Nov. 9, 2018

A meditation bell signals the start and end of "The Art and Science of Human Flourishing," a course at the U. of Virginia that encourages students to think about their values and how to find meaning in their lives.

Curriculum

Colleges Teach Students How to Think. Should They Also Teach Them How to Thrive?

By Beckie Supiano

A surge in anxiety and depression has played a part in persuading colleges to take a more active role in helping students to shape their lives.

News

How the Myth of ‘13th Grade’ Derails Students

By Goldie Blumenstyk

They don’t prepare for the transition, colleges don’t help enough, and neither can rely on luck, says the author and advocate Wes Moore.

Chronicle List

Which Colleges Did Best at Winning Humanities Grants?

By Chronicle Staff

Documentation of the slave trade and analyses of endangered languages are among the projects supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Admissions

As Harvard Trial Winds Down, Admissions Director Takes the Stand — Again

By Eric Hoover

The plaintiff in a lawsuit accusing the university of bias against Asian-American applicants wanted to question the official about recently disclosed guidelines for considering race in admissions.

An invitation to Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump adviser and founder of Breitbart News, to speak at a technology conference has caused an uproar.

Academic Freedom

Why Did a Small Conference in an Obscure Field Invite Steve Bannon to Give the Keynote?

By Emma Pettit

Behind the curtain is an academic who has made waves for his digital emulation of Bannon’s former boss.

Wallace Loh announces his departure as president of the U. of Maryland at a news conference on Tuesday. Behind him is James Brady, chairman of the university system’s Board of Regents, which had just recommended that the head football coach keep his job.

Leadership and Governance

As Another Head Rolls at U. of Maryland, an Athletics Scandal Turns Morality Play

By Jack Stripling

The regents’ decision to back DJ Durkin, the embattled football coach, while parting ways with the president led to charges of skewed priorities and mismanagement. But it was announced on Wednesday evening that Durkin, too, would leave.

The Review

How One College Leader Knows When It’s OK to Speak Out — or Keep Mum

By Raynard S. Kington

Separating personal opinions from institutional positions is a challenge for top administrators. The “Bowen Rule” can help sort it out.

Wallace D. Loh, president of the U. of Maryland at College Park, announced on Tuesday that he would resign at the end of the academic year.

Leadership

5 Other College Presidents Who Left Amid a Cloud of Athletics Scandal

By Andy Thomason

Wallace D. Loh’s resignation as president of the University of Maryland at College Park is just the latest in a sordid history of college leaders who fell victim to the activities of one very public corner of the campus.

Vickie Cook directs the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service at the U. of Illinois at Springfield.

News

Self-Directed Learning and Augmented Reality: How to Teach Gen Z

By Jeffrey J. Selingo

A learning innovator shares a few approaches for engaging today’s students.

Students have racially disparate access to sources of advice crucial to their success, a report says.

Mentors

Professors Are the Likeliest Mentors for Students, Except Those Who Aren’t White

By Audrey Williams June

Students have racially disparate access to sources of advice crucial to their success, a new report says.

Commentary

Faith Is the Diversity Issue Ignored by Colleges. Here’s Why That Needs to Change.

By Eboo Patel

Failing to educate the next generation of citizens on the role of religion in our democracy is like failing to teach doctors how the circulatory system works.

For the second consecutive time, the system’s president will depart after having served for less than five years.

Leadership and Governance

Margaret Spellings Is Stepping Down at UNC. Will Anyone Want to Replace Her?

By Sarah Brown and Eric Kelderman

She is the system’s second consecutive president to leave the job after serving for less than five years.

Campus Speech

U. of Virginia Bans Richard Spencer and Other Leaders of Violent ‘Unite the Right’ Rally

By Chris Quintana

The move against the white-supremacist speaker and nine others follows a yearlong investigation by the university’s police department.

After the death of Jamal Khashoggi, the <em>Washington Post</em> columnist and Saudi exile, Babson College is "monitoring events closely" given its connection with the government of the suspected killers.

Troubled Partnerships

After the Killing of a Journalist, Colleges Confront Their Saudi Ties

By Steven Johnson

It’s not unusual for American colleges to receive millions in gifts from Saudi Arabia. But some, like an elite entrepreneurship college in Massachusetts, have spun deeper partnerships that are harder to unwind.

At the U. of Virginia, students from families with an annual income of less than $80,000 will be able to attend tuition-free, said the new president, James E. Ryan.

Financial Aid

Public Flagships Are Offering More Middle-Income Scholarships. What Gives?

By Chris Quintana

The cost of a higher education is weighing ever more heavily on the minds of Americans. Selective flagship universities appear to be getting the message.

Fraternity houses at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

Greek Life

Does Joining a Fraternity or Sorority Improve Grades and Earnings After Graduation? No, a Study Finds

By Andy Tsubasa Field

Promises of better GPAs and career success are big talking points for Greek-life recruiters, but two researchers find the correlation to be the opposite for at least one of those claims.

Advice

Admin 101: Sometimes Good Leaders Should Play Favorites

By David D. Perlmutter

Be as transparent as possible about the reason someone or something deserves to be favored.