iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Megan Zahneis

@mzahneis.bsky.social

1.9K followers 1.1K following 209 posts

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.

Posts Replies Media

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.

At Cornell, a Rape Case Defines an Era

A new generation of college students has reason to be both fatalistic and fed up.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

US military academies will no longer award tenure — which Hegseth said was among the "structural mechanisms that have allowed civilian academic norms to dilute our focus on lethality" — to civilian professors. Quick update from me @chronicle.com.

Defense Secretary Tells Military Academies to Stop Giving Out Tenure

In making the directive, Pete Hegseth wrote that tenure “often leads to academic stagnation, faculty complacency, and institutional inability to adapt to emerging needs.”

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Are you a faculty member considering, or committed to, early retirement because of changes to the way tenure works (at your institution/system, in your state or more broadly)? I'd like to talk to you for a @chronicle.com story. Send me a DM or email megan.zahneis@chronicle.com.

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Stephanie M. Lee @stephaniemlee.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

EXCLUSIVE: A book out next week from the Smithsonian claims to settle the debate about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. But at the eleventh hour, a Hemings relative who gave DNA to the study has dropped out. Her worry: the science in the book hasn't been vetted. www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

Sally Hemings’s Oldest Descendant Gave the Smithsonian Her DNA. She Says It Lost Her Trust.

On the eve of a new book that promises to settle the debate about Thomas Jefferson, a Sally Hemings relative is raising alarms that its science hasn’t been vetted.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

This summer, reporters and editors @chronicle.com — with help from sources and readers — took stock of the sector, asking: Who's making waves? The result is our inaugural "People to Watch" package, featuring 16 names you should know.

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Jasper Smith @jasperjsmith.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

The debate over Ghent University’s handling of Nathan Cofnas has expanded beyond the merits of his accusations about Arday. It's become a proxy battle about whose viewpoint deserves protection. www.chronicle.com/article/shou...

Should Jason Arday’s Accuser Be Defended? American Scholars Disagree.

More than 200 signed an open letter protesting Ghent University’s suspension of Nathan Cofnas. But Cofnas’s views have left some scholars with misgivings about that campaign.

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Garrett Shanley @garrettshanley.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

New: Leaders at UT-Austin want first-year undergrads spending less time in niche core courses and more time studying Western civilization. Courses like The History of College Football” are out; the Great Books are in. w/ @mzahneis.bsky.social www.chronicle.com/article/repu...

Republicans Want Colleges to Emphasize Western Civ. UT-Austin Plans to Do Just That.

A controversial state law prompted a faculty-led review of the university’s core curriculum, which came up with new emphases like “Western Civilization” and “Great Questions of Human Life.”

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

"It’s not very hard to interpret what way the wind blows." I talked to three scholars who were recently denied tenure. All stopped short of saying it was for political reasons. But it's difficult, they say, not to ask certain questions.

Has Partisanship Infected Tenure Decisions?

Several recent denials have raised questions about political influence.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

NEW from me: Last night, the AAUP filed its second lawsuit against a Texas higher-ed system in recent weeks. This time, it's asking a federal judge to block what it calls a “prophylactic ban on politically disfavored speech related to race, gender, and sexual orientation" at Texas A&M.

‘What Are We Even Doing Here?': New Lawsuit Challenges Ban on Race and Gender Topics at Texas A&M

Plaintiffs included four faculty members whose courses were canceled or not offered.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

The presidents of WashU, Arizona State, Kansas, and Johns Hopkins, in concert with the Association of American Universities, helped draft a new version of last year's White House compact. “We’d much rather be a partner than play the guessing game as we have been,” Kansas' president told Bloomberg.

Trump Has Released a New ‘Call to Action’ for Universities. 4 College Presidents Helped Draft It.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter Monday imploring colleges to adopt a series of familiar-sounding reforms — this time, in partnership with leaders in the Association of American Univers...

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Chronicle of Higher Education article on the Kratsios "Golden Age of Science" document www.chronicle.com/article/why-... “This whole document really strikes me as being incredibly naïve and just wrong,” said Jeremy Berg, who led ... a branch of the (NIH), during the Bush and Obama administrations.

Why Scientists Hate Trump’s New Plan to Revamp Research Funding

Diverting money from universities would distort priorities and slow discovery, they say.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

“At the same time the Trump administration has issued an executive order and extolled the value of HBCUs, it’s cutting their research and limiting their research topics." - @scott-delaney.bsky.social @katiemangan.bsky.social on the unique research struggles MSIs and HSIs face, @chronicle.com.

The Research Cuts No One Is Talking About

Minority-serving institutions are quietly being denied funds key to their aspirations. Their leaders don’t want to discuss it.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

New from me: The University of Houston is proposing cutting 100 courses from its core curriculum to comply with SB 37, but faculty critics say the university's interpreting the law "in ways that go well beyond" what its text says. #HigherEd #AcademicSky

U. of Houston is Planning Big Cuts to Its Core Curriculum. Faculty Aren’t Happy.

The university is moving to cut 40 percent of classes from its core curriculum in response to a state law. Professors say administrators’ interpretation of the law is too broad, and that they should h...

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

I wrote about Texas A&M's fall course-review process @chronicle.com. Some top-line results: Rhetoric and Film? OK, as long as discussion of critical race theory is removed. Contemporary Sociological Theory? Don't advocate while teaching. LGBTQ Literatures? Not allowed. #HigherEd

What Texas A&M Will — and Won’t — Let You Teach

Newly obtained records reveal that two courses for the fall were canceled outright, while administrators demanded changes to others. Instructors say the deliberative process is a black box.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Just because grant terminations haven't made headlines recently doesn't mean nothing's happening in the research world. @sheatvance.bsky.social has the rundown on the Trump admin's proposal to increase federal control of grant review, and what critics said about it in public comments. #AcademicSky

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Adrienne Lu @adriennelu.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Is AI accelerating (or postponing) your plans for retirement? I'd love to hear more about it for an upcoming @chronicle.com story. Please DM or email me adrienne.lu@chronicle.com. Thanks! #academicsky #highered

The Chronicle of Higher Education | Higher Ed News, Opinion, & Advice

In-depth and breaking news, opinion, advice, and jobs for professors, deans, and others in higher education from The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Texas Tech nixed teaching Plato's Republic and "facts about Nazi persecution of gay and bisexual men," according to an AAUP lawsuit filed yesterday. @garrettshanley.bsky.social and I have the details. www.chronicle.com/article/at-t...

At Texas Tech, a Bombshell Lawsuit Points to an ‘Extraordinary System of Censorship’

An 84-page complaint offers a glimpse into how the system’s curricular-review process has operated behind closed doors.

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Matt Hartman @themhartman.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

howard bunsis has accused dozens of universities of falsely claiming financial precarity to justify cutting budgets. administrators accuse him of just telling professors what they want to hear. @mzahneis.bsky.social and i dug into the disagreement www.theassemblync.com/news/educati...

theassemblync.com

The Faculty’s Numbers Man

The accounting professor has conducted analyses of more than 100 colleges’ finances. He often concludes that campuses are on more stable ground than administrators claim.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Tough times at The New School, which just handed layoff notices to about 15% of its employees to address a $48 million deficit — on top of a 7% workforce reduction via buyouts. It's also restructuring four colleges into two in a major reorg. #HigherEd #AcademicSky www.chronicle.com/article/its-...

‘It’s Just Been Agony’: Facing a Big Deficit, the New School Begins Layoffs

One of New York’s most prominent universities has handed layoff notices to about 15 percent of its employees, marking its latest measure to rectify a $48-million budget deficit.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Half of surveyed Texas Tech faculty changed course content on their own after the chancellor's memos restricting teaching on race, gender, and sexuality. More than half say they're now looking for other jobs as a result of the memos. #HigherEd @chronicle.com www.chronicle.com/article/half...

Half of Surveyed Faculty at Texas Tech Say They Altered Course Content Without Being Asked To

The findings of an unscientific, faculty-conducted survey suggested that new policies on teaching about race and sex have changed university instruction.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

I want to talk to mid-career faculty at institutions and in states that have adopted post-tenure review or other policies that may make tenure seem a less stable prospect. How do those policies influence your thinking about going up for tenure - or maintaining it? DM or email me!

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

@jasperjsmith.bsky.social has the deep dive on the U. of Florida's prospective new president and his track record of supporting DEI at Alabama — which one prominent conservative critic has cast as "aggressive," "illegal," and grounds for disqualification at UF. www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

The U. of Florida Rejected a Former DEI Champion. Will Stuart Bell Face the Same Fate?

At the university of Alabama, Bell doubled black enrollment after an aggressive diversity campaign to make the flagship reflect the state’s demographics.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

It's a busy day in college leadership: Northwestern announced it's poached Mung Chiang from Purdue to become its next president. Not to be outdone, the U. of Florida named its sole finalist. @chronicle.com is tracking the latest: www.chronicle.com/liveblog/her...

Northwestern Recruits Away Purdue’s President as Next Leader

College leaders are facing unprecedented scrutiny from the Trump administration, emboldened state lawmakers, and tight budgets. Here’s the latest.

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Stephanie M. Lee @stephaniemlee.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

NEW: You can now get a Ph.D. in antisemitism studies. Should you be able to? I wrote about the rise of antisemitism studies in the academy post-October 7th: a burgeoning field flush with cash, politically in vogue, and rife with infighting. www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

The Fight Over Antisemitism Studies

How money, fear, and October 7th forged a contentious new area of study.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

NEW from me @chronicle.com: Indiana University said the USDA ordered it to lock a professor's lab. The USDA told me it had not. Meanwhile, about 50 researchers are now without access to their work. #HigherEd #AcademicSky www.chronicle.com/article/a-pr...

A Professor Defended a Postdoc Who Was Deported. Now His Lab Has Been Suddenly Locked Down.

Work at an Indiana University biology lab was halted amid federal scrutiny, affecting dozens of researchers. “The damage is significant and mounting,” the department chair told The Chronicle.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

NEW from me: New restrictions on sexual orientation and gender identity at Texas Tech extend to student research @chronicle.com www.chronicle.com/article/at-t...

At Texas Tech, Even Some Student Research on Gender Will Be Banned

A ban on theses or dissertations about sexual orientation or gender identity has faculty worried about the consequences for graduate students — as well as future attacks on research.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I've reported on no-confidence votes in #HigherEd for years now. So when I heard about a new book exploring their increasing prevalence, and the lingering effects of a vote of no confidence on a campus, I was all over it. www.chronicle.com/article/is-t...

Is the No-Confidence Vote Bad for Everyone?

A new book by two former college presidents argues that the measure injures more than just the leader it is meant to condemn.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Remember the Oklahoma EO to "phase out" tenure at regional institutions and community colleges? This bill would extend that directive, meaning no hires with tenure at U. of Oklahoma or Oklahoma State U. after Jan. 1, 2027 - renewable contracts instead. www.chronicle.com/article/stat...

Following Governor’s Order, Oklahoma Lawmakers Move to Block Tenure Statewide

The legislative session is underway in dozens of states, and higher education is very much on the agenda. Here’s the latest.

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

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)

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Stephanie M. Lee @stephaniemlee.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

can you teach something at Texas A&M? just follow this flowchart. www.chronicle.com/article/insi... via @jasperjsmith.bsky.social and @mzahneis.bsky.social

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Adrienne Lu @adriennelu.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Academic workers - have you had to wait a long time for your first paycheck? Tell me about it for an upcoming story I'm working on (inspired by reader responses to a recent @drkevinrmcclure.com piece on absurdities in higher ed compensation) #academicsky #highered www.chronicle.com/article/comp...

Compensation in Higher Ed Is ‘Absurd,’ ‘Insane,’ and ‘Insulting’

Readers react to Kevin R. McClure’s recent essay, ‘Higher Education’s Compensation Charade.’

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

I wrote last week @chronicle.com about the Oklahoma executive order to "phase out" tenure, and what it might mean for the rest of higher ed. It's the most sweeping attempt at eliminating tenure to date, and likely the first to come via EO, one expert told me. www.chronicle.com/article/okla...

Oklahoma Is ‘Phasing Out’ Tenure. Will the Idea Catch On?

A governor’s executive order has left the state’s professors with more questions than answers — and touched off concerns that tenure may be under threat nationwide.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Breaking, from me: An executive order from Oklahoma's governor directs most of the state's public colleges to "phase out tenure." #AcademicSky #HigherEd @chronicle.com www.chronicle.com/article/tenu...

Tenure Will Be Eliminated at Most of Oklahoma’s Public Colleges, Governor Says

Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, directed the state’s two-dozen regional universities and community colleges to phase out the practice. Existing faculty members will be grandfathered in.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

For @chronicle.com's annual workplace issue, I looked into what's quickly becoming a trend: Mandatory minimum teaching loads for faculty members, imposed by state legislatures or higher-ed boards.

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Garrett Shanley @garrettshanley.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Is the Republican chairman of U. of Florida’s Board of Trustees the only thing standing between Gator Nation and a full-fledged MAGA takeover? www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

Inside a GOP Megadonor’s Inner-Party Feud Over a Red-State Flagship

Mori Hosseini is the most powerful person at the University of Florida. Can he prevent a MAGA takeover?

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

New year, new opportunities with @chronicle.com's reporting fellowship! Two days until our Zoom info session and just over a week until we begin reviewing applications - young journalists, we'd love to read yours.

Flyer advertising the Chronicle of Higher Education's reporting fellowship in Washington, DC. What we're looking for: Recent college graduates or early-career journalists; interest in higher education (no previous beat experience required); able to write on deadline and juggle enterprise work; self-motivated and eager. What we offer: $55,000 salary + benefits; excellent work-life balance; freedom to carve out a beat; travel and collaboration opportunities; practice in a range of reporting formats and timelines; hybrid work environment. Zoom information session information Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. ET (meeting ID 441 918 7951 and passcode 416484). Offers extended early March; start date July. Contact mzahneis@chronicle.com with questions. Application deadline: January 15. The flyer has a white background with blue and yellow accents and features a photo of a Chronicle reporter and editor talking to one another, and a QR code for more information about the fellowship.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Calling all college journalists and recent or soon-to-be grads: @chronicle.com is hiring two fellows to join our newsroom in summer 2026. We'd love for you to be one of them.

Flyer advertising the Chronicle of Higher Education's reporting fellowship in Washington, DC. What we're looking for: Recent college graduates or early-career journalists; interest in higher education (no previous beat experience required); able to write on deadline and juggle enterprise work; self-motivated and eager. What we offer: $55,000 salary + benefits; excellent work-life balance; freedom to carve out a beat; travel and collaboration opportunities; practice in a range of reporting formats and timelines; hybrid work environment. Zoom information session information Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. ET (meeting ID 441 918 7951 and passcode 416484). Offers extended early March; start date July. Contact mzahneis@chronicle.com with questions. Application deadline: January 15. The flyer has a white background with blue and yellow accents and features a photo of a Chronicle reporter and editor talking to one another, and a QR code for more information about the fellowship.

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)

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

kate hidalgo bellows @shenandoahkate.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

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...

‘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.”

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Josh Moody @byjoshmoody.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

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.

An email from New College officials indicating interest in the compact.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

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.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

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.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

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.

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

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.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

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.

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

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.

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

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.

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.

Reposted by Megan Zahneis

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.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

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.

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

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.