Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 7h

Ferentz beat my Badgers 37-0 last weekend. :(

Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 7h

A pair of Iowa legislators had already called on their state's universities to sign on before this news broke. Expect more of this to come.

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Jayson Stark @jaysonst.bsky.social · 7h

In answer to your questions ...

No, I've never seen that before.
No, it didn't happen because I will Strange But True madness to happen.
Yes, we just saw a "grounded into double play" on a ball that looked like a possible slam over the CF wall.
And the catcher recorded both forceouts.

Baseball!

CJ Fogler @cjzero.bsky.social · 7h

what in the hell just happened in Milwaukee

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 10h

After getting zero firm commitments to this point from the first nine invitees, the Trump administration is extending its proposed compact to all colleges. Expect some red-state publics to say yes.

Trump Offers All Colleges Preferential Funding Plan Rejected by MIT

The Trump administration is inviting all US colleges to participate in a compact — initially rejected by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — that would grant preferential federal funding in re...

www.bloomberg.com

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Brendan Cantwell @cantb.bsky.social · 20h

1/ I’m feeling wacky this morning so here is my suggestion to reform tenure!

Blanket tenure replaced with a set of multi-year contracts.

Start: 3 + 5. A three year probationary contract followed by a 5 year second contract. On all faculty have the same teaching/research expeditions; field normed.

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Kevin R. McClure @drkevinrmcclure.com · 20h

Working on a piece and could use some help.

Do you all think (or has anyone written about) how the shift to online media websites created more opportunities for academics to write public-facing pieces? Maybe as a way to increase "content" at a lower cost versus hiring full-time journalists?

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 23h

A new NBER working paper by @jscottclayton.bsky.social and colleagues shows that about two-thirds of the unexplained gap in post-college earnings by family income may be due to challenges in finding that first job. Family connections and resources matter.

Who Rides Out the Storm? The Immediate Post-College Transition and its Role in Socioeconomic Earnings Gaps

Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...

www.nber.org

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Zach Schermele @zachschermele.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: These are all the Education Dept. offices that staffers and managers say have been impacted by layoffs since Friday, according to the union for the agency’s employees.

They include workers that supported HBCUs, tribal colleges, charter schools, civil rights reviews, special ed & more.

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James S. Murphy @jamessmurphy.bsky.social · 1d

Here are some of the really good comments that have been posted about how the admissions transparency survey will be a huge administrative burden. Many colleges have a single employee who handles reporting to IPEDS and that's a small part of their work.

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 1d

Penn State fired football coach James Franklin following dismal losses to UCLA and Northwestern, putting the university on the hook for a $49 million buyout (that donors have likely promised to cover).

Penn State fires coach Franklin, sources say

Penn State has fired head coach James Franklin after back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern, sources told ESPN. He is owed more than $49 million.

www.espn.com

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Jon Becker @jonbecker.bsky.social · 1d

“We continue to operate within the terms of the agreement that outlines the educational partnership between ECU and MrBeast, LLC,” said Jeannine Manning Hutson, the university’s chief communications officer.

What a statement. What a world...

Chris Quintana @chrisquintana.bsky.social · 1d

MrBeast, the world’s most subscribed to YouTuber, and East Carolina University announced a credentialing program back in 2022. It was supposed to debut in 6-12 months, but nearly 3 years later there’s no sign of it. What happened? I tried to find out: www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

What happened to MrBeast's East Carolina University academic program? No one will say

In 2022, MrBeast, the most subscribed to YouTuber, and East Carolina University announced an academic program. Years later it stalled without reason.

www.usatoday.com

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Riley Acton @riacton.bsky.social · 1d

Happy to have this paper with @loismiller.bsky.social @camilantmorales.bsky.social and Kalena Cortes accepted at Econ of Ed Review!

And honored it will be in the special issue in memory of Rodney Andrews. ❤️

Paul Bruno @paul-bruno.com · 1d

Distance to degrees: How college proximity shapes students’ enrollment choices and attainment across race-ethnicity and socioeconomic status www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Distance to degrees: How college proximity shapes students’ enrollment choices and attainment across race-ethnicity and socioeconomic status

Leveraging rich data on the universe of Texas high school graduates, we estimate how the relationship between geographic access to public two- and fou…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Brendan Cantwell @cantb.bsky.social · 1d

AAU membership is assessed not only on grant funding but on *competitive* funding through open competitions. Do NSF and NIH grants count a lot but Ag or DOE funding awarded to facilities of for extension don’t count as much. In AAU parlance this is “phase 1”’ vs 2.

www.aau.edu/who-we-are/m...

Membership Policy | Association of American Universities (AAU)

AAU is an association of leading comprehensive research universities distinguished by the breadth and quality of their programs of research and graduate education. Membership in AAU is by invitation o...

www.aau.edu

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 1d

This is still a pretty narrow statement focused on research. Membership organizations that include red-state publics are being very careful about their statements, although the AAU has a bit of leeway because of its prestige.

Brendan Cantwell @cantb.bsky.social · 2d

I missed this yesterday: the AAU has come out against the compact. I am pleasantly surprised. I think it makes it pretty hard for any university to accept the deal now, with a possible exception of Texas. www.aau.edu/newsroom/pre...

We have significant concerns, however, about any compact or policy that could damage or depart from our nations competitive merit base system for research grant funding. That system has been the foundation for science and and innovation for decades. Since World War II that special partnership among the federal government, industry, and research universities has fueled tremendous growth in our economy and educated the next generation of highly skilled American workforce contributed to the health of our people and made our nation more safe and secure.

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Sara Custer @saracuster.insidehighered.com · 3d

As far as we know, 500 employees at ED were fired today. A senior department leader told @jessicablake.bsky.social that the directive came from Ross Vought's OMB and took the department by surprise.
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

Trump Fires More Education Dept. Employees

The Trump administration threatened to lay off federal workers because of the government shutdown. Thousands reportedly got pink slips Friday.

www.insidehighered.com

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 3d

And the tax implications!

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Jessica Blake @jessicablake.bsky.social · 3d

Here's the latest from @insidehighered.com on the second round of layoffs at the Department of Education:

Trump Fires More Education Dept. Employees

The Trump administration threatened to lay off federal workers because of the government shutdown. An unspecified number of employees got pink slips Friday.

www.insidehighered.com

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 3d

For the last six months, I have been saying that the Trump administration may block all international students from China. It's still not the most likely outcome, but the odds just went up in the last 24 hours.

We're a bargaining chip in the trade war.

www.wsj.com/world/china/...

Trump Threatens Higher Tariffs on China Citing Restrictions on Rare-Earth Elements

President Trump said there was “no reason” to meet with President Xi Jinping after the country’s newest restrictions on rare-earth materials marked an escalation in trade negotiations.

www.wsj.com

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Josh Moody @byjoshmoody.bsky.social · 3d

MIT rejects federal compact:

www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...

MIT Rejects Proposed Federal Compact

MIT is the first institution to reject a proposal by the Trump administration that would trade preferential treatment on federal funding in exchange for far-reaching changes.

www.insidehighered.com

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Brendan Cantwell @cantb.bsky.social · 3d

In higher ed, we’ve always these memos. They’re called annual review reports and promotion in tenure applications. They determine if you get to keep your job and what raise you’ll get. The differences there are on a set timeline (not random) and reviewed by peers.

Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 3d

News: Bari Weiss just sent a memo to staffers at CBS News asking them to produce a memo explaining "how you spend your working hours—and ideally, what you've made (or are making) that you're most proud of."

One CBS News staffer puts it like this to me: "We just got Elon Musked."

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 3d

It's quite unusual for a state senator from the majority party to resort to FOIA requests to get information from a public university, but that is what's happening at the University of Virginia right now after sending a letter resulted in an inadequate response.

Democratic Lawmakers Amplify Pressure on UVA

Democrats are demanding answers over the University of Virginia president’s resignation and warning the board against signing a proposed federal compact.

www.insidehighered.com

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 4d

Gotta feel for the Phillies' pitcher there. That's painful.

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 4d

There is a sponsorship opportunity with A1.

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Alex Usher @alexusherhesa.bsky.social · 4d

Real change in public expenditures on higher education, 2008 to 2023, selected countries that actually publish the damn data. UK is worst here, but note this does not include RAB (projected future loan forgiveness, basically). If RAB is included...UK would still be last.

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 4d

Great piece.

"...a central and long-running rupture over the foundational mission of civics schools... Should they reform how universities teach by prioritizing civil discourse, or should they add viewpoint diversity by hiring more conservatives?"

UNC-Chapel Hill’s Lesson in Civics

The School of Civic Life and Leadership’s public fighting is part of a long-running rupture about the mission of civics schools around the country.

www.theassemblync.com

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