MacKenzie Scott Gives $700 Million to Historically Black Colleges [ NYTimes ]

The flava:

Philander Smith University, a historically Black college in Arkansas, received the largest gift in its 147-year history on Friday, when billionaire MacKenzie Scott gave $19 million.

It was one of 15 donations she gave to historically Black colleges and universities this year, adding up to more than $700 million, according to a list compiled by Marybeth Gasman, a professor at Rutgers and the executive director of the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions.

“This gift is a resounding vote of confidence in our mission and our momentum,” Dr. Maurice D. Gipson, the president of Philander Smith, said in a statement.

The donations to the schools, some of which have struggled with enrollment and finances, come as the Trump administration has also directed additional money their way. In September, the administration allocated nearly $500 million for H.B.C.U.s and tribal colleges, on top of the federal funds they had already expected.

Recipients of Ms. Scott’s windfall praised her for giving funds without strings attached, which they said would allow institutions to distribute funds however they see fit. . . .  

The article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/us/hbcus-mackenzie-scott-donations.html

Campus Police Discover Fake ID, Alcohol, and Mushrooms In a Dorm Room [ Patrolling Wisconsin ]

Defending the Ivory Tower: Hank Reichman on the Fight for Academic Freedom in the Age of Trump [ Scheer Intelligence ]

How UCLA is navigating unprecedented demands from the Trump administration [ PBS NewsHour ]

Tribal colleges are a unique resource — and they're under threat [ Code Switch ]

Battle between Trump and universities hurting scientific research in need of federal funding [ 60 Minutes ]

Palantir Thinks College Might Be a Waste. So It’s Hiring High-School Grads. [ WSJ ]

The flava:

At first, the idea of skipping college to take a fellowship for Palantir Technologies seemed preposterous to Matteo Zanini. But he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“College is broken,” one Palantir post said. “Admissions are based on flawed criteria. Meritocracy and excellence are no longer the pursuits of educational institutions,” it said. The fellowship offered a path for high-school students to work full time at the company.

After deciding to apply, Zanini found out he got the fellowship at around the same time he learned of his admission to Brown University. Brown wouldn’t allow him to defer and he had also landed a full-ride scholarship through the Department of Defense.

“No one said to do the fellowship,” said Zanini, who turned 18 in September. “All of my friends, my teachers, my college counselor, it was a unanimous no.” His parents left the decision to him, and he decided to go with Palantir.

The article:

https://www.wsj.com/business/palantir-thinks-college-might-be-a-waste-so-its-hiring-high-school-grads-aed267d5

Eileen Moran Brown, Who Co-Founded a College for Underserved Adults, Dies at 87 [ WSJ ]

The flava:

Eileen Moran Brown, a co-founder of Cambridge College in Massachusetts, saw potential in students most other schools didn’t want.

The college’s students typically arrive as working adults and often are struggling to make ends meet. They include dropouts from other schools, former prison inmates and people who had low test scores. Classes are held in the evening and on weekends to accommodate those working full time. 

Brown, who died Sept. 28 of cancer at the age of 87, often said higher education shouldn’t be “just be for the privileged and the lucky.” She gave students credit for life and work experiences. She expected them to learn from one another in class discussions, not just from their professors.

Despite the school’s aspirational name, students found no ivy or dreaming spires. For more than two decades, the nonprofit college was based in a drab four-story office building between Harvard and MIT in Cambridge. . . . 

The article:

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/eileen-moran-brown-college-underserved-adults-1b32af7d

Top researchers consider leaving U.S. amid funding cuts: 'The science world is ending' [ PBS NewsHour ]

‘20 PhDs’ In the Time of One: How AI Is Changing College [ Bloomberg Television ]