Fear and self-censorship in academe.

Jonathan Holloway and Ana Mari Cauce on the physical and psychological toll of leading a university in 2025.

The stakes are high. But the extraordinary politicization of foreign students — and of higher education, in general — has made colleges reluctant to talk about the consequences.

REGISTER FOR ACCESS: American higher ed stands at a pivotal moment. Enrollment challenges, political scrutiny, and cost pressures are driving change—and creating space for innovation. This year’s Chronicle Festival convened higher-ed leaders and thinkers to explore how institutions are adapting with fresh ideas, bold leadership, and renewed purpose. With Support From Axim Collaborative, Google Cloud, Florida Atlantic University, Old Dominion University, and Texas A&M University. Watch on demand.

The openness to having dialogue with the White House points to a continued division in the sector about how best to interact with the Trump administration.

The desire for objective grades connects to broader ideas about merit.

The Ron DeSantis-backed organization, a collaboration between six university systems in red states, is soon expected to announce an initial group of universities that will test its standards and processes for two years.

The First Amendment does not forbid heckling.

At Texas A&M, politicians, not professors, decide what is taught in classrooms.

Colleges led the way in bucking Trump’s authoritarian incursions.

Few things define leaders and the culture they are trying to shape more than how they let someone go.