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Sarah Brown

@brownepoints.bsky.social
1.9K followers 777 following 191 posts

News editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education. Marathon runner, horse girl, fantasy baseball amateur, UNC alum.

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Reposted by Sarah Brown
Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
"There are so many Jane Does out there." @jasperjsmith.bsky.social, @brownepoints.bsky.social and I tried to make sense of the political and cultural context that's already turned the Cornell case into a national flashpoint. Give it a read @chronicle.com.
chronicle.com
At Cornell, a Rape Case Defines an Era
A new generation of college students has reason to be both fatalistic and fed up.
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Reposted by Sarah Brown
Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A lot of universities will be facing big deficits and looking to cure what ails them. I just want them to be thoughtful about it.
Screenshot of article which reads: At the same time, new job-focused majors may not be sustainable — and can even backfire. Dominique Baker, an associate professor of education and public policy at the University of Delaware, pointed to the rise in computer-science degrees in the 2010s. At the time, they seemed like the best way to secure a high-paying salary after graduation, she said. But with the rise of generative artificial intelligence, computer-science jobs are increasingly hard to find, and enrollment in such programs is falling significantly.
“When you tie the viability, the financial viability in particular, of an institution really tightly to jobs creation on that scale,” especially as a four-year institution, she said, “you have to be really careful, because you can find that in 10 years that program that you poured all your money into — worthless.”
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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
My colleague @ngluckman.bsky.social and I wrote a profile of Jennifer Mnookin, the incoming president of Columbia University. Fairly or not, Columbia has become a chaotic poster child for everything wrong with higher ed. Can Mnookin repair the community, and how? www.chronicle.com/article/can-...
chronicle.com
Can Jennifer Mnookin Heal Columbia?
One of higher ed’s most skilled negotiators arrives at one of its most fractured campuses.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
This is a great and heartbreaking read — sort of about college and what it can be at its best, but really about male friendship.
theassemblync.com
The Epic Real-Life Friendship Behind an Acclaimed Novel
Lily King’s “Heart the Lover” commemorates three chums who bonded as students in Chapel Hill. Their friends recall an uncommon alliance that ended too soon.
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Dan Bauman @danbauman77.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
SOME PERSONAL NEWS: I’m on the journalism job market again! (More below) From business, ed, legal, breaking & investigative reporting, to data & research skills rooted in Python, R & AI — I can deliver for your newsroom. Email me at danbauman77@gmail.com & I’ll see u @ #NICAR (1/10)
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
This is a beautiful, human story.
charlotteobserver.com
She saw HBCU president’s plea for new kidney on Instagram and thought: Why not?
What began as a viral plea led a stranger to make a life-saving gift — and form an unexpected lifelong bond.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
We're following how U.S. college campuses, programs, students, and faculty in the Middle East might be affected by war in Iran👇 www.chronicle.com/article/iran... Let us know what else you're seeing: news editor at @chronicle.com
chronicle.com
Iran War Live Updates: Satellite Campuses Hunker Down as Conflict Expands
We’re tracking the latest developments on the federal government’s attempt to give preferential access to research funding to campuses that agree to policy changes.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
“Every class I go to, I’m thinking, do I run out of this class if I have to?” Such important journalism on the ground at Minnesota's colleges right now:
chronicle.com
‘The Perception of Danger Everywhere’: Navigating Campus Life Amid ICE Enforcement
Locals, students, and college officials in the Twin Cities describe the mood as tense, apprehensive, and heavy.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Are there legitimate questions about the legality of the DOJ memo on DEI? Probably. But no lawsuit has been filed. Meanwhile, the Trump admin is already using it to pressure colleges to make changes. UVa agreed to abide by the DOJ interpretation of DEI in its October deal with the government.
chronicle.com
Trump Is Allowing Some Anti-DEI Directives to Die. That Likely Won’t Matter for Colleges.
The administration on Wednesday withdrew its appeal in a lawsuit challenging Education Department guidelines. But a near-identical Justice Department memo remains on the books.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
The Trump admin withdrew its appeal of a ruling against the Ed Dept's anti-DEI orders. So they're dead. For higher ed, tho, it won't make much difference. -Colleges already acted preemptively to alter/drop DEI efforts. -There's a DOJ memo says virtually the same thing as the Ed Dept guidance did.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Most colleges ban recording classes without consent. But recent events make clear that the policies are difficult to enforce. And if a video of a professor has gone viral, many faculty point out, the damage has already been done.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Today's lead story @chronicle.com shows how secret recordings of classes — spurred on by a well-funded right-wing media apparatus — are changing the relationship between professors and students.
chronicle.com
The Classroom, Caught on Camera
Professors and students are increasingly worried what they say in class could end up on the internet.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Complaints over what's taught in college classrooms aren’t new. But only in the past decade have professors contended with the possibility that what happens in a class could be easily taped and shared. Now many faculty are walking on eggshells, wondering what that means for the future of learning.
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Eric Kelderman @erickelderman.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
First minor drama at #NACIQI: The election for a new chair. Nominees are Zakiya Smith-Ellis, appointed by Congressional Dems and a former Secretary of Higher Ed in NJ; and Jay Greene, a new member and former Heritage Foundation fellow appointed by ED. First round of voting ends in an 8-8 tie...
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Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
🧵 A dean is abruptly removed. Her account goes viral. At first, it looks like a fight over the humanities. But the more I reported on the University of Tulsa, the clearer it became: this controversy was just the entry point for a far larger institutional unraveling. (1/14)
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Before the holiday break, you may have seen that a professor was detained by ICE en route to the Middle East Studies Association's conference. But you may have missed that a second professor was detained. Here's what we know:
chronicle.com
The Trump Administration Detained a Longtime Faculty Member, Saying He’s an Undocumented Immigrant
The government says Sumith Gunasekera of Ferris State University was ineligible for legal status in the United States due to 1998 criminal charges in Canada, including a sex offense.
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Reposted by Sarah Brown
Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
In a new deal with Trump, UVa agreed to adopt the administration's interpretation of DEI — in other words, that most diversity-related policies and programs are illegal discrimination
chronicle.com
U. of Virginia Will Adopt Trump’s Interpretation of DEI in Federal Deal
The university has pledged to follow government guidance arguing that a wide range of diversity-related efforts and programs are illegal discrimination.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
UVa noted in an FAQ that it will follow anti-DEI guidance from the Department of Justice, which criticized a range of campus practices referencing race and identity. UVa will report back to DOJ on adherence to that guidance, "consistent with relevant judicial decisions." federalinfo.virginia.edu
federalinfo.virginia.edu
Federal Information
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
In a new deal with Trump, UVa agreed to adopt the administration's interpretation of DEI — in other words, that most diversity-related policies and programs are illegal discrimination
chronicle.com
U. of Virginia Will Adopt Trump’s Interpretation of DEI in Federal Deal
The university has pledged to follow government guidance arguing that a wide range of diversity-related efforts and programs are illegal discrimination.
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Adam Harris @adamhsays.com · 21/10/2025
UVA "would be required to continue to take steps to come into compliance with the administration’s expansive interpretation of a 2023 Supreme Court decision that ended explicit consideration of race in admissions to higher education, according to three people briefed on negotiations."
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Ok here's a new one: Vanderbilt's chancellor does NOT explicitly decline Trump's compact. He says, we interpreted the outreach as a chance to provide feedback to the White House, and we did that.
chronicle.com
Compact Live Updates: U. of Arizona Says It Won’t Sign On, While Vanderbilt Describes ‘Ongoing Dialogue’
The Arizona flagship submitted a “statement of principles” to the government. Vanderbilt’s chancellor said “we have not been asked to accept or reject the draft compact,” and said the campus would pro...
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Ok here's a new one: Vanderbilt's chancellor does NOT explicitly decline Trump's compact. He says, we interpreted the outreach as a chance to provide feedback to the White House, and we did that.
chronicle.com
Compact Live Updates: U. of Arizona Says It Won’t Sign On, While Vanderbilt Describes ‘Ongoing Dialogue’
The Arizona flagship submitted a “statement of principles” to the government. Vanderbilt’s chancellor said “we have not been asked to accept or reject the draft compact,” and said the campus would pro...
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
University of Arizona president has declined Trump's compact — and sent back an alternative "statement of principles" outlining the u's current policies on international enrollment, academic freedom, admissions etc.
chronicle.com
Compact Live Updates: U. of Arizona Says It Won’t Sign On, Becoming Seventh Campus to Decline
The flagship instead submitted a “statement of principles” to the government. Meanwhile, professors at the University of Texas at Austin urged their campus not to go along with the effort.
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Reposted by Sarah Brown
Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
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.
chronicle.com
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.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Full story: www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
chronicle.com
How a Trump-Supporting Congressman Turned College President Disarmed His Critics
Bill Johnson has found success at Youngstown State University by floating above the fray — or seeming to.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Johnson declined to take a public position on Ohio's Republican-backed higher-ed reform law and downplayed his involvement. But the lawmaker who spearheaded the bill told Megan that Johnson influenced its development.
chronicle.com
How a Trump-Supporting Congressman Turned College President Disarmed His Critics
Bill Johnson has found success at Youngstown State University by floating above the fray — or seeming to.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Youngstown State faculty, who had been outraged at Johnson's selection, calmed down pretty quickly — because his leadership has been pretty low key. "It’s hard to say that he’s done something to be super unfavorable," one professor said.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
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.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
If you, like me, having struggled to keep straight how different universities are responding to Trump's proposed "compact," we've got you covered. The roundup demonstrates 1) varied leadership philosophies 2) a broad spectrum re: faculty engagement (or, perhaps, willingness to speak publicly).
chronicle.com
The White House Sent Its Compact to 9 Universities. Here’s What Their Administrators and Faculty Are Saying.
Presidents have been guarded in their remarks on the Trump administration’s offer. But professors have expressed grave concerns.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
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?"
theassemblync.com
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.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Come for a catch-up on the latest big higher ed news, stay for the Sean Penn cameo at the end (yes, really)
podcasts.apple.com
Trump’s ‘Compact’ Is Freaking People Out
Podcast Episode · College Matters from The Chronicle · 10/08/2025 · 40m
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
A college president in a red state says his university is thriving right now. But there are tradeoffs.
chronicle.com
Mizzou’s President Has Succeeded by Staying Out of Trouble
The University of Missouri leader turned around its reputation, bolstered state funding and enrollment, and restored the faculty trust. But his tight-lipped management style has its critics.
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Eric Kelderman @erickelderman.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
www.chronicle.com/article/a-ro... Breaking News: Harvard/AAUP win summary judgment in federal district court
chronicle.com
‘A Robust Victory’: Federal Judge Says Harvard Should Have Billions of Research Dollars Restored
The judge, Allison D. Burroughs, ruled that the Trump administration’s explanation for canceling the grants — that Harvard had done too little to respond to antisemitism — rang hollow.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
First on @chronicle.com: George Mason University's president just refused the Trump administration's demand to deliver a "personal apology" for supporting diversity efforts in hiring.
chronicle.com
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.”
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Reposted by Sarah Brown
Stephanie M. Lee @stephaniemlee.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
🙃🙃🙃
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
Most texts between me and my husband these days are just one of us saying "Schwarrrr..." and the other one replying "💣" #Phillies #MVP
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Stephanie M. Lee @stephaniemlee.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
SCOOP: The NIH is moving to prohibit funded scientists, inside and outside the agency, from collecting data about gender, according to a draft policy I obtained. It’s part of the NIH’s aggressive crackdown on gender-identity research. www.chronicle.com/article/gend...
chronicle.com
Gender Data Would Be Off-Limits Under Proposed NIH Policy
A draft rule would bar scientists funded by the agency from collecting data about gender identity, following other steps the administration has taken to restrict research on LGBT topics.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
Everyone wants to see the numbers — how selective colleges choose their classes. How they make sense of those numbers (especially now that the Trump administration is among those parties) could have major implications for higher ed.
chronicle.com
Columbia’s Deal With Trump Stokes Fears of Federal Admissions Audits
The university will hand over new details about the prospective students it admits and rejects. Is it laying the groundwork for more-aggressive government intervention?
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
At least some funding for federal TRIO programs — which support low-income students — is being awarded as planned this summer, per campus announcements. Hundreds of colleges rely on TRIO grants. (In the long run, though, Trump has proposed eliminating TRIO and dismantling ED, which administers it.)
mountsaintvincent.edu
TRiO Delivers. Will Congress?
UMSV Wins $1.7M SSS/TRiO Grant Renewal—But National Funding Cuts Could Threaten TRiO’s Future
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Eric Kelderman @erickelderman.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
THREAD: 1/ FWIW, @usedgov.bsky.social has sent a notice to @harvard.edu 's institutional accreditor, the New England Commission of Higher Education, alleging the university had violated Title VI and may be in violation of accreditation standards www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
ed.gov
U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services Notify Harvard University’s Accreditor of Harvard’s Title VI Violation
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights today notified the New England Commission of Higher E...
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
Wisconsin just made 4/4 teaching loads the law for all full-time faculty members at the state's public universities (except the university system's two research universities, where everyone must teach a 2/2 load)
chronicle.com
A 4/4 Teaching Load Becomes Law at Most of Wisconsin’s Public Universities
The mandate, included in the state’s new budget, applies to full-time faculty across the University of Wisconsin system — except at the two R1 universities, where professors must carry 2/2 loads.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Updated Chronicle story on UVa President Jim Ryan's resignation: "Faculty members at every university should be worried that the federal government believes it has the right to decide who their leader should be."
chronicle.com
University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration
The sudden move followed a reported demand by federal officials that James Ryan step down to resolve a Department of Justice investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion on the campus.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
This is an important quote from our story on how UVa and its president ended up in the crosshairs of the Justice Department: "Neither Trump’s Office of Civil Rights, the Youngkin administration, nor the Board of Visitors has defined DEI — the thing that they want to get rid of."
chronicle.com
Is DEI Truly Dead at UVa?
The university’s board has ordered a sweeping walkback of ambitious diversity programs. But conservative critics say DEI lives on — and they’re pushing to oust President James E. Ryan.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Trump's far-reaching guidance (currently blocked) offered the interpretation that colleges can't use race "in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring...financial aid...administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life."
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Colleges have been wrestling for months with what to do about their diversity-related efforts amid federal and state pressures. Part of why Trump's crusade against DEI has been so successful — i.e. led to preemptive compliance — is because his administration hasn't defined it.
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
UVa eliminated its central diversity office and moved staff to other roles back in March. But per the Chronicle's reporting last month, the Justice Department latched onto the idea (promoted by a small alumni group and then others) that President Jim Ryan hadn't done enough to root out "DEI."
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
I clearly erred, I apologize
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
UVa president's full statement is here:
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Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Jim Ryan's statement, continued: "To do so would not only be quixotic but appear selfish and self-centered to the hundreds of employees who would lose their jobs, the researchers who would lose their funding, and the hundreds of students who could lose financial aid or have their visas withheld."
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