Instructure has paid ShinyHackers the requested ransom to preserve Canvas user data. @kathrynpalmer.bsky.social @insidehighered.com is on it. www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-in...

Although the monetary value of the deal is unknown, Instructure says the cybercriminals have returned the hacked personal data and offered assurance “that no Instructure customers will be extorted as a result of this incident.” www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-in...

The extortionist hacker group ShinyHunters has targeted colleges and universities before. Now it's going after the ed- tech giant Instructure, which makes the widely-used learning management system Canvas. @kathrynpalmer.bsky.social has the story: www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-in...

Spare a thought today for the institutional researchers who are working to compile 7 years of disaggregated admissions data by March 18th. @kathrynpalmer.bsky.social reports that 81% of colleges still haven't submitted their data to the Department of Education www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

A young tech entrepreneur launched the tool Einstein this week, marketing it as a way to free students from busywork—and triggering robust faculty debate. Einstein’s creator says that was the whole point. www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-in...

Apprenticeship pathways are part of the experience imperative in higher ed's VUCA era: www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-in...

Look: a journalism job! We are hiring a reporter @insidehighered.com. Feel free to reach out if you're interested. Our reporters are organized with the News Guild. ihe.teamtailor.com/jobs/6648965...

BREAKING: The White House has confirmed it's called the 5 institutions who haven't signed its compact to a meeting this afternoon. Insiders tell us it's "an effort to regain momentum by threatening institutions to sign" @knottkatherine.bsky.social has the scoop www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

I spoke with @insidehighered.com @kathrynpalmer.bsky.social about OSU’s decision to cancel conference funds for racially marginalized students.

Student interest in Turning Point USA is surging in the wake of Kirk's murder. Their intentions may be good, but critics warn the proliferation of new chapters will exacerbate political tensions on college campuses. Great story by @kathrynpalmer.bsky.social: www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

Texas Tech isn't the only university system handing down chilling, verbal-only directives banning discussions about transgender identity. If this is happening at your institution, I want to know about it--reach me on Signal at emmawhitford.96 www.insidehighered.com/node/192421/...

How One University Is Reimagining a Humanities Ph.D. Program @cmu.edu is turning its literary and cultural studies Ph.D. program into one focused on computational cultural studies. The reframe comes as many humanities graduate programs face an uncertain future. https://bit.ly/4ngm7R7

Hey #AcademicSky, got parking woes? I want to hear about them. Tell me about your university's return-to-office plans, parking policies and any petty (or not petty) complaints about spot availability. Reach me here or on Signal: @ emmawhitford.96

Kirk has died: Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk Shot, Killed at Utah Valley University

Even as many universities cancel or revise research projects due to the Trump administration's funding cuts, the University of Missouri is pushing ahead with plans to build a powerful new nuclear reactor to develop cancer-fighting drugs. @kathrynpalmer.bsky.social explains why: tinyurl.com/mr367x28

Scammers are using AI to rip off prospective students with a network of seemingly connected fake college websites. @kathrynpalmer.bsky.social and I dug into this and what rising AI scams mean for higher ed as the sector struggles with trust. www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-in...

It’s not clear how widespread the strategy of inserting hidden text telling AI tools to give a research paper favorable reviews is, but it’s highlighting longstanding drivers of the peer review crisis some reviewers are now trying to alleviate with AI. www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-in...

The State University System of Florida is boycotting interviews with Inside Higher Ed because we didn’t publish an op-ed they submitted.

And the Senate passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, which could significantly change how students pay for college and how institutions are held accountable, among many other things. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

great news, IHE is hiring and looking for a reporter who wants to cover all things related to faculty. We have unlimited newsroom goldfish, among other perks. Happy to answer any questions about the job! ihe.teamtailor.com/jobs/6090901...

@tulaneu.bsky.social Environmentalist Resigns Amid Research ‘Gag Order’ Kimberly Terrell, director of community engagement at the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, alleges that university officials told her not to publicly discuss her research after... #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/3ZxBafE

Santa Ono will NOT be the next University of Florida president after a contentious confirmation process before the Florida Board of Governors that resulted in a split vote to sign off on his hire. Story to come.

Scientific Community Fears for Future of STEM Workforce Amid NSF Overhaul @insidehighered.com @kathrynpalmer.bsky.social www.insidehighered.com/news/governm... If you're active on Capitol Hill - please join New America & AACC next Tuesday for a related briefing: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Florida A&M University hired a new president today: Marva Johnson. She has no experience working in higher education but longstanding ties to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Her critics have dubbed her "MAGA Marva." www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...

CUNY is working with Wikipedia to feed the information ecosystem more accessible, deeply researched articles on a variety of topics—including some fading from public memory.

Good piece by @reporterdavidj.bsky.social on a college president in California who ran afoul of a conservative Congressman and ultimately paid with her job.

Researchers are teaming up to track the ongoing, chaotic grant cuts by the NIH and NSF, compiling a database that can be useful not only in suing the Trump administration but also in preserving a record of all that's been lost. Great reporting by @kathrynpalmer.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/yc3t7nkr

Agency at Stake: The Tech Leadership Imperative Inside Higher Ed’s annual survey of campus technology leaders reveals fractured policies and other disconnects around artificial intelligence, digital transformation and more. Experts say that’s a... #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/3ER0O7R

The Ripple Effects of Draining the Ph.D. Pool Deep cuts to federal research funding and crackdowns on international students could mean far fewer graduate students next fall and beyond. If that happens, undergraduates, faculty and research... #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/43JjvEB

Most Higher Ed Workers Still Paid Less Than Before Pandemic

NEW: The pace of student visa revocations this week is staggering. Upwards of 200 have been reported—but the total is likely much higher. I talked to college officials reluctant to report many dozens of visa terminations, anxious to avoid federal scrutiny. www.insidehighered.com/news/global/...

Northwestern's legal clinics are under investigation by a Congressional committee after representing pro-Palestinian Chicago activists. The move raises questions about the fates of other clinical programs.

I know there’s a lot going on today, but in case you are curious about the types of federal research being canceled, you can read 16 first-person accounts (including my own) here www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

Smashing the Student Visa System The Trump administration is upending the student visa bureaucracy to deport foreign students. University officials are struggling to keep up. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/3G3NCwu

A new lawsuit argues that canceling billions in research grants will delay scientific advancements, compromise human health and even result in deaths.

The NIH claimed that numerous canceled research grants were “antithetical to the scientific inquiry.” A clinical psychology researcher who lost her grant says that characterization smacks of ignorance.

Vance misses an important point: for many colleges, tuition from international students is a financial lifeline and helps subsidize aid for domestic students. I wrote about why the crackdown on student visa holders could decimate int'l enrollment: www.insidehighered.com/news/global/...

Trump Order Threatens University Libraries, Museums The president disbanded the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Academic researchers, librarians and museum professionals say defunding the agency undermines their commitment to education. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/4bJpdZd

Meet Gracie Himes, age 20. Her goal: Fight cancer by developing new medicines. On March 3, her dreams were shattered when Trump admin cuts hit West Virginia University, which rescinded her PhD program offer. www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

Layoffs Gut Federal Education Research Agency The department says the research agency failed to effectively fulfill its mandate and exemplifies wasteful spending. But experts warn the cuts will undermine “the backbone of accountability” for... #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/3DxjEQW

NEW: Ed Dept is planning to lay off half of its workforce tonight, per inside sources who were notified late this afternoon. Earlier the department said its DC office would close Wednesday for "security reasons." My story with @jessicablake.bsky.social: www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

Despite court orders blocking Trump’s federal funding freeze, bans on DEI and other executive mandates, academic researchers are still in the dark on what all of it could mean for their careers and the pace of scientific discovery.

With all the lawsuits against the Trump administration, it can be hard to keep track of what's what, so we made a tracker of the key higher ed legal challenges to follow. Check out the latest here: www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

Earlier this month, GOP senator Ted Cruz released a database of NSF-funded research projects that he accused of pushing “a far-left ideology” and called for “significant scrutiny” of the 3,400-plus projects on the list. @kathrynpalmer.bsky.social reports www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

The Trump administration wants to make deep cuts in NIH research funding. It’s not just colleges and hospitals that will feel the pinch. chroni.cl/3ERwp9h

At a court hearing Friday, an NIH lawyer told a judge that the $4B in cuts to indirect costs will simply be a reallocation of funds, contradicting the NIH’s own social media post, which said the plan “will save more than $4B a year effective immediately." www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...