What do Hampshire College, the Oregon College of Art and Craft, and the College of New Rochelle have in common? Listen to our February higher ed news round-up to find out.
In this episode, I sit down with Rachelle Peterson, Jude Russo, and Joseph Holmes from the NAS staff to talk about the prospects of the Higher Education Act being reauthorized this year, as well as the state of free speech on campus. We talk through a Chronicle of Higher Education article suggesting that conservative agitators are trying to “micromanage” colleges and universities (I’m quoted as one of the supposed agitators), and a new feature from the Wall Street Journal, “Future View,” which this week asked four college students “Is the Free Speech Crisis Overblown?”
Colleges are in the midst of some identity crises. Middlebury College, which six years ago declined to divest its endowment from fossil fuel companies, has just changed its mind. Mizzou, of “need-some-muscle-over-here” fame, has a new case of disordered priorities as it came to light that a tutor has been completing homework for athletes. Mount Holyoke College—and women’s colleges in general—are struggling to define exactly who is eligible for admission, and many are concluding that women’s colleges are for everyone except cisgendered males.
We also note that Yale is cutting $53 million a year in administrative costs, and close on the bizarre case of a fake school set up by the Department of Homeland Security.
I hope you enjoy this episode—and if you spot news stories that you think NAS members should hear about in our next news podcast, send them to us at contact@nas.org.
