opportunity to participate in clinical rotations with official NFL medical staff and teams.
“There is...
Approximately 200 students, faculty, and staff at Seattle Pacific University staged a walkout Tuesday to protest the school’s reaffirmation of a hiring policy that discriminates based on sexual orientation.
“This is a student issue but this is a staff and faculty issue, they’ve been here holding love in their hearts for us while we were really upset yesterday, but I...
The University of California (UC) system announced Tuesday that it will join the STEM Equity Advancement (SEA) Change initiative that seeks to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) fields.
UC is the first university system in the country to join the initiative, which was established in 2017 by the American Association...
The U.S. Department of Education is encouraging colleges and universities across the country to use Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) to provide or expand existing mental health services for students, faculty, and staff.
The suggested focus comes from new guidance published by the Education Department, which highlights how institutions can invest in mental health support to combat the...
A recent report on equity trends in higher education has found that student debt is growing at a higher rate for low-income and underrepresented individuals.
The "Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States: 2022 Historical Trend Report" is the latest in an annual series published by the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education...
On Saturday, a racially motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store left 10 people dead and three seriously injured, most of whom were Black. The killings have shaken the nation and the Buffalo community in particular. In response to the tragedy, local and state higher education leaders recently released statements offering condolences, condemning racism and violence, and providing...
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced a revised budget proposal for the state that aims to close equity gaps in higher education and introduces new accountability systems.
The revised proposal requires the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges (CCC) systems to report annual updates to the governor on specific metrics such as graduation...
In recent years, anti-Semitic incidents have become increasingly common on college campuses across the country. In an effort to address this problem, Hillel International, the American Jewish Committee (AJC), and the American Council on Education recently invited administrators from more than 40 higher education institutions to attend the University Presidents Summit on Campus Antisemitism.
“Our institutions espouse higher values: learning,...
At the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts (USC SDA), faculty and students recently took an innovative approach to producing the highly acclaimed play “In the Red and Brown Water,” which draws on Afro-Caribbean folktales and Yoruba mythology.
To ensure that everyone involved understood the background, traditions, and symbolism presented in the production, the school recruited a cultural...
Participation in the arts can be an empowering means of expression for many people, but it is a world that has not always been welcoming to those who are marginalized, including individuals with disabilities.
Traditionally, this demographic has faced numerous barriers in the arts. Research has shown that people with disabilities are underrepresented as both subjects and creators across a...
Despite gradual improvements in recent years, the theater industry is still severely lacking in racial and ethnic representation, both professionally and at the collegiate level. Nearly 63 percent of dramatic arts degrees awarded in the U.S. are earned by White students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In New York City, the epicenter of the nation’s...
A virtual symposium series launched this year at the University of Arizona College of Fine Arts (UArizona CFA) seeks to highlight photography from Asia and the ways in which this art has shaped culture and history across the continent.
The series began in February with the three-day “Photography and Korea: History and Practice” symposium that featured panel discussions and keynote...
In an effort to improve racial equity in the field of classical music, the Michigan Orchestra Repertoire for Equity (MORE), an initiative by the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (U-M SMTD), is commissioning 10 orchestral works from Black composers over the next decade. Since its launch in 2020, the initiative has added two compositions to...
More transgender individuals are out on college campuses today than ever before, but many still experience harassment and discrimination, according to a 2019 report from the American Psychological Association.
Furthermore, violence against this population is at an all-time high, with last year being the deadliest on record for transgender and gender nonconforming people in the U.S., according to the Human...
Citing equity concerns, more colleges are opting to permanently eliminate the ACT and SAT, but the future of college admissions remains far from clear.
Of the many changes to the higher education landscape since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps one of the most surprising — and most controversial — is the drastic decline in popularity of standardized college entrance...
Over the past decade, Georgia State University (GSU) has achieved the remarkable feat of increasing its graduation rate by more than 60 percent. It has also closed equity gaps, as Black, Latinx, and Pell Grant-eligible students are now graduating at the same or higher rates than the overall student body, according to Timothy Renick, PhD, executive director of GSU’s...
While the number of openly LGBTQ faculty, staff, and administrators on college and university campuses has risen in recent years, this demographic remains vastly underrepresented at the highest levels of academic leadership. Today, fewer than 40 college presidents in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ, according to the national organization LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education.
Those who have assumed these roles...
As LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff come together to celebrate Pride, a cloud looms overhead. Across the country, conservative lawmakers are leveling legislative attacks against the LGBTQ community to roll back the rights that this population has worked tirelessly to obtain.
In 2022 alone, more than 300 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across nearly 30 states, according to the Human...
The shortage of affordable housing for students, faculty, and staff has been a longstanding issue for colleges and universities in densely populated areas such as southern California and New York City, but a surge in housing costs caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a nationwide problem for higher education institutions.
Increased rental and home purchase...
One hundred and twenty-five. That is the number of times that a Black man punched an elderly Asian American woman, without any provocation, as she entered her apartment in New York City in March.
This brutal and senseless beating was wrong, and the perpetrator must be appropriately punished. As anti-Asian hate crimes continue unabated, these incidents have rekindled the national...
Over the past two years, many major LGBTQ Pride celebrations have been canceled, postponed, or moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those at colleges and universities. Now, with most campuses fully reopened, many have opted to bring back in-person Pride events.
While Pride Month officially takes place in June, higher education institutions of all types and sizes across...
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) recently awarded $3.2 million to seven Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) as part of the Science and Technology Research Partnership pilot program. The program’s goal is twofold: to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within STEM fields and to advance the development of clean energy.
The DOE funding will support eight two-year...
Researchers at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) recently launched a database and interactive map that displays information about publicly self-identifying LGBTQ politicians and elected officials from around the globe. It is the latest project from the Queer Politics at Princeton (QP@P) program, a research-focused LGBTQ think tank that was formed in 2020 with the goal...
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation recently announced that it is awarding more than $1.2 million in grants to nine universities and nonprofit organizations working to expose and mitigate the impact of disinformation on communities of color.
The foundation, which specializes in supporting journalism, communities, and the arts, previously issued a call for proposals that “advance independent scholarship,...
Famed fashion designer Ralph Lauren recently collaborated with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to unveil his brand’s latest wardrobe collection that pays homage to Black collegiate fashion from the 1920s to the 1950s.
The limited-edition Polo by Ralph Lauren collection launched globally this spring and draws upon fashions from Morehouse and Spelman Colleges. As part of the marketing campaign,...
Two recent reports from the financial research service Moody’s show that the higher education sector is expected to face unique challenges in the fall due to rising inflation.
The reports, titled “Macroeconomic Factors Will Influence Fall Enrollment Levels” and “Revenue Growth and Converging Forces Will Squeeze Budgets for Many Colleges and Universities,” predict that many colleges and universities will...
Delaware State University (DSU), a historically Black institution, is seeking legal recourse after police allegedly racially profiled its women’s lacrosse team during a traffic stop in Liberty County, Georgia.
Sheriff’s deputies stopped the bus over an alleged traffic infraction by the driver while the team was returning home after their final game of the season on April 20.
The White deputies’...
Lee University, a private Christian institution in Tennessee, is facing student backlash after a leaked document recently surfaced highlighting controversial anti-LGBTQ guidelines.
The document, "Statement of Beliefs Concerning Human Sexuality and Gender," lists several religious institutional values including one that says every member of the Lee community "should live consistent with their God-given biological sex."
Students and alumni have criticized the...
Stanford University launched a hate crime investigation this week after a noose was reportedly found hanging in a tree near a student residence hall on campus.
The noose, which the university police seized as evidence, was found Sunday night outside of Branner Hall, an undergraduate dormitory. The incident marks the second time a noose was reported on campus since...
Lincoln College, a federally designated predominantly Black institution in Illinois, is set to permanently close its doors on Friday, May 13, 2022, the school recently announced.
The rural college, founded in 1865 and named after President Abraham Lincoln, succumbed to a December 2021 ransomware attack and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite experiencing its highest student enrollment during the fall...
A coalition of medical schools at four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), along with several prominent health organizations, recently launched an initiative to increase the number of African American organ donors and reduce transplant disparities in Black communities.
The coalition will address these issues through a series of community outreach and education sessions and career development opportunities for...
The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) recently voted to downgrade the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media to “provisional accreditation” status, according to an email written by Interim Dean Heidi Hennink-Kaminski to school faculty.
The change is due to the ACEJMC’s concerns regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion...
Dartmouth College recently returned a collection of historic documents — including letters, diaries, and sermons — written by Native American orator, writer, and minister Samson Occom to the Mohegan Tribe.
The documents were returned at a repatriation ceremony last week. During the ceremony, Mohegan Tribe members urged school officials to teach more about Occom’s legacy.
“I wanted the next generation to...
Individuals from underrepresented or ethnic minority groups make up a much smaller portion of medical students in states where affirmative action has been banned, according to a new University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine this week.
“Our research shows that bans on affirmative action, like the one California passed in 1996, have...
The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that it will expand the Obama-era Second Chance Pell Grant Experiment to provide more access to higher education for formerly and currently incarcerated individuals. Pell Grant access will be reinstated for incarcerated students in July 2023 and will include up to 200 educational programs, according to a news release.
As part of the...
The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHS) Board of Trustees recently amended a policy that will shift the dynamic of faculty tenure across the state. Per the amendment, which was passed without discussion from the board, the presidents of Mississippi's eight public universities will now have control over which faculty members receive tenure.
New language in the policy states that...
Queens University of Charlotte, a private institution in North Carolina, has launched an investigation after drawings of swastikas were found in the residence halls on campus, the school announced on Monday.
One swastika was discovered on a whiteboard in a common space inside the residence hall, according to a university statement. Two more were chalked on the doors of students'...
Baylor University, a private Christian institution in Texas, recently chartered the school’s first LGBTQ student organization, Prism. The decision marks a major milestone for LGBTQ students who have long advocated for the creation of an official campus organization to bolster their voices.
The choice to charter the group aligns with Baylor’s goal of creating a “caring Christian community” for all...
This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill that takes aim at higher education accreditation organizations and faculty tenure in the state.
The new law will be implemented on July 1 and requires colleges and universities to change accreditors following each accreditation cycle. An accreditation cycle varies depending on the institution and agencies but can take up to...
On Wednesday, Lenore Pearlstein, co-publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, was featured as a panelist on Clemson University's second annual Women’s Roundtable.
The Women's Roundtable is a networking opportunity designed to promote, explore, and invest in girls' and women's experiences, particularly in STEM fields. The event took place the day before Clemson's Men of Color National Summit, which aims to...
Middlebury College, a private liberal arts institution in Vermont, is investigating a recent act of vandalism that occurred outside the school's Muslim Student Association's (MSA) prayer space.
On April 9, one or more individuals poured a liquid that is believed to be urine outside the MSA's prayer room, according to the college's student newspaper The Middlebury Campus. The anti-Muslim attack...
The Associated Students of Madison (ASM), the official student government at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), recently passed legislation that aims to secure in-state tuition rates for undocumented students at the school.
Currently, undocumented students are subject to out-of-state tuition fees and additional international student charges that significantly increase the cost of attending UW-Madison. Undocumented students pay out-of-state tuition, which...
READ: It’s Not Free Speech: Race, Democracy, and the Future of Academic Freedom
For many universities, upholding ideals of academic freedom while also promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives can at times seem like trying to meet conflicting objectives. Authors Michael Bérubé and Jennifer Ruth argue that the recent racial justice movement and the influence of social media necessitate a...
In 2009, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reported that women outnumbered men in the veterinary field for the first time. Since then, women’s representation has continued to rise; they now account for 63 percent of veterinarians, according to the latest AVMA data. Yet research shows that women still lag behind men when it comes to pay rates.
A March...
In 2017, the National Council on Disability (NCD) reported that 75 percent of dental students had little or no preparation in administering care to patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).
“Society’s ability to provide proper dental care to people with IDD rests on whether dentists are properly trained to provide such services at the outset, and said training has...
