David Jesse
Senior Writer
David Jesse is a senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education, where he covers college leadership.
Prior to coming to The Chronicle, he was the higher education reporter for 12 years at the Detroit Free Press. He was a 2020-21 Spencer Education Journalism Fellowship at Columbia University recipient and the winner of the 2018 Ronald Moskowitz Prize for best education beat reporting from the Education Writers Association.
He’s reported extensively on issues around small liberal arts colleges; sexual assault on campus; and dysfunctional boards and presidents.
He lives just outside Ann Arbor, Mich.
Contact David at David.Jesse@chronicle.com or follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj
Stories by this Author
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Free-Speech DilemmaWhy Encampments Scare College Presidents
In ordering demonstrators to disperse, leaders are motivated by concerns about safety, legal risk, and perception. But sending in the police can backfire. -
Another Closure
‘We Just Couldn’t Continue’: A President Explains Why His College Had to Close
Goddard College’s leader told The Chronicle that demographic forces were too much for the institution, which had tried many things to limit expenses and expand revenue. -
Lifeline or Millstone?
A Little-Known Loan Program Meant to Help Rural Colleges May Actually Be Hurting Them
For some colleges, the feds are the lender of last resort. Their help may just dig campuses deeper into debt, a Chronicle investigation has found. -
Valuable Property
For This Small College, a Merger Was a Lifeline. Now It’s the Focus of Suspicion.
A decade after being acquired by another Concordia University campus, the branch in Ann Arbor is facing closure, and some are wondering whether the union was worth it. -
The Latest Chapter
After an Embarrassing Report, Squabbles on Michigan State’s Board Head Toward a Political Conclusion
Late Sunday, the governing board voted to refer two trustees for expulsion by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and censured another. -
'Repressive Legalism'
Your College’s Top Lawyer Has Never Been More Powerful
The general counsel’s office wields tremendous influence. Is that a good thing? -
An Era of Caution
Why Political Attacks on Elite-College Leaders Should Come as No Surprise
Using campuses as political foils is a tradition that goes back a couple of centuries. “Part of the tradition,” one expert said, “is to be surprised by it.” -
Leadership
Alleged Research Misconduct Can End College Presidencies. Are Search Committees Looking for It?
In the past year, two high-profile leaders lost their jobs over claims about their published work, raising questions about whether more can be done to catch red flags before they become a scandal. -
Leadership & Governance
Chapel Hill Gets an Interim Chancellor With Political Connections and No Academic Experience
The appointment of Lee Roberts, a former state budget chief, reinforced fears that the permanent chancellor would be chosen without the campus’s input. -
'A Meltdown'
As Michigan State Names a New President, Some in Chapel Hill Are Bracing for What’s Next
Kevin M. Guskiewicz was named Michigan State University’s new president, creating a leadership vacuum in the politically charged University of North Carolina system.
