The Gloves Are Off
Flagships Across the Country Prosper While Regional Colleges Wither
The gap is widening. Who wants to attend a hollowed-out college?
The Latest
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College as Meaning Maker
Teaching in an Age of ‘Militant Apathy’
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Finance and Revenue
Robust Stock Market Fueled More Giving to Colleges Through Mid-2022
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Striking an admission hurdle
Why One Admissions Official Sees Promise in a New Way of Admitting Students
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For Some, a 2nd School Shooting
‘We Have a National Crisis’: How Michigan State Responded to a Mass Shooting
More Stories
Featured Newsletters
The Edge
Transportation Spending Could Rev Up Opportunities for Higher Ed
Will infrastructure dollars help close the “wealth gap” and bring mass transit to more campuses? Also: A new study on students and MOOCs.
Teaching
What Readers Have Noticed About Student Engagement
We share an idea for encouraging participation, and some thoughts on the skills students haven’t had time to hone.
The Review
Art vs. Blasphemy (and DEI)
Is there room for irreligious art on today’s sensitive campus?
Virtual Events
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Working With the Families of First-Gen Students
UPCOMING: February 21, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET. Join us for this event, in which college administrators will share lessons learned from working with first-gen students and their families. With Support From Ascendium. Register here. -
Designing STEM Courses for Today’s Students
UPCOMING: February 22, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET. As demand for STEM hiring rises, what programs should colleges offer? Can they make up for math and science education derailed by Covid? Join us for discussion. With Support From Cambridge. Register here. -
From ‘Digital Native’ to Digital Competency
UPCOMING: February 23, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET. The pervasive “digital native” myth is keeping colleges from making critical investments in digital skills. Join us for a virtual forum to chart a new path forward. With Support From Adobe. Register here. -
Belonging, Trust, and the Student Journey
ON DEMAND: Learn how colleges can create opportunities for students to build trusting relationships with faculty, administrators, and their peers. With Support From Mongoose. Watch on demand.
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Professional-Development Resources
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Professional-Development Resources
Visit The Chronicle’s professional-development resources page to read stories from Chronicle journalists and contributors, and to explore videos and research briefs on a variety of topics. -
The Chair’s Role in the Continuing Pandemic
George Justice discusses how department chairs are continuing to deal with Covid on campus, and how they’re dealing with the added pressures of leading through the pandemic. Video provided by Dever Justice LLC. -
Managing Up
Carolyn Dever tackles how managing up is a challenge for all department chairs, and how to navigate these difficulties, providing pro tips on how to approach your dean or provost. Video provided by Dever Justice LLC. -
Seven Practices for Building Community and Student Belonging Virtually
Most colleges and universities have traditionally provided in-person programming and supports to strengthen bonds between students and build a sense of community. This research brief was originally published by Ithaka S+R.
The Review
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Ron DeSantis and the Specter of Lynne Cheney
Conservatives have long refused to accept that America’s past is complicated. -
An Elite College, a Subversive Artist, and the Long History of Blasphemy
Is Taravat Talepasand’s art too radical for today’s campus? -
Literary Criticism and Its Caricatures
A new book defends the political power of the critic. It falls short. -
Letters to the Editor
Read the latest letters to the editor about our articles and about topics we have covered.
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Data
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Major Private Gifts to Higher Education
Gifts of $50 million or more, dating to 1967, are compiled in this list. -
Top Producers of Fulbright U.S. Scholars and Students, 2022-23
Eighteen institutions were new to the list this year. -
Tuition Revenue Has Fallen at 61% of Colleges During the Pandemic
Search our database to see how this critical source of money changed at individual institutions between 2019 and 2021.
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Advice
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How to Be Constructive in Disturbing a Program’s Peace
You’ve been hired to evaluate an academic department. What to say, and not say, especially if the place is a mess. -
Admin 101: Should You Take This Unexpected Job Offer?
What to consider before you accept (or reject) a surprise appointment to become an administrator. -
How to Close the Staffing Gap
What can less-selective, budget-strapped institutions do to hire and retain good staff people? Here’s a two-step strategy. -
On the Teaching Tenure Track
What to know about becoming a “teaching professor,” an increasingly common faculty position at large universities. -
Don’t Write Like a Robot
Beyond ChatGPT’s implications for the classroom, what can the technology teach academics about their own writing? -
‘Why Do I Set Writing Deadlines That I Can’t Keep?’
Advice from an academic-productivity expert on how to realistically assess how long a manuscript will take you to finish.
The Enrollment Crunch: A Special Report
Disappearing Students
The Shrinking of Higher Ed
In the past, colleges grew their way out of enrollment crises. This time looks different.
Nearly 1.3 million students have disappeared from American colleges since the pandemic began. That contraction comes at a precarious moment for the sector. Inflation is driving up costs and straining budgets, stock-market volatility is reducing endowment returns, and federal stimulus funds are running out.
Why is the enrollment crunch happening now? How are colleges responding? What might turn things around? Those are the questions fueling this special report.
Nearly 1.3 million students have disappeared from American colleges since the pandemic began. That contraction comes at a precarious moment for the sector. Inflation is driving up costs and straining budgets, stock-market volatility is reducing endowment returns, and federal stimulus funds are running out.
Why is the enrollment crunch happening now? How are colleges responding? What might turn things around? Those are the questions fueling this special report.
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Stopping the Slide
A community college, a public regional, and a small private institution try to innovate their way out of yearslong enrollment declines. -
Finishing What They Started
As the number of traditional-age students shrinks, educators strive to re-enroll the 39 million Americans who left without a credential. -
The Perilous Predicament of the Very Small College
Many campuses with fewer than 1,000 students survived the pandemic on fumes. What’s next? -
Whither Black Enrollment?
After more than a century of Black activists’ fight for college access, Black enrollment this past decade has tumbled at an alarming rate.
