Megan Zahneis
@mzahneis.bsky.social
Senior reporter at the Chronicle of Higher Education. Interested in the academic workplace and what it's like to live and work as a faculty member. Tell me about it: DM, Signal mzahneis.09, or email megan dot zahneis at chronicle dot com.
Reposted by Megan Zahneis
Amid an escalating debate over who exactly gets to decide who will lead Virginia's flagship, former president James E. Ryan -- who left amid DOJ scrutiny of UVA -- has decided now's the time to enter the fray.
For @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/stun...
For @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/stun...
‘Stunned and Angry’: James Ryan Gives First Detailed Account of His Ouster at UVa
In an expansive letter, the former University of Virginia president told the story of his resignation, blasting board members and saying the government had pledged to “bleed UVA white.”
www.chronicle.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Amid an escalating debate over who exactly gets to decide who will lead Virginia's flagship, former president James E. Ryan -- who left amid DOJ scrutiny of UVA -- has decided now's the time to enter the fray.
For @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/stun...
For @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/stun...
Reposted by Megan Zahneis
Inbox: New College of Florida wants to be the first to sign on to the Trump administration's proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.
October 27, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Inbox: New College of Florida wants to be the first to sign on to the Trump administration's proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.
Breaking from me: WashU will continue to engage with the White House on "potentially consequential conversations" for #HigherEd but will not endorse the Trump administration's compact. #AcademicSky
WashU Won’t Endorse Compact, Chancellor Says
Faculty leaders had worried Martin’s engagement with the Trump administration in recent days could set a dangerous precedent.
www.chronicle.com
October 22, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Breaking from me: WashU will continue to engage with the White House on "potentially consequential conversations" for #HigherEd but will not endorse the Trump administration's compact. #AcademicSky
Are colleges willing to engage with the Trump administration about its #HigherEd compact now? The most recent responses point to a shifting tide, as I wrote in @chronicle.com. #AcademicSky
Many Colleges Have Turned Down Trump’s Compact. Now Some Are Willing to Talk.
The openness to talking to the White House points to the continued division in the sector about how best to interact with the Trump administration.
www.chronicle.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Are colleges willing to engage with the Trump administration about its #HigherEd compact now? The most recent responses point to a shifting tide, as I wrote in @chronicle.com. #AcademicSky
Today's the feedback deadline for the Trump compact's initial nine recipients. @chronicle.com has a fresh live updates page to track the latest - follow along here. #HigherEd #AcademicSky
Compact Live Updates: More Colleges Weigh Responses as Deadline for Feedback Looms
Monday is the deadline for the nine colleges who received the Trump administration’s proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” to submit feedback on the document.
www.chronicle.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Today's the feedback deadline for the Trump compact's initial nine recipients. @chronicle.com has a fresh live updates page to track the latest - follow along here. #HigherEd #AcademicSky
Reposted by Megan Zahneis
In the last two days, Brown, Penn, and USC have joined MIT in declining the Trump administration's compact for higher education. You can see all of @chronicle.com's compact updates here: www.chronicle.com/package/trum...
The Trump Compact
Colleges weigh the government’s latest proposal, which promises an edge in federal funding.
www.chronicle.com
October 16, 2025 at 9:36 PM
In the last two days, Brown, Penn, and USC have joined MIT in declining the Trump administration's compact for higher education. You can see all of @chronicle.com's compact updates here: www.chronicle.com/package/trum...
Brown becomes the second of nine initial invitees to decline the Trump administration's #HigherEd compact, joining MIT. This comes several months after it struck a deal with the feds to restore research funding and resolve OCR investigations. @shenandoahkate.bsky.social has the story @chronicle.com.
Brown U.'s President Declines Trump’s Compact, Saying It Would ‘Undermine’ the Institution
Agreeing to commit to the document “would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance,” Christina H. Paxson said in a letter Wednesday.
www.chronicle.com
October 15, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Brown becomes the second of nine initial invitees to decline the Trump administration's #HigherEd compact, joining MIT. This comes several months after it struck a deal with the feds to restore research funding and resolve OCR investigations. @shenandoahkate.bsky.social has the story @chronicle.com.
Reposted by Megan Zahneis
My latest with @mzahneis.bsky.social: Dartmouth is close to saying "no" to the current compact, I learned. The decision comes as gov. officials are circulating that the compact is open to all, in what higher-ed advocates call a test of the sector's collective will: www.chronicle.com/article/dart...
Dartmouth’s President Balks at Trump Compact, Sources Say, as Feds Expand Offer to ‘Any Institution’
Sian Leah Beilock has told faculty members she won’t sign the document as written. Meanwhile, the White House’s broader proposal has shifted discussion about the deal.
www.chronicle.com
October 15, 2025 at 11:14 AM
My latest with @mzahneis.bsky.social: Dartmouth is close to saying "no" to the current compact, I learned. The decision comes as gov. officials are circulating that the compact is open to all, in what higher-ed advocates call a test of the sector's collective will: www.chronicle.com/article/dart...
Reposted by Megan Zahneis
Breaking: Trump's higher-ed compact is open to all, I confirmed for @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/blogs/the-tr...
“We welcome any institution that wants to adopt these principles to sign the compact,” a source told me.
“We welcome any institution that wants to adopt these principles to sign the compact,” a source told me.
Trump Welcomes ‘Any Institution’ to Sign Onto Compact Outlining His Priorities
An administration source told The Chronicle that “any institution that wants to adopt these principles” could sign onto the document, which offers a purported edge in grant funding.
www.chronicle.com
October 14, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Breaking: Trump's higher-ed compact is open to all, I confirmed for @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/blogs/the-tr...
“We welcome any institution that wants to adopt these principles to sign the compact,” a source told me.
“We welcome any institution that wants to adopt these principles to sign the compact,” a source told me.
Reposted by Megan Zahneis
Interesting tidbits in my ace colleague @mzahneis.bsky.social's latest piece on Bill Johnson, Youngstown State University's leader and a Trump-supporting ex-congressman:
He said he quickly got up to speed on higher ed by attending the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents.
He said he quickly got up to speed on higher ed by attending the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents.
October 9, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Interesting tidbits in my ace colleague @mzahneis.bsky.social's latest piece on Bill Johnson, Youngstown State University's leader and a Trump-supporting ex-congressman:
He said he quickly got up to speed on higher ed by attending the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents.
He said he quickly got up to speed on higher ed by attending the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents.
So what's in Trump's "Compact for Academic Excellence in #HigherEd"? Everything from how institutions admit students and foster viewpoint diversity to how they fight grade inflation and how many foreign students they can enroll. Our @chronicle.com team breaks it down. #AcademicSky
The White House’s New ‘Compact’ Would Offer Universities an Edge in Grant Funding. What’s In It?
We’ve seen what the Trump administration’s stick looks like. Let’s look at its carrot.
www.chronicle.com
October 2, 2025 at 9:29 PM
So what's in Trump's "Compact for Academic Excellence in #HigherEd"? Everything from how institutions admit students and foster viewpoint diversity to how they fight grade inflation and how many foreign students they can enroll. Our @chronicle.com team breaks it down. #AcademicSky
Breaking from @karinfischer.bsky.social @chronicle.com: A federal judge hands the AAUP a major victory in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, calling the case “perhaps the most important ever to fall within the jurisdiction of this district court.” #HigherEd #AcademicSky
Students and Scholars Faced Deportation for Pro-Palestinian Activism. A Judge Says That Was Illegal.
Judge William G. Young ruled that international students and other noncitizens “unequivocally” have the same free-speech rights as Americans.
www.chronicle.com
September 30, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Breaking from @karinfischer.bsky.social @chronicle.com: A federal judge hands the AAUP a major victory in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, calling the case “perhaps the most important ever to fall within the jurisdiction of this district court.” #HigherEd #AcademicSky
After a chaotic spring of admissions pauses, some graduate programs are now welcoming smaller-than-usual cohorts (or no cohorts at all) to campus. So I took stock of the grad-admissions picture for fall 2026, and found reason to expect more of the same. #HigherEd #AcademicSky #PhDSky
Doctoral Programs Were Already Under Strain. Things May Be Getting Worse.
Some signs point to smaller-than-usual cohorts and paused programs in the next academic year.
www.chronicle.com
September 26, 2025 at 6:32 PM
After a chaotic spring of admissions pauses, some graduate programs are now welcoming smaller-than-usual cohorts (or no cohorts at all) to campus. So I took stock of the grad-admissions picture for fall 2026, and found reason to expect more of the same. #HigherEd #AcademicSky #PhDSky
Reposted by Megan Zahneis
Since Charlie Kirk’s murder on Sept. 10, higher education has come under intense scrutiny due to the reactions of faculty, staff, and students.
Employees and Students at These Colleges Have Been Punished for Comments on Charlie Kirk’s Death
Republican politicians have been pressuring institutions to take action against those who criticized the conservative activist after he was shot and killed last week.
chroni.cl
September 19, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Since Charlie Kirk’s murder on Sept. 10, higher education has come under intense scrutiny due to the reactions of faculty, staff, and students.
Details on Charlie Kirk's suspected shooter are emerging, but there's still much unknown about what the Kirk killing will mean for #HigherEd and the nation. @chronicle.com's @jackstripling.bsky.social and @ngluckman.bsky.social have some analysis in a quick-turn episode of our podcast.
The Meaning of Charlie Kirk
Podcast Episode · College Matters from The Chronicle · 09/11/2025 · 27m
podcasts.apple.com
September 12, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Details on Charlie Kirk's suspected shooter are emerging, but there's still much unknown about what the Kirk killing will mean for #HigherEd and the nation. @chronicle.com's @jackstripling.bsky.social and @ngluckman.bsky.social have some analysis in a quick-turn episode of our podcast.
"Embodied by Kirk...and reinforced by Trump’s electoral victories, the Turning Point mode has come to influence the nation’s politics in ways that few might have foreseen a dozen years ago. Nowhere is this more true than in #HigherEd."
- @ngluckman.bsky.social and @jackstripling.bsky.social
- @ngluckman.bsky.social and @jackstripling.bsky.social
Charlie Kirk’s Killing Silences a Conservative Voice. His Movement May Grow Louder.
The founder of Turning Point USA was shot at a campus speaking event, injecting urgency and solemnity into a broader debate about political intolerance in higher education.
www.chronicle.com
September 11, 2025 at 3:14 PM
"Embodied by Kirk...and reinforced by Trump’s electoral victories, the Turning Point mode has come to influence the nation’s politics in ways that few might have foreseen a dozen years ago. Nowhere is this more true than in #HigherEd."
- @ngluckman.bsky.social and @jackstripling.bsky.social
- @ngluckman.bsky.social and @jackstripling.bsky.social
The data wizards @chronicle.com recently updated our faculty-pay transparency tool to draw on 2025 data. Worth checking out to see how #HigherEd salaries are mediated by local cost of living.
How Far Does Your Pay Go?
The average salary of an instructional faculty member is $92,823. But how far that salary goes can vary depending on where you teach and where you live. The Chronicle looked at how the salaries of ins...
www.chronicle.com
September 8, 2025 at 3:35 PM
The data wizards @chronicle.com recently updated our faculty-pay transparency tool to draw on 2025 data. Worth checking out to see how #HigherEd salaries are mediated by local cost of living.
@erickelderman.bsky.social breaks down the key points in yesterday's summary-judgment victory for Harvard, in which a federal judge rejected the government's claims of antisemitism as "a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities." #HigherEd
Harvard Got a Big Win. Here Are 4 Key Quotes.
The excerpts signal how one court reacted to the Trump administration’s strategy for overhauling the university’s policies — a playbook that’s been used nationwide.
www.chronicle.com
September 4, 2025 at 8:46 PM
@erickelderman.bsky.social breaks down the key points in yesterday's summary-judgment victory for Harvard, in which a federal judge rejected the government's claims of antisemitism as "a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities." #HigherEd
Reposted by Megan Zahneis
To sum up the judge's ruling:
- The Trump administration's freezing of Harvard funds on or after 4/14 is arbitrary and capricious, and is set aside. It also violated the First Amendment.
- The administration is also forbidden from implementing any freeze or termination of Harvard federal funding
- The Trump administration's freezing of Harvard funds on or after 4/14 is arbitrary and capricious, and is set aside. It also violated the First Amendment.
- The administration is also forbidden from implementing any freeze or termination of Harvard federal funding
September 3, 2025 at 8:31 PM
To sum up the judge's ruling:
- The Trump administration's freezing of Harvard funds on or after 4/14 is arbitrary and capricious, and is set aside. It also violated the First Amendment.
- The administration is also forbidden from implementing any freeze or termination of Harvard federal funding
- The Trump administration's freezing of Harvard funds on or after 4/14 is arbitrary and capricious, and is set aside. It also violated the First Amendment.
- The administration is also forbidden from implementing any freeze or termination of Harvard federal funding
The #HigherEd mutual-defense compact movement didn't gain traction with admininstrators this spring. But now, Big 10 universities are airing a TV ad that promotes unity among their ranks. Sarah Huddleston has the story @chronicle.com. #AcademicSky
It’s Not a ‘Mutual-Defense Compact.’ But a New Ad From 18 Universities Aims to Send a Message.
The Big Ten’s member institutions have collaborated on a 30-second TV spot that will air during conference football games and other sporting events.
www.chronicle.com
September 3, 2025 at 7:56 PM
The #HigherEd mutual-defense compact movement didn't gain traction with admininstrators this spring. But now, Big 10 universities are airing a TV ad that promotes unity among their ranks. Sarah Huddleston has the story @chronicle.com. #AcademicSky
Reposted by Megan Zahneis
NEW: The NIH just started requiring NIH-funded research to be made freely, immediately available. In response, some journals are forcing scientists to pay thousands in open-access fees to publish.
The result: chaos. The fees, one scholar says, are “out of control.” www.chronicle.com/article/maki...
The result: chaos. The fees, one scholar says, are “out of control.” www.chronicle.com/article/maki...
Making Your Research Free May Cost You
Under a new requirement that NIH-funded research be freely, immediately available, some journals are forcing researchers to pay to publish.
www.chronicle.com
August 28, 2025 at 7:18 PM
NEW: The NIH just started requiring NIH-funded research to be made freely, immediately available. In response, some journals are forcing scientists to pay thousands in open-access fees to publish.
The result: chaos. The fees, one scholar says, are “out of control.” www.chronicle.com/article/maki...
The result: chaos. The fees, one scholar says, are “out of control.” www.chronicle.com/article/maki...
Reposted by Megan Zahneis
www.chronicle.com/article/will...
“All of this is leading to fears that the Supreme Court is finding ways to do the bidding of the administration instead of being the independent safeguard that it was put in place to be.”
“All of this is leading to fears that the Supreme Court is finding ways to do the bidding of the administration instead of being the independent safeguard that it was put in place to be.”
Will the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Research Grants Sink Harvard’s Lawsuit Against Trump?
The court has created a major hurdle for colleges seeking to preserve research grants that have been canceled by the Trump administration, including Harvard University.
www.chronicle.com
August 28, 2025 at 2:50 PM
www.chronicle.com/article/will...
“All of this is leading to fears that the Supreme Court is finding ways to do the bidding of the administration instead of being the independent safeguard that it was put in place to be.”
“All of this is leading to fears that the Supreme Court is finding ways to do the bidding of the administration instead of being the independent safeguard that it was put in place to be.”
I've been away from the faculty governance beat, but @chronicle.com Sarah Huddleston has deftly taken up the mantle with this story on Republican influence on senate bodies. As one TX state senator told her: “The faculty senate is not the TX senate. It’s not a legislative body. Stop acting like it.”
State by State, Republicans Rein in Faculty Senates
Republican politicians say that professors are using governance bodies to advance ideological agendas. Faculty leaders fear they’re being written out of decision-making.
www.chronicle.com
August 26, 2025 at 9:50 PM
I've been away from the faculty governance beat, but @chronicle.com Sarah Huddleston has deftly taken up the mantle with this story on Republican influence on senate bodies. As one TX state senator told her: “The faculty senate is not the TX senate. It’s not a legislative body. Stop acting like it.”
@jasperjsmith.bsky.social and @katiemangan.bsky.social have been all over the George Mason U. DOJ investigations since they began. Today they broke some news @chronicle.com: GMU president Gregory Washington is digging his heels in and won't be apologizing for DEI work. #HigherEd #AcademicSky
GMU President Refuses to Apologize for Diversity Efforts, Lawyer Calls Ed. Dept. Claims ‘Absurd’
In a 10-page letter, Gregory Washington’s lawyer says the Trump administration conducted an incomplete and haphazard investigation full of “gross mischaracterizations.”
www.chronicle.com
August 25, 2025 at 8:46 PM
@jasperjsmith.bsky.social and @katiemangan.bsky.social have been all over the George Mason U. DOJ investigations since they began. Today they broke some news @chronicle.com: GMU president Gregory Washington is digging his heels in and won't be apologizing for DEI work. #HigherEd #AcademicSky
Reposted by Megan Zahneis
Of yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, which allows hundreds of NIH grant terminations to proceed, @scott-delaney.bsky.social says: “I see no viable, no reasonably likely scenario where that research comes back. I think it’s gone.”
www.chronicle.com/article/trac...
www.chronicle.com/article/trac...
‘I Think It’s Gone': Hundreds of NIH Grant Terminations Can Proceed, Supreme Court Says
<i>The Chronicle</i> is tracking executive orders, statements from Trump, and agency actions that affect higher education, plus legal challenges directed at those measures. Here’s the latest.
www.chronicle.com
August 22, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Of yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, which allows hundreds of NIH grant terminations to proceed, @scott-delaney.bsky.social says: “I see no viable, no reasonably likely scenario where that research comes back. I think it’s gone.”
www.chronicle.com/article/trac...
www.chronicle.com/article/trac...