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On the sunnier side of the street (for journalism) we’ve got our best of breed higher ed stories today, including an investigative piece by Nick Confessore showing that U Michigan spent a quarter billion bucks on DEI and got less inclusion. Meanwhile, Harvard decided to keep Arthur “OxyContin” Sackler’s name on campus buildings and Ta-Nehisi Coates strikes more literary gold with his new book.
All that, and more, just by scrolling.
Also in the meantime I made a quick dash to D.C. for the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) Athena conference and was mightily impressed by Nadine Stroessen, this year’s Philip Merrill Award winner for contributions to liberal arts education (i.e. the academic freedom to pursue it), and a heroic speech by the organization’s Hero of Intellectual Freedom Award to one smart and courageous cookie, Roland Fryer, and a shoutout to several hundred other apostles of good sense for American colleges.
More on that next time—if there is a next time. But stay tuned and pledge now by tapping the subscribe button….
If Paideia Times continues, you will be the first to know and will tell you more about why ACTA is so important to our nation’s future.
And in the meantime, again, whatever issue this is, enjoy it, learn from it, share it. And thank you for your respectful attentions over the years. Peter Meyer
GOVERNANCE/FINANCE
The New York Times Finds U Michigan’s Costly DEI Program Resulted in Less Inclusion
The University of Michigan has built one of the most ambitious—and expensive—diversity programs in the country. Since 2016, when the university launched “D.E.I. 1.0,” (Diversity Equity Inclusion) it has invested a quarter of a billion dollars into DEI. But an investigation by Nicholas Confessore, a reporter for The New York Times, found that Michigan’s ambitious DEI initiative has led to less inclusion. The program has yielded some wins, including a greater proportion of Hispanic, Asian, and first-generation students and a more racially diverse staff. Yet in a state where 14 percent of residents are Black, the percentage of Black students—currently around 5 percent—has remained stagnant. In a 2022 survey, according to the Times Magazine article, “students and faculty members reported a less positive campus climate than at the program’s start and less of a sense of belonging.” Students were less likely to interact with people of a different race or religion or with different politics. Minority students—particularly those who are Black—were less likely to report “feelings of being valued, belonging, personal growth and thriving.” Instead of backing down, U-M inaugurated “D.E.I. 2.0” last year, and the number of employees who have the term “diversity,” “equity,” or “inclusion” in their job titles increased by 70 percent. However, Tabbye Chavous, U-M’s chief diversity officer, who was interviewed for the Times piece, claims that Confessore “cherry-picked research to support his narrative.” For instance, according to Chavous, much of the $250 million U-M has invested in DEI over the past eight years (from a $12 billion annual budget) goes toward socioeconomic access and financial aid programs such as the GoBlue Guarantee, which has been key in recruiting white students from rural areas. ---Elizabeth Janice
Sources
The University of Michigan Doubled Down on D.E.I. What Went Wrong? (New York Times)
A Battle for Truth: Setting the Record Straight on DEI at U. of Michigan (Academe Blog)
Further Reading
I Don’t Want to Live in a Monoculture, and Neither Do You (New York Times)
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GOVERNANCE/PHILANTHROPY
Donor Intent Protections Under the Gun
In 2023 the Philanthropy Roundtable launched a monthly series on donor intent (because clearly, donors need a guide to protect philanthropic legacies from the chaos of generosity!), sparked by the passage of the Donor Intent Protection Act in Kansas—later followed by Kentucky and Georgia. This month Harvard ignited philanthropic controversy by retaining Arthur M. Sackler’s name on campus buildings, despite student protests for a “denaming.” A committee of top officials argued that Sackler’s legacy should be viewed separately from his family’s controversial ties to Purdue Pharma and the opioid crisis. Meanwhile, the university faced a nearly 15 percent drop in donations, to a mere $1.17 billion this year, with key donors like Ken Griffin halting support over antisemitism concerns—while the College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, is embroiled in a $21 million lawsuit brought by alumnus Cornelius B. Prior Jr. over disputed donations. In another shift, California shook up higher education by banning legacy and donor admissions at private universities like USC and Stanford, championed by Governor Gavin Newsom as a major win for meritocracy, ensuring that hard work, not family ties, opens the door to opportunity. Set to kick off in September 2025, the law will hold schools accountable with annual reports on their admissions practices. Against this backdrop of donor dilemmas, the University of Chicago just landed a blockbuster anonymous $100 million gift to supercharge its Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression—the largest donation ever dedicated to free speech in higher education. University president Paul Alivisatos called it a bold step in the fight for truth-seeking, while faculty director Tom Ginsburg stressed that tackling tough topics is essential for advancing knowledge. ---Amy Genito
Sources
Donations to Harvard Drop 15% in Tumultuous Year (Wall Street Journal)
Donor Intent Watch: Harvard Decides on Sackler Name and Donor Dispute at College of the Holy Cross (Philanthropy Roundtable)
California law bans college legacy and donor admissions, including at USC, Stanford (Los Angeles Times)
U of Chicago Receives $100M Gift to Support Free Speech (Inside Higher Ed)
Further Reading
California law bans college legacy and donor admissions, including at USC, Stanford (Los Angeles Times)
Philanthropy and the Trustees (Philanthropy Daily)
Truth-Seeking in an AI-Influenced World (Philanthropy Daily)
CLINTEL issues Great Charter of Universities for research freedom (CFACT)
The Future of Academic Freedom (New Yorker)
Billionaires Back a New ‘Anti-Woke’ University (Wall Street Journal)
Roundtable Roundup (Philanthropy Roundtable)
Brown University endowment grew 11.3% last year — as school mulls Israel divestment (NY Post)
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PUBLIC TRUST/EXTERNAL ORDERS
Shortstack 1: New Normal, College Grad Regrets, Brown Endowment up 11.3%, What Voters Want of Their Next President, Depoliticizing Education
College competition and operational pain are the ‘new normal,’ S&P says
S&P analysts pointed to the temporary shuttering of campuses; students putting off enrollment; hiring, pension and salary freezes; declines in international student enrollment amid COVID-19 travel restrictions; and the added financial strain of higher interest rates. (Higher Ed Dive)
Report: A Quarter of Grads Say They Regret Going to College Nearly one in four… wish they had either pursued a different educational path, like community college or an apprenticeship, or skipped college altogether (Inside Higher Education)
Opinion: Why California’s legacy admissions ban won’t help low-income students go to college Ending legacy admissions may be defensible in the service of equity, but it’s neither necessary nor sufficient to increase lower-income students’ access to higher education. (Los Angeles Times)
Intense UCLA policing draws scrutiny as security chief speaks out on handling protests By far, the key concern expressed by many campus members is what they perceive as a “militarized” campus with too many police and security officers. (Los Angeles Times)
Brown University endowment grew 11.3% last year—as school mulls Israel divestment The budget, representing 21% of total revenue, helped to pay for financial aid for students as well as salary increases for staffers. (New York Post)
Legislators Are Shifting Tactics To Censor Higher Ed, Claims Report Legislative attempts to limit academic freedom and censure campus speech are continuing, but they are becoming more subtle and disguised (Forbes)
Here’s What Voters Want the Next President to Do for Higher Ed 84 percent of respondents said it was somewhat or very important for the next president, in their first 100 days, to expand apprenticeship programs and facilitate hiring based on skills rather than degrees. By similar margins, they wanted the next president to provide better guidance on education and training options that lead to jobs with wages that can support a family. (Chronicle of Higher Ed)
Federal Overreach is Threatening Innovation in Online Education Unfortunately, during recent Democrat presidencies, the U.S. Department of Education has been fundamentally opposed to profit-making in education. Partly this animus comes from an anti-market mindset and a belief that college should simply be free to students. (Minding the Campus)
Depoliticizing the University We can understand “politicization” to mean that an activity is undertaken according to the aims, values, or modes of a broader, systematic social vision—not according to ones particularly suited to the activity itself. (Law and Liberty)
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PUBLIC TRUST/DEI
DEI Backlash Spreads to More States
The anti-DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) movement continues to grow amid a GOP-led crackdown on DEI efforts in higher education. The University of Kentucky has disbanded its Office for Institutional Diversity. This comes after state lawmakers debated whether to limit DEI practices at public universities. UK president Eli Capilouto stressed in a campus-wide email that the school’s core values remain intact—to protect academic freedom and promote a “sense of belonging” for everyone on campus, regardless of background or perspective. The university’s DEI programs will be shifted to other campus offices and no one will lose their job, according to Capilouto. On the same day, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln announced that it would also dissolve its DEI office and eliminate the position of vice chancellor for diversity. Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett, who is African American, said, “I fully grasp the weight of this decision and its implications, but a centralized approach to this work is no longer right for our institution.” Other states that have shuttered DEI offices and programs include Florida, Texas, Nebraska, Alabama, and Oklahoma. ---Elizabeth Janice
Sources
University of Kentucky to disband diversity office after GOP lawmakers pushed anti-DEI legislation (AP News)
UK and UNL Disband Their DEI Offices (Diverse Education)
A look at DEI eliminations at colleges across the US (Higher Ed Dive)
Further Reading
The Corrupting Influence of DEI on Military Education (James Martin Center)
Racism was called a health threat. Then came DEI backlash. (University World News)
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GOVERNANCE/REGULATION
Colleges in Blue States Are More Likely to Require Diversity Statements
The practice of asking for diversity, equity, and inclusion statements in academic hiring and promotion has become highly controversial, with one critic arguing that they can be used as “blatant litmus tests for ideology.” According to Heterodox Academy’s Free the Inquiry, data show that DEI statements that do not discuss race, ethnicity, or gender are rated significantly lower than those that do and candidates who submit alternative statements focusing on topics such as socioeconomic or viewpoint diversity are seen as “less competent, less hireable and less likable.” A recent analysis of job postings for full-time faculty positions revealed that 24.5 percent required DEI statements as part of the hiring process. Much like the red state/blue state divide, schools on the West Coast and in the Northeast are more likely to ask applicants to submit DEI statements than those in the Southeast or Midwest. ---Elizabeth Janice
Source
The Great DEI-vide (Free the Inquiry)
Further Reading
D.E.I. Is Not Working on Campus. We Need a New Approach. (New York Times)
DEI v. Science (City Journal)
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PUBLIC TRUST/EXTERNAL ORDERS
Shortstack 2: Varsity Blues is free, William Shakespeare and Freshmen enrollment are down, Harris skips Howard Homecoming, AEI says there’s a crisis in leadership, and much more.
Varsity Blues mastermind is out of prison. William “Rick” Singer… is ready for his next act. Which looks a lot like his old act: helping families navigate the high-stakes, stressful college admissions process. (Wall Street Journal)
The Guru Who Says He Can Get Your 11-Year-Old Into Harvard Jamie Beaton’s Crimson Education offers a pricey, yearslong boot camp preparing kids to apply to the Ivy League. Parents, and Wall Street, are on board. (Wall Street Journal)
Who’s Afraid of William Shakespeare? In 2023–24 there were 40 productions of Shakespeare’s plays. There were 52 in 2022–23 and 96 in 2018–19. (New York Times)
Harris Skips Howard Homecoming. Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend Howard University’s 100th homecoming anniversary as she focused on rallying support in the swing states of Georgia and Michigan… But the Howard alumna did send The Hilltop, the school’s student newspaper, an exclusive letter to commemorate the event. (Politico Weekly Edition)
Freshman Enrollment Appears to Decline for the First Time Since 2020 A projected 5 percent drop in this year’s freshman class follows a number of disruptions last year, including persistent failures with the FAFSA form. (New York Times)
Professors in Trouble Over Protests Wonder if Academic Freedom Is Dying Universities have cracked down on professors for pro-Palestinian activism, saying they are protecting students and tamping down on hate speech. Faculty members say punishments have put a “chill in the air.” (New York Times)
New Report From UCLA Antisemitism Task Force Offers Shocking Details of Anti-Jewish Harassment, Assault on Campus Antisemitism at UCLA has gotten so bad that more than 40 percent of Jewish students and faculty respondents have considered leaving the school. (New York Sun)
A Crisis in Leadership? Examining the Successes and Failures of University Presidents This report ranks more than 400 current and former college presidents who served between 2000–01 and 2022–23 on how well they improved access, affordability, and student success over the course of their presidency. (American Enterprise Institute)
Why the Rise in Legacy Admissions Bans? The Supreme Court dealt a devastating blow to diversity advocates last year when it gutted affirmative action. It also gave them ammunition. (Politico)
There’s a Very Good Reason College Students Don’t Read Anymore For decades, students have been told that college is about career readiness and little else. And the task of puzzling out an author’s argument will not prepare students to thrive in an economy that seems to run on vibes. (New York Times)
The Top Colleges for Helping Students Move Up the Socioeconomic Ladder California schools lead the way, with 15 of the top 20 schools in the 2025 Wall Street Journal/College Pulse rankings. (Wall Street Journal)
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“Everyday Racism” and Heroes of Free Speech: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Though a small story in a British publication might have more meaning for more people, it was Ta-Nehisi Coates who gathered the most headlines these last couple of weeks. “University policies have not kept up with ‘everyday racism'” was a smallish story in University World News, complaining that “universities that take a reactionary approach to complaints of racist targeting fail to recognise the evolving everyday racism faculty and staff of colour face and this can lead to significant costs from lawsuits, lost talent and damaged reputations.”
Coates, meanwhile, was at media ground zero in Manhattan launching his new book, The Message, on the CBS Mornings show and getting pressed by one of the network’s rising stars, Tony Dokoupil, who is Jewish, for the book’s comparison of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to the Jim Crow laws of the American South. “The content of that section [of the book],” suggested Dokoupil, “would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist.” The anchor added, “What is it that so particularly offends you about the existence of a Jewish state that is a Jewish safe place?” “There’s nothing that offends me about a Jewish state,” replied Coates. “I am offended by the idea of states built on ethnocracy, no matter where they are,” with Coates ultimately uttering the “A” word: “Either apartheid is right or wrong. It’s really, really simple.”
Perhaps too simple. As The New York Times reported the following week, “The interview created a social media uproar,” documented in the paper of record’s surprising headline, “CBS Rebukes Anchor Over Tense Interview With Ta-Nehisi Coates.” One industry newsletter referred to the “rare public difference of opinion” about Dokoupil’s interview, and staff at CBS complained about the anchor.
The book took its share of criticism—Micah Mattix (“Prufrock”) suggested Coates may fall into the “reputations won and lost” category of writer and called attention to Parul Sehgal’s words in The New Yorker. Sehgal wrote that The Message, an extended report to Coates’s students, was heavily weighted with “craft talk” that is “stitched together with haphazard reporting, and … suppurates with such self-regard that it feels composed by the very enemy of a writer who has so strenuously scorned carelessness and vague pronouncement.” That’s an ouch.
But Coates has certainly had his share of criticisms since busting out in 2015 with his breakthrough memoir, Between the World and Me, and the Times gave him space to talk about that in its piece Ta-Nehisi Coates on Why Not Everyone Will Love His New Book :
I’ve been wondering who might fill the intellectual void that plagued me after James Baldwin died,” Toni Morrison had declared at the time. “Clearly it is Ta-Nehisi Coates.” And here we are, “Nearly 10 years later, the country — and the world — are in the midst of another contentious moment. Coates, who teaches at Howard University, has returned with a hybrid of memoir and reportage, “The Message” (a nod to the D.J. Grandmaster Flash). The book ruminates on writing and messages, their power and fallacies. It’s about what it means to be a “steward” of tradition and what it means to “walk the land” with eyes wide open.” The lands he walks in The Message are to Senegal, South Carolina and the West Bank. In a video interview from his home in New York, he reckoned with his wavering faith in journalism, as well as his need to keep exploring, questioning and writing. “I have ideas growing out of my ears,” he told the Times, laughing.
(Full disclosure, my journalism program for kids uses an excerpt of Coates reading from Between the World and Me in one of our videos.)
Vanity Fair gave ten of its precious pages over to an excerpt from Coates’s new book: the story of a white teacher in South Carolina fighting to keep Between the World and Me from being banned by the local school board in the small town of Chapin. It is a terrifyingly moving story written by a master. The teacher, Mary, “was the portrait of a familiar Southern archetype—blond, kind, outgoing, homegrown, daughter of the local football coach and a kindergarten teacher. Her claim to Chapin was strong—stronger even than some of the parents who despised her…. She was fighting for her job in the very school where she had earned her own high school diploma.”
It is a story well worth telling by a writer well worth reading. But it’s not the last word here, which I will give to Glenn Loury and his “The Oversimplification of Ta-Nehisi Coates,” in conversation with linguist buddy John McWhorter—two well-respected Black intellectuals talking about a controversial third. Surprisingly, perhaps because Coates is considered liberal and Loury conservative, Loury begins by praising Coates as “a writer mustering his craft in service of deep self-exploration.” The quality of Coates’s exploration wins the tough-minded Loury over. But not McWhorter, who says that Coates’s book “is all about whitey. It's all about white supremacy. That’s why he cares so much about this situation [Israel and Gaza], as opposed to what’s going on.” But “We are killing them,” says Loury. “We are complicit in the prosecution of the complete obliteration….tens of thousands…. So Coates’ intervention here is important…. He's a black intellectual who has a calling. He has a gift and he has a calling.”
It’s perhaps too soon to conclude that Coates is the new James Baldwin, but as the former admits in referencing Huckleberry Finn’s slave Jim, as rendered by Percival Everett, we hear Coates’s soaring artistry and appreciation of his craft: “With my pencil, I wrote my being into existence. I wrote myself to here.”
Worth a read.
Sources
CBS Rebukes Anchor Over Tense Interview With Ta-Nehisi Coates (New York Times)
Paramount Execs Have Rare Public Difference Of Opinion About CBS Interview With Ta-Nehisi Coates (Deadline.com)
Literary Reputations Won and Lost (Prufrock)
Ta-Nehisi Coates and the Temptations of Narrative (New Yorker)
Ta-Nehisi Coates on Why Not Everyone Will Love His New Book (New York Times)
Lost Cause (Vanity Fair)
The Oversimplification of Ta-Nehisi Coates (The Glenn Show)
Further Reading
Racism was called a health threat. Then came DEI backlash (University World News)
If it Ain’t Woke, Don’t Fix It? The Controversy Continues (Paideia Times)
Viewpoint Diversity Concerns—and a Proposed Solution (Paideia Times)
Curricular Fights—Lawmakers Step In (Paideia Times)
Prof. Accused of Being White Supremacist Leaves Austin Peay (Inside Higher Education)
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