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David Jesse

David Jesse

Senior Writer

What I cover

I cover leadership issues for The Chronicle. That means I focus on boards, presidents and the folks who run institutions. I’m interested in stories about how they make decisions and the impact of those choices. This gives me wide latitude to write about all sorts of topics, but all through the lens of leadership. For example, if I’m writing about a college’s financial difficulties, I want to know about the key moments when leaders went one way or the other when faced with a choice and how that led to the current situation. I’m not all about doom and gloom though, I’m just as interested in leaders who are helping their institutions thrive.

My background

I came up in my career as a newspaper reporter. I started as a small-town sports reporter in rural Illinois and then did a tour of Michigan newspapers covering a variety of beats, before I landed in Ann Arbor, MI about 20 years ago. I started there a K-12 reporter, but switched over to covering higher education. For 13 years, I worked at the Detroit Free Press, covering higher education across the state, including Michigan State University during the Larry Nassar scandal and the University of Michigan. I’ve twice been named an Education Writers Association Fellow and in 2018 won the EWA’s Ronald Moskowitz prize as the best education beat reporter in the country. I also was Spencer Fellow in Education Reporting at Columbia University in 2020-21, where I studied small liberal arts colleges. I currently live in Michigan.

Connect

Contact David at David.Jesse@chronicle.com or follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj. He can also be reached on BlueSky at @reporterdavidj.bsky.social or on LinkedIn.

Recent Stories

'Unrelentingly Sad'
By Jack Stripling, David Jesse June 12, 2025
The former University of Michigan leader’s failed move to Florida has taken on unmistakable political significance for higher education.
A Presidency Denied
By David Jesse June 3, 2025
The former University of Michigan president’s bid to take over the top job in Gainesville ended in dramatic fashion at a contentious meeting of the State University System of Florida’s Board of Governors.
'He Is a Chameleon'
By David Jesse May 15, 2025
Santa J. Ono, now the sole finalist for the University of Florida presidency, could be hard to find in Ann Arbor, several sources said. The university called the idea that its former president was disengaged “false and absurd.”
Cautionary Tale
By David Jesse May 7, 2025
How a former congressman’s donation helped torpedo a presidency — and sparked a legal battle that continues today.
'We Will Have No Choice'
By Alissa Gary, David Jesse April 17, 2025
South Carolina’s Limestone University has for years struggled with enrollment losses and accrued debt, including from the federal government.
Q&A
By David Jesse March 21, 2025
The outgoing president of Boise State on her move to the University of Vermont and how presidents can manage political pressure.
Financial Uncertainty
By David Jesse March 20, 2025
With unprecedented federal reductions now on the table, administrators are trying to plan for an uncertain future, drawing parallels to Covid and the Great Recession.
'An Assault' On Higher Ed
By David Jesse February 13, 2025
Leaders at the American Council on Education conference heard calls to stand up for their colleges and contemplated what may come next.
Leadership & Governance
By David Jesse February 5, 2025
The opening weeks of President Trump’s new administration has leaders asking how to weather the consequences of early executive orders — and how to plan for future actions.
A Sweeping Move
By Jasper Smith, David Jesse January 28, 2025
Late Tuesday, a court injunction blocked the Trump administration’s move until next week. The freeze led to a day of chaos for colleges, which receive billions of federal dollars annually.