www.theassemblync.com/education/hi... Great piece from @eringretzinger.bsky.social: While FL Gov. Ron DeSantis was at the dais announcing the plan for a new accrediting agency this summer, the UNC system was really behind the effort from the beginning

While FL broke the news about a new six-state accreditor, 800+ pages of public records & other docs show the UNC System was at the center of the project for more than a year. My last scoop with @theassemblync.bsky.social (co-published with @chronicle.com) www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts has his sights set on the big picture—despite federal-level uncertainties and campus clashes over his business-driven vision. My profile of Roberts' first full year at UNC-CH for @theassemblync.bsky.social www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

The best cross-over episode of my life! (I promise there is a higher-ed angle) @theassemblync.bsky.social www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

UNC-Chapel Hill's Vice Chancellor for Research on JAG's alternative indirect cost model to counter Trump's proposed cuts to reimbursement rates: "We saw an opportunity to step up and create a new approach.” Read my Q&A with Penny Gordon-Larsen @TheAssemblyNC www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

UNC-Chapel Hill's “Prometheus” project explored purchasing Kettering University, an engineering school in Flint, to speed up development of a new college of applied sciences. From @themhartman.bsky.social for @theassemblync.bsky.social www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

BREAKING: @theassemblync.bsky.social obtained an email in which UNC-Chapel Hill's ex-provost said Chancellor Lee Roberts agreed to the Board of Trustees’ controversial move to delay tenure votes for financial reasons. From me & @themhartman.bsky.social www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

When St. Andrews suddenly closed in May, it left behind a lot of questions. When would employees get their paychecks? What would become of the university’s land? And what does the closure mean for Laurinburg, a rural town of 15,000? me & @brappaport.bsky.social tracked down the answers.

I'm quoted in this great piece diving into the closure of St. Andrews University in North Carolina and what it means for the local community. The Assembly is one of the best local sources for higher ed coverage in the country. www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

UNC-Chapel Hill leaders revealed a plan on Wednesday to cut approximately $70 million in costs—or 2 percent of its operating budget. From me and @themhartman.bsky.social for @theassemblync.bsky.social www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

NEW: The UNC System's Board of Governors has directed campuses to form new committees to scrutinize compliance w/ system DEI policies. Each committee’s work will continue until the BOG "deems its specific oversight no longer needed." www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

Revealing reporting from @indyweek.bsky.social's @ccourtneybohl.bsky.social about a call hosted by St. Augustine's University officials. SAU's debts exceed $47 million (not including a $20 million default judgement SAU is contesting). Enrollment is about 53 students. indyweek.com/news/wake/sa...

I'm excited to share that @theassemblync.bsky.social has won a North Carolina Press Association award for our higher education coverage! The Duke University/Green-Rossiter Award recognizes outstanding reporting on higher education issues in the state. Revisit the award-winning stories ⬇️

BREAKING: SAU lost its arbitration process, affirming SACSCOC's decision to pull their accreditation status. More @indyweek.bsky.social ⬇️ indyweek.com/news/saint-a...

Wisconsin just made 4/4 teaching loads the law for all full-time faculty members at the state's public universities (except the university system's two research universities, where everyone must teach a 2/2 load)

It was great to talk with @schachtman.bsky.social on @whqr.bsky.social last week about @theassemblync.bsky.social's recent reporting on the rapidly changing DEI landscape at public and private colleges in North Carolina. Tune in and check out the full story below! www.whqr.org/local/2025-0...

The Trump administration is looking to make sweeping cuts at the nation’s weather agencies, including the closure of all federally funded meteorology labs. www.theassemblync.com/environment/...

Join @theassemblync.bsky.social on July 16 in Raleigh for a conversation with UNC System President Peter Hans! Nearly half of all tickets have already been claimed. Premium subscribers can reserve their spot and grab a free ticket now; ticket sales will open for basic subscribers tomorrow!

For the past few months, @theassemblync.bsky.social has worked with five student newspapers—The Daily Tar Heel, @dukechronicle.bsky.social, Old Gold & Black, Niner Times, & The Seahawk—to explore how public & private colleges in NC have responded to the rapidly changing landscape surrounding DEI. 🧵

BREAKING: The UNC System is launching a new accreditor with Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas called the Commission for Public Higher Education The goal is to create a “streamlined, non-ideological” accreditor, Hans told me in an exclusive for @theassemblync.bsky.social

The University of Austin, the new “anti-woke” private school in Texas, tried to recruit the dean of UNC-CH's School of Civic Life and Leadership. Scoop from @themhartman.bsky.social @theassemblync.bsky.social www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

UNC-CH initiated an administrative restructuring plan that has prompted concerns among staff about possible layoffs amid growing financial pressure on colleges around the country. @theassemblync.bsky.social www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

UPDATE: UNC-CH's BOT approved 33 tenure cases on Wednesday, less than two weeks after a delay in personnel actions sparked faculty concerns. The university has not said why the actions were delayed in the first place. @theassemblync.bsky.social www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

BREAKING: An employee at UNC Charlotte no longer works at the university after a conservative news site posted a video yesterday (taken with a hidden camera) of the employee saying the school has "covert" positions doing DEI work.

BREAKING: Duke University aims to reduce costs by $350 million (~10 percent of its expenses) due to threatened funding cuts under President Trump. Hundreds of employees will be impacted by a voluntary separation program, after which Duke will consider layoffs. www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

As concerns about the cost of tuition & value of a college degree mount, @nccommcolleges.bsky.social arguably have more momentum than ever. NCCCS aims to capitalize on those trends with Propel NC, a proposed new funding model aimed at filling high-demand jobs. www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

BREAKING: St. Andrews University will close May 5. @brappaport.bsky.social and I have the story for @theassemblync.bsky.social and Border Belt Independent, including details about what President Tarun Malik told faculty in a meeting this morning. www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

BREAKING: St. Andrews University announced it will close in two weeks. The private liberal arts college in Laurinburg, which has been in rural southeastern North Carolina since 1958, has long faced an uphill battle to survive. borderbelt.org/st-andrews-u...

@eringretzinger.bsky.social caught some very interesting school of civic life changes in the senate budget: - the provost won't get a say in hiring or firing the dean - the faculty hiring goal is upped from 10-20 to at least 20 - no new joints until then - no scill money can go to other stuff

On Feb. 8, a professor @ncstate.bsky.social "declared war" on DEI at his university. He emailed a complaint to UNC System leadership about his employer’s DEI compliance. About 2 weeks later, many of the websites referenced in his report were altered or disappeared.

@theassemblync.bsky.social is having a March Madness sale! Show your school spirit and get 50% by entering the discount code for your alma mater 🏀 (and no — your team doesn’t need to be in the tournament to participate.) Sign up now: www.theassemblync.com/subscriptions/

UNC-Chapel Hill announced today that it withdrew a request to burn paper and plastic pellets at its power plant. As our partners at @indyweek.bsky.social report, the move comes following fierce local opposition to the proposal. indyweek.com/news/orange/...

calling all nc higher ed workers: join me, @eringretzinger.bsky.social, and @ewstephe.bsky.social from @theassemblync.bsky.social, @brownepoints.bsky.social from @chronicle.com, and colleen murphy from @opencampus.org on 3/25 on zoom to talk about...everything www.theassemblync.com/events/asses...

BREAKING: Saint Augustine's University's lose of accreditation was upheld. It will now pursue a 90-day arbitration process to "to ensure that all students graduating through May 2025 will earn degrees from an accredited university." www.st-aug.edu/sau-remains-...

As Saint Augustine’s University awaits the imminent results of its accreditation appeal hearing, a legal battle continues to fester between the university’s current board chair and a former trustee who invested in his cigar bar business. indyweek.com/news/wake/le...

Some exciting news for The Quad, @theassemblync.bsky.social's higher ed newsletter: We're hosting our first live event! Join us on 3/25 for an exclusive look at how the Trump administration’s first moves are playing out at North Carolina’s colleges and universities.

As St. Augustine's University fights an uphill battle to retain accreditation, it hopes a land lease deal can turn the tides. A cohort of alumni, former employees, and Raleigh-based community groups have proposed a different solution: replace SAU's board of trustees.

As Saint Augustine’s University battles to retain accreditation, internal complaints and lawsuits reveal deep disputes about how the board of trustees has managed the institution. Story by me and @eringretzinger.bsky.social for @indyweek.bsky.social and @theassemblync.bsky.social

powerful investigation by @ccourtneybohl.bsky.social and @eringretzinger.bsky.social into the crisis at Saint Augustine's University: unpaid wages to 370+ employees, controversial property deals with florida developers, and a board chair who compares oversight concerns to a "terrorist attack"

here's @eringretzinger.bsky.social and i on where the nih cuts and dei rollback stands in north carolina www.theassemblync.com/newsletter/t...

On Feb. 5, the UNC System suspended general education and major-specific requirements related to DEI. @theassemblync.bsky.social found at least 5 schools suspended requirements & another 7 didn't have applicable general ed requirements. Many schools are still assessing the guidance.

In the past 2 fiscal years, NC received more than $4.2 billion from the NIH, leading to an estimated $8.5 billion in related economic activity, @rosehoban.bsky.social reports. That's a lot of jobs. www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2025/01/27/n...

The NC DOJ has “serious concerns” about a land lease contract that Saint Augustine’s University is prepared to sign with the real estate development firm 50 Plus 1 Sports, according to a letter obtained by @indyweek.bsky.social.

i've got a new story up about the science of reading in the unc system educator prep programs it's a fascinating case where the system implemented a reform that every single person i spoke with supports. yet it took eight years and some are still hesitant www.theassemblync.com/education/sc...

After St. Augustine’s University agreed to a controversial loan with a 26% interest rate, Self-Help Credit Union’s CEO offered one with a 9% rate, documents obtained by @indyweek.bsky.social and @theassemblync.bsky.social show. The catch? SAU's current & former board chairs would have to resign.

Important story from @insidehighered.com, which also references our recent reporting on text messages sent by UNC-CH trustees to university employees about admissions. Check out the IHE story below and read our story here: www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

Saint Augustine’s University badly needs the funds 50 Plus 1 Sports has promised to shore up its finances. But no money can change hands while the attorney general’s office completes its review of the contract. Via @ccourtneybohl.bsky.social @indyweek.bsky.social indyweek.com/news/wake/at...

To be or not to H-1B? This week in The Quad @theassemblync.bsky.social, we look at: 🟦 The top higher ed employers that use H-1B visas 🟦 Recent high-profile hires & departures 🟦 Why campuses love bricks (P.S. we reached over 3K subscribers 🥳!) www.theassemblync.com/newsletter/t...

here are some of my favorite takeaways

ever wondered just how many nc legislators have a law degree? or which school has the most alumni in the general assembly? (jk it's obviously unc. but by how many?) do democrats and republicans go to different schools? well here's your answer www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...