The crisis facing colleges and universities that no one is talking about [ thebigstorypodcast.ca ]

There is a crisis facing Canada’s post-secondary education sector that no one is talking about.

Now that the federal government has slashed the number of international student permits available in Canada, colleges and universities from coast to coast are facing huge budget shortfalls.

Several of Canada’s best schools are cutting programs and laying off staff just to stay afloat.

These institutions have no choice but to take drastic measures, or risk going bankrupt.

PhD student expelled from University of Minnesota for allegedly using AI [ KARE 11 ]

I was asked to keep this confidential [ Sabine Hossenfelder ]

5 Ways the Education Department Affects Higher Ed [ insidehighered.com ]

The flava:

Republicans’ long-sought goal of shuttering the Education Department got a boost this week as several media outlets reported the Trump administration was finalizing plans for an executive order to wind down the agency.

Trump added to the speculation, telling reporters Tuesday he wanted his education secretary nominee, Linda McMahon, to put herself out of a job. Then, on Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said getting rid of the department is “an idea whose time has come.”

The specifics and timing of the executive order are still unclear, though media reports say the directive could instruct department officials to shut down some programs not directly approved by Congress or come up with a plan to move functions to other departments in the federal government. At the very least, the Trump administration wants to see a much smaller version of the department, particularly because only Congress can actually eliminate the agency.

More than 4,000 people currently work for the department, which was created in 1979. In fiscal year 2024, the department had a $80 billion discretionary budget. Its spending makes up just over 2 percent of the federal budget. . . . 

The article:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/student-aid-policy/2025/02/07/five-ways-education-department-impacts-higher-ed

‘Merit based, color blind’: Race, sex no longer considered for military promotions and academy admissions as Hegseth moves to weed out DEI [ Stars and Stripes ]

The flava:

Race and sex will no longer be considered in military promotions and academy admissions as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth moves to weed out diversity and equity-based programs across the U.S. military.

“The [Defense Department] will strive to provide merit-based, color-blind, equal opportunities to service members but will not guarantee or strive for equal outcomes,” Hegseth wrote in a memo released Wednesday titled “Restoring America’s Fighting Force.”

According to the memo, the Defense Department will not take into account sex, race or ethnicity when considering troops for promotions or special duty. Additionally, no department component will establish sex-, race- or ethnicity-based goals for academic admissions, career fields or organizational composition. . . . 

The article:

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2025-01-30/hegseth-dei-defense-department-promotions-academies-16654199.html

The college affordability crisis [ WAMU ]

The graduating class of 2025 is the largest the country has ever seen — around 3.9 million students. . . .

How vet schools are trying to address the mental health challenges plaguing veterinarians [ PBS NewsHour ]