Christa Dutton

Christa Dutton is a reporting fellow at The Chronicle. She studied English and journalism at Wake Forest University and spent most of her time in college reporting and editing at the student newspaper, the Old Gold & Black. Her work has also appeared in the Triad Business Journal and on WFDD, an NPR affiliate in North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad region.

You can follow Christa on Twitter @christa_dutton or send her an email at christa.dutton@chronicle.com.

Stories by This Author

Debating Activism

Why the American Historical Association Rejected a Resolution on Gaza

By Christa Dutton January 17, 2025

The decision comes after the Modern Language Association refused in November to let its members take a similar vote.

Quarterback Jayden Maiava #14 of the USC Trojans looks to pass against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half of the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium on December 27, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

False Starts

The Movement to Make Athletes Employees Had Momentum. Then Trump Got Elected.

By Christa Dutton January 10, 2025

Two high-profile legal efforts to give college players employee status have been called off, as Republicans poise to take control of the National Labor Relations Board.

Illustration showing a speech bubble with a "do not" symbol red stripe across it.

Academic Freedom

Many College Professors Say Their Academic Freedom Is In Decline, Study Finds

By Christa Dutton January 8, 2025

More than a third of faculty members feel like they have less of it than they did several years ago, according to two associations.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham speaks in Truth or Consequences on Tuesday, July 26, 2022.

Leadership

An Embattled President Got a Multimillion-Dollar Exit Package. Now the Governor Is Stepping In.

By Christa Dutton January 3, 2025

Faculty at Western New Mexico University and the state’s governor have called for the regents to step down following outrage over a severance agreement for the president.

Newly Updated

Tracking Higher Ed’s Dismantling of DEI

By Erin Gretzinger, Maggie Hicks, Christa Dutton, and others December 20, 2024

We’ve documented actions taken on dozens of campuses to alter or eliminate jobs, offices, hiring practices, and programs amid mounting political pressure to end identity-conscious recruitment and retention of minority staff and students.

An AI-generated graphic representing material in Zrinka Stahuljak’s course, and the digital textbook’s cover. The image was created by UCLA officials promoting Stahuljak's choice to use an AI-generated textbook for a forthcoming literature course.

AI in the Classroom

The Course Is About Literature. Its Textbook Was Generated by AI.

By Christa Dutton December 12, 2024

News of the UCLA course has spurred worry and criticism, but its professor is unfazed. “I feel more empowered by this process,” she says.

Vector illustration depicting two hands with visible suit sleeves hitting a white ball bearing the transgender symbol over a volleyball net.

'A Flash Point'

The Controversy Roiling College Volleyball Just Keeps Growing

By Christa Dutton November 20, 2024

Turmoil over a player’s eligibility at San Jose State University has escalated with a new lawsuit that seeks to disqualify her from postseason play.

Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks during the final night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

Education Policy

A Former Trump Cabinet Official and Pro-Wrestling Magnate Is Tapped as Education Secretary

By Sarah Brown, Christa Dutton, Amanda Friedman, and others November 19, 2024

Linda McMahon, co-chair of Trump’s transition team, led the Small Business Administration under his first term as president. She was selected over a slate of potential candidates known for their conservative activism.

A printout of a resolution calling for boycott and divestment from Israel is photographed crumpled up on the floor. Photo by Michael Theis, The Chronicle

'Acting Like a Scaredy-Cat'

‘A Lot of Anguish’: Why the MLA Put an Anti-Israel Resolution on Ice

By Christa Dutton November 8, 2024

The Modern Language Association stopped a boycott, divest, and sanctions vote, fearing legal repercussions could mean financial loss. Critics say the group’s leaders caved to political censorship.

Leadership

When Trump Was First Elected, College Leaders Wrote Statements About It. And Now?

By Megan Zahneis, Christa Dutton, Garrett Shanley November 6, 2024

Dozens of campus leaders wrote directly to their communities in 2016. Only a handful have done so in the aftermath of President-Elect Trump’s Tuesday victory.