Emma Whitford
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Covering all things faculty for @insidehighered. More active on Bluesky. Email: emma.whitford@insidehighered dot com // Signal: @ emmawhitford.96
Articles by Emma Whitford
U of Alabama Establishes Post-Tenure Review, Codifies Senates’ Advisory Capacity
Unlike recent actions by other Alabama public institutions, the executive committee did not dissolve the system’s existing faculty senates. Carmen K. Sisson/iStock/Getty Images The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees’ executive committee approved three board rule changes Friday, establishing a post-tenure review process for all tenured faculty members and reaffirming that faculty senates at the system’s three universities serve in an advisory-only capacity.
Berkeley Report Says Trusting Campus Climate ‘Vital’ to University’s Mission
Going forward, the task force urges Berkeley officials to be candid about why they make specific judgment calls about political speech on campus. russaquarius/Getty Images Signature A faculty task force at the University of California, Berkeley, determined that—in addition to policies protecting free speech and academic freedom—a campus climate “characterized by trust and good faith” is essential to achieving the university’s core mission, according to a report released Thursday.
With New AI Requirements and Courses, Colleges Eye AI Fluency
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the workforce, several colleges and universities are introducing AI requirements to general education curricula, majors and certificate programs this fall. Some institutions—for example, Miami University, Ohio State University and the State University of New York system—are embedding AI competencies into pre-existing majors and coursework.
Universities of Wisconsin Announce 2-Year Tuition Freeze
For fall 2026, in-state tuition at UW Madison is listed at $10,716.61, up 2 percent over the previous academic year. Education Images/Contributor via Getty Images Universities of Wisconsin leaders on Monday announced the system will freeze tuition for two years, starting in fall 2027, provided the state “invests $190 million to support the cost of the freeze and other operating needs that preserve educational quality,” according to a news release.
Jacksonville State Dissolves Faculty Senate
The Jacksonville State board also opted to end the university’s staff council, which is not required by law. Thomson200/Wikimedia Creative Commons The Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to dissolve the university’s Faculty Senate in pre-emptive compliance with an Alabama law that requires faculty bodies to take on an advisory-only role by Oct. 1, The Alabama Reflector reported.
Under UT’s New Core Curriculum, Humanities Benefit but Faculty Are Limited
The University of Texas at Austin unveiled its new core curriculum last week, 10 months after President Jim Davis instructed a faculty task force to review the existing general education requirements and “identify gaps in quality, rigor, or intellectual cohesion.” The resulting proposal was presented on Thursday to the University of Texas System Board of Regents, whose members applauded the committee for their work and embraced the new plan; one board member, Stuart Stedman, said he got...
Troy Shut Off Professor’s Email After He Contacted State Officials
Swartz’s April letter wasn’t the first he’d sent to Alabama officials. Micah Swartz was locked out of his university email and computer until he agreed not to engage with Alabama state officials who were responding to his letter about an ongoing state curriculum review, he told Inside Higher Ed Friday.
Troy Punishes Professor for Writing to Lawmakers on University Letterhead
Micah Swartz, a math professor at Troy, wrote to Alabama legislative officials in April about his concerns with the Alabama Numeracy Act Course Review Committee. A Troy University professor who sent a personal letter to Alabama lawmakers received a disciplinary notice from his department chair, claiming he issued “unauthorized communication” on “behalf of Troy University” by using university letterhead, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression announced in a news release Thursday.
How 2 Texas Lawsuits Could Tee Up a National Fight Over Academic Freedom
The American Association of University Professors sued Texas A&M University officials and the system Board of Regents last week to block a policy that limits discussion of “race or gender ideology” in class unless preapproved by the institution’s president. The policy, implemented last November, resulted in a systemwide course review and several canceled courses.
Researcher Accused of Espionage Files Second Lawsuit Against University
Tao is seeking back pay and damages for emotional and reputation harm. He is not asking for reinstatement. Wolterk/iStock/Getty Images A Chinese American chemical engineer who was accused of espionage has filed a second lawsuit against his former employer, the University of Kansas, alleging the university retaliated against him following his first lawsuit, The Kansas Reflector reported.
Professor Sues Senator Over Alleged Role in His Firing
In a statement, Marsha Blackburn’s campaign manager said the senator hadn’t yet been served with the lawsuit. Anna Moneymaker/Staff/Getty Austin Peay State University theater professor Darren Michael is suing Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn, arguing she used her political power to have him fired for posting on social media about the late conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk. Michael was one of dozens of faculty members disciplined or terminated last fall after posting about Kirk.
Labor Watch: Big SUNY Contract Ratified, AAUP Dives Into Politics
United University Professions, the State University of New York system’s faculty union, cemented its contract win last week. It represents more than 42,000 faculty members, and most of them voted to ratify a new five-year contract that includes across-the-board pay raises each year, starting with a 4.5 percent bump in 2026, as well as provisions that expand due process and job security protections and minimize the role of student surveys in teacher effectiveness evaluations.
Vassar Settles Pay Equity Class Action Suit for $5 Million
The settlement fund will compensate 84 professors, and Vassar also agreed to implement several pay equity reforms as part of the deal. Universal Images Group/Getty Images Vassar College agreed to a $5 million settlement in a class action lawsuit brought by women full professors who alleged they were paid less than their equally qualified male colleagues, Equal Rights Advocates, a nonprofit legal and advocacy organization that represented the women, announced in a news release Friday.
Florida English Professor Fired for Teaching ‘Political’ Story Sues College
Vinita Prabhakar has taught “Bettering Myself” for a decade without incident, according to the complaint. Joelsangle Productions LLC English professor Vinita Prabhakar is suing South Florida State College after she was abruptly fired for teaching a story the college president deemed “political,” according to a complaint filed Wednesday in Florida district court.
Fired Over Speech, Professors Take Their Employers to Court—and Win
Rima Kapitan is busy. An employment lawyer focused on academia, Kapitan is currently representing more than a dozen faculty members who were terminated or otherwise disciplined for their speech.
A Year After Cutting Athletics, Sonoma State Brings Back 10 Teams
A year after cutting its athletics program, Sonoma State University will re-establish 10 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II sports teams, the university announced Monday. Beginning in the 2027–28 academic year, students will be able to participate in women’s basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball and volleyball, as well as men’s basketball, golf and soccer.
Rider University Ends Chinese University Partnership
The Sanda-Rider Cooperative Program was founded in 2005. David Keddie/Wikimedia Commons Rider University in Lawrence Township, N.J., will not renew its partnership with Sanda University in Shanghai after the current agreement expires on Nov. 1, NJ.com reported. Participation in the program has declined in recent years, a university spokesperson told NJ.com. Rider’s accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, in June approved the request to end the program.
NCTE Dissolves 77-Year-Old Composition Association
Created in 1949, CCCC was the largest professional organization for researching and teaching composition in the world, according to its website. The National Council of Teachers of English executive committee voted Friday to dissolve the Conference on College Composition and Communication—CCCC, or often called the “4Cs”—and absorb its approximately 2,500 members into the broader college section of the council.
Iowa State Ordered to Pay Former Professor $2.8M in Equal Pay Lawsuit
The university said it disagreed with the jury’s decision and plans to appeal. An Iowa district court jury on Wednesday determined that Iowa State University “willfully” underpaid former professor Silvia Cianzio by nearly $725,000 since 2009, when the state’s equal pay act took effect, WHO13 reported. As a result, a judge on Thursday ordered the university to pay Cianzio almost $2.8 million.
Trump Administration Drops Demand for Names of Jewish Penn Employees
In return, the university agreed to drop its appeal. Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group/Getty Images The Trump administration on Thursday withdrew its subpoena demanding the names and contact information of Jewish employees at the University of Pennsylvania, signaling a step back in the administration’s ongoing investigation into alleged antisemitism at the Ivy League institution.
Boston U Inks $104M PILOT Deal With City
BU will make annual cash payments to Boston, up to $8.3 million in fiscal 2030. Boston University will pay the city of Boston $104 million in cash and other benefits over the next five years as part of a payment in lieu of taxes—or PILOT—agreement, The Boston Globe reported. It’s the first written PILOT deal between BU and Boston in more than 25 years and the largest in the city’s history, according to Mayor Michelle Wu’s office.
Academic Freedom at UT ‘Being Dismantled,’ Says Professor Denied Tenure
Much to his surprise, Iván Chaar López learned in February that he would not be awarded tenure at the University of Texas at Austin, despite enthusiastic recommendations from faculty and external reviewers. At some point while the president’s promotion and tenure committee was evaluating his application, his bid for tenure was denied.
Portland State Will Lay Off 36 Employees, Close 2 Departments
The cuts amount to $16 million in savings, according to a university press release, which leaves Portland State with $19 million left to cover. gregobagel/iStock/Getty Images Portland State University President Ann Cudd announced Tuesday that the university will close two departments and lay off 34 full-time faculty members and two full-time academic professionals as part of its plan to address a projected $35 million budget shortfall over the next two years.
Podcast Host Debuts Book Club for Student Conduct Nerds
Student conduct professionals are typically responsible for enforcing community standards and codes of conduct. Inside Higher Ed | Zinkevych/iStock/Getty Images Fifteen student conduct enthusiasts gathered on Zoom on Thursday afternoon for book club.
Border Surveillance Scholar Denied Tenure at UT Austin
Chaar López has worked at UT Austin since 2020. Border-surveillance scholar Iván Chaar López was denied tenure at the University of Texas at Austin after being recommended by more than 30 scholars, The Austin-American Statesman reported. Records obtained by the Statesman showed that Chaar López exceeded the bar for tenure and that his American studies colleagues recommended him for promotion pending approval from UT President Jim Davis, a presidential committee and the system Board of Regents.
Inside the ‘Culture of Fear’ at One American-Chinese University
Robert Stark is on a mission. The assistant professor of English at Wenzhou-Kean University in China has made 19 public records requests to New Jersey–based Kean University, his university’s parent-slash-sibling institution, and two complaints to its accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. He’s seeking answers to basic employment questions and governance inconsistencies that he said Wenzhou-Kean officials have failed to sufficiently address.
Inside the 'Culture of Fear' At Wenzhou-Kean University
Wenzhou-Kean is one of roughly 20 American-Chinese joint ventures established during a rapprochement of Sino-American relations in the 2000s and 2010s. Eight of the partnerships—including one between Tsinghua University and the University of California, Berkeley, and another between Georgia Tech and Tianjin University—have ended in recent years amid pressure from U.S. lawmakers concerned about suppressed academic freedom and national security risks.
Texas Tech Board Chair Donated to Paxton Before He Intervened in Football Drama
Paxton sent a letter to the Big 12 Conference on behalf of Texas Tech, telling the conference it must respect a June 10 temporary injunction.
Rutgers Investigates Dean for Selling Company’s Services to University
Of the total paid for services, $62,220 went to the New Brunswick campus. Rutgers University is investigating a potential ethics violation by Rutgers-Newark School of Arts and Sciences Dean Jacqueline Mattis after her professional development business did hundreds of thousands of dollars in business with the university, WHYY reported. Rutgers has paid Easton’s Nook, which Mattis co-owns with her sister, $145,295 for writing workshops and retreats since Mattis became dean in July 2020.
UA Countersues Professor, Alleging He Spent Research Dollars on Wedding
Baptist originally sued the University of Arkansas in April, arguing that the internal audit of his spending only began after he reported “racially charged” remarks made by his dean. The University of Arkansas system board is countersuing a professor who filed a civil rights lawsuit against the university this past spring, claiming the professor defrauded the institution by using research funding to pay for his wedding reception and honeymoon, The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported.
Seattle University Dismisses Professor Who Publicly Criticized Provost
Carmen Rivera’s employment ended on June 30, two months before her contract was set to expire. Carmen Rivera | benedek/iStock/Getty Images Seattle University terminated and declined to renew criminal justice professor Carmen Rivera’s contract two weeks after she posted a video to Instagram that showed the provost yanking a Palestinian flag from the hands of a graduating student.
Brown Professor Suspects Majority of His Class Used AI to Cheat
For the first time since he started teaching Welfare Economics and Social Choice Theory nearly two decades ago, Brown University economics professor Roberto Serrano gave his students a take-home midterm this spring. Quite a few students had expressed anxiety about being in a classroom after a gunman killed two students and injured nine in a December mass shooting at Brown, and so “it was appropriate,” he said, to allow students to take their exams at home.
North Idaho College Promises Graduates a Job in 6 Months, or Free Training
An additional promise to students: Those who have been working in a trade, served in the military or hold industry certifications will be able to turn that experience into academic credit.
Labor Watch: St. John’s Sues New York, Suit Against Rutgers Unions Dismissed
A judge dismissed a 2024 lawsuit against Rutgers unions that claimed students were deprived of a week of their education due to a weeklong strike in 2023. Spencer Platt/Getty Images St. John’s University is suing the New York Public Employment Relations Board, asking the court to block the agency from processing an unfair labor practice charge that the university’s faculty unions filed in April.
Florida Board Approves Stuart Bell as UF’s Next President
Prior to the vote, the incoming president, center, faced several questions from board members about his stance on DEI. The Florida Board of Governors voted Wednesday to make former University of Alabama President Stuart Bell the next president of the University of Florida, giving the flagship research university a permanent president after two years without one.
After 51 Years at Bard and 6 Months of Scandal, Botstein Retires
During his 51 years as president, Botstein racked up a long list of accomplishments, but the final six months of his tenure have been marred by controversy over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
U of Tennessee to Pay $1.9 Million to Prof Fired Over Charlie Kirk Comments
Former UT Knoxville professor Tamar Shirinian was fired in February, five months after she posted on Facebook that the “world is better off without [Kirk] in it.” The University of Tennessee System will pay $1.9 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a former professor who was fired for comments she made about the late conservative pundit Charlie Kirk, Knox News reported Monday. State officials must now approve the settlement.
San José State Prof Sues Over ‘Gross Violation’ of Rights
San José State fired Kil in 2025 and she has contested the decision since. San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Contributor/Getty Images A week after an arbitrator ordered that she be reinstated, San José State University Professor Sang Hea Kil announced she is suing California State University “to vindicate the gross violation of her civil rights,” according to a news release. “I am relieved that this long, grueling ordeal has come to an end for me.
Regional Public Students Feel Belonging, but Also Financial Stress
About 37 percent of regional public students said they use AI every day. FatCamera/E+/Getty Images Nearly four in five students at regional public universities are concerned that a financial emergency will prevent them from continuing school, and more than half say they are “just getting by” financially, according to a new report from the nonprofit think tank Third Way.
Dear Colleague Letter Asks Colleges to End Affinity Housing
In addition to standard dorm living, many colleges offer thematic housing that gives students the opportunity to live, work and learn alongside peers with similar interests or identities. NoSystem images/E+/Getty Images The Trump administration is urging colleges and universities to end affinity and multicultural housing, calling the voluntary, minority student–focused living arrangements “neo-segregation” and claiming they violate the Fair Housing Act.
Meet the Externs: How Faculty Use Workplace Experience to Help Students
College graduates typically get their foot in the door through junior-level positions, but now “AI can eat that stuff for breakfast,” said Dan Hatch.
Some Kansas Faculty Uneasy Over ‘Vague’ DEI Definitions
The board’s policy stops short of barring faculty members from teaching DEI-CRT content—for now. Wolterk/iStock/Getty Images The Kansas Board of Regents last week formally defined the terms “DEI” and “CRT,” paving the way for state-mandated curriculum changes that will eliminate gender-, race- and ethnicity-focused courses from general education requirements at public universities.
Whitman College Caps Tuition at 10% of Income
To calculate tuition, Whitman uses a family’s adjusted gross income from the student’s FAFSA. Wolfgang Kaehler/Avalon/Universal Images Group/Getty Images Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., announced Saturday that students will not pay more than 10 percent of their family’s annual income in tuition. Students whose families earn $100,000 or less will receive scholarships covering the full cost of tuition, which is $68,692 for the 2026–27 academic year.
Prof. Fired for Palestinian Activism Should Be Reinstated, Arbitrator Says
The decision comes seven months after a Faculty Hearing Committee also determined that termination was not warranted. Sundry Photography/iStock/Getty Images An arbitrator ruled that Sang Hea Kil, a tenured San José State University professor who was fired in 2025 after participating in pro-Palestinian student protests, should be reinstated, the California Faculty Association announced Monday.
Can—and Should—Honor Codes Survive in the AI Age?
The already-small number of colleges with full-fledged, student-enforced honor codes is dwindling. After a three-year pilot of proctored exams, Stanford University student, faculty and administrative leaders decided in April that the university will allow proctoring for all in-person tests starting in September. Princeton University faculty approved a similar plan a month later.
Universities Hiring Student Expression Specialists
The new roles will consolidate free expression–related responsibilities—such as crafting speech policies, training faculty in de-escalation tactics and coordinating with law enforcement.
Canvas Hackers Target Dozens More Colleges
ShinyHunters may have accessed the Oracle PeopleSoft software suite at more than 100 organizations. Photo illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed | SuperCubePL/iStock/Getty Images ShinyHunters, the cybercrime group behind last month’s Canvas hack, may have gained access to human resources and financial management software at dozens of colleges, Higher Ed Dive reported Monday.
AAUP Readies for Bigger Political Fight
CHICAGO—In many ways, the American Association of University Professors’ biennial meeting felt like a political war room. While thunderstorms and high winds raged outside, the mission inside the Hyatt Centric Chicago was clear: Higher education is under attack, and the AAUP must move beyond defending faculty in the crosshairs and step up its offense through more effective organizing, greater political advocacy and stronger labor actions.
Cited Professors Say the Vanderbilt Report Misrepresents Their Work
A new report on the state of humanities scholarship made waves in higher ed circles when it was released Friday, and has since drawn criticism from professors across the humanities.
Professor Put on Leave for Assigning Case Study That Mentions Palestinians
Officials at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago placed an art therapy professor on paid leave after a student complained that an assignment featuring a mock patient who “felt deeply affected by the violence against Palestinian civilians” violated the school’s discrimination policy.
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