David Jesse

Spent some time talking sports with the University of Louisville president and board chair the other day. They just released an interesting call for college sports reform (the letter is linked in the story). t.co/djpLo3HFbF

you got pretty close, just sub state for university when it comes to money sitting around.

This State Has Plenty of Money. It’s Weighing Cuts to Its Only Public University Anyway. The University of Wyoming is facing a $40-million proposed cut from legislators who argue the campus “has forgotten its founding purpose.”

I am betting you can guess why cuts are on the way

www.chronicle.com/article/this...

Higher Ed’s Secret Provost Club In 10U, chief academic officers at private research universities gather, share ideas, and commiserate.

For @chronicle.com, I wrote about a secret provost club. Well, formerly. www.chronicle.com/article/high...

EWA Reporting Fellowship: Meet the Class 21 Fellows The EWA Reporting Fellowship recipients in class 21 will receive financial awards for innovative education journalism. Learn more.

I'm excited to be named as an @edwriters.bsky.social reporting fellow. I've long been interested in rural education and will be spending time in Wyoming digging into how higher ed there is working, what changes might be on the horizon and how they impact students. #EWAFellows ewa.org/members-news...

Inside the All-Important Presidential Transition As tenures get shorter, leaders who straddle two campuses must use their time wisely.

The life expectancy of a presidency at any institution is rapidly falling, with little time for ruminations about a vision. Instead, because time is fleeting, the transition period between presidencies is even more important, experts said. www.chronicle.com/article/insi...

For those of you who visit different campuses or talk with friends at different campuses than yours: I'm looking for campuses that are struggling with deferred maintenance issues because of tight budget. Send me a DM or an email (david.jesse@chronicle.com) with suggestions for where I should look.

Might be for you two, and me also, but not for the bulk of our readers, I’m guessing.

The Meaning of Charlie Kirk Podcast Episode · College Matters from The Chronicle · 09/11/2025 · 27m

What will the killing of Charlie Kirk mean for higher education and the country? Check out the College Matters podcast to hear analysis from The Chronicle’s Jack Stripling and Nell Gluckman. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

The Secretary of Education Outlined a Vision for Higher Ed in a Speech. Here’s Some Context. In an address to Hillsdale College, Linda McMahon articulated the Trump administration’s vision for higher education. We annotated the speech.

www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

In Detroit this week for the annual Education Writers Association's gathering of higher education reporters. Are you in town to attend or speak? Want to catch up over a cup of coffee? Grab me and we'll make it happen.

The Gaza Protests Are Still Haunting College Leaders. A Candid Interview With One President Shows How. In a lengthy exchange released the same day Michael H. Schill resigned as Northwestern University’s president, a deal he struck with protesters loomed large.

Did Northwestern University's president think about hiring an anti-Israeli rabbi in order to get students to take down a campus encampment? www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

‘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.

The Trump administration violated Harvard University's rights when it canceled hundreds of grants over antisemitism, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Have you been through, or are currently going through, a leadership training aimed at turning you into a senior academic leader - even a president? I'd like to talk to you for a story I'm doing. Feel free to DM me, or email me david.jesse@chronicle.com

The College That’s Thriving Under Trump Federal scrutiny has been a rare sap on Grand Canyon University’s growth. Until now.

“Most people want a college degree and have options to choose from, just as they do vehicles. We built a system of education organized around competition. Why, then, are we surprised when we see it?” www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

Keeping Your Institution Moving Forward in Turbulent Times ON DEMAND: In a year marked by political volatility and financial uncertainty, the pressure on higher-education leaders has never been greater. Discover how leaders continue to advance their strategic...

Great chat last week with The ‪@chronicle.com of Higher Education on keeping institutions moving forward in turbulent times.

Thanks to @reporterdavidj.bsky.social , Leslie Brunelli, and @jordanackermi.bsky.social for their insights.

Watch: www.chronicle.com/events/virtu...

The College That’s Thriving Under Trump Federal scrutiny has been a rare sap on Grand Canyon University’s growth. Until now.

If Harvard and Columbia are the clear losers under the Trump administration, Grand Canyon is a clear winner. On a campus that celebrated in the streets when Trump won, the change in administrations has meant a seismic shift in how the college is viewed in D.C.

www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

We’ve been vacationing at this same spot on Lake Huron for the last dozen years or so, just outside Mackinac city at the top of Michigan’s lower peninsula. If you’ve never been up here before, you should put it on your list — it’s the perfect spot.

Keeping Your Institution Moving Forward in Turbulent Times UPCOMING: July 31, 2025 | 2 p.m. ET In a year marked by political volatility and financial uncertainty, the pressure on higher-education leaders has never been greater. Discover how leaders continue t...

You've still got time to get signed up for tomorrow's panel I'm hosting, featuring University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker, Washington State University CFO Leslie Brunelli and Weber State University President Brad Mortensen www.chronicle.com/events/virtu...

UF keeps interim president for another month President Kent Fuchs has agreed to a one-month contract extension ending Sept. 1.

U. of Florida is extending interim President Kent Fuchs’ contract through Sept. 1 as it continues to find a temporary successor after Santa J. Ono’s failed bid. A new search will launch early 2026. www.wuft.org/fresh-take-f...

Keeping Your Institution Moving Forward in Turbulent Times UPCOMING: July 31, 2025 | 2 p.m. ET In a year marked by political volatility and financial uncertainty, the pressure on higher-education leaders has never been greater. Discover how leaders continue t...

Excited to host this virtual conversation on Thursday with University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker; Weber State University President Brad Mortensen and Washington State University CFO Leslie Brunelli. Join us by signing up below.

www.chronicle.com/events/virtu...

The Chronicle of Higher Education Names Brad Wolverton as Editor He becomes the 10th person to lead the nation’s largest independent newsroom focused on colleges and universities.

A new leader for the Chron: www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

My late-afternoon office. Days like these are why we put up with Michigan winters.

Apparent Paperwork Error Threatens Bob Jones U.'s Legal Standing in South Carolina The prominent Christian university’s nonprofit arm was dissolved by the state earlier this year, but it has continued to operate, raising questions about the law and its accreditation.

Despite being dissolved as an official entity in early May by the state of South Carolina, Bob Jones University has continued to operate as normal – including graduating students and running summer orientation – despite state law saying it should cease operations. www.chronicle.com/article/appa...

Looking for someone with expertise in required legal corporation filings universities have to make. Who should I reach out to? DM me or email me: david.jesse@chronicle.com

Are you currently, or have you been, an appointed board member at a public university? If so, I'd like to talk to you for a story. Please DM me or email me at david.jesse@chronicle.com

Under Trump, Colleges Wonder How to Do Without Federal Money. These Campuses Already Know. A small number of colleges have long refused federal funds due to their religious identities or a desire to stay lean. Here’s how they balance their budgets.

If a college flipped to not accepting federal funds to get away from government control, they would see a fund-raising boom, one president of a college that doesn't take federal funds said. “I think they would see a financial uplift from their supporters rallying around them,” he said.

Looking for studies on the process used to set indirect cost allocations on academic research. Point me to what I should be reading, please.

Santa Ono Wanted a Presidency. He Became a Pariah. The former University of Michigan leader’s failed move to Florida has taken on unmistakable political significance for higher education.

The story of Santa Ono, who foreswore DEI and walked away with nothing, has taken on an allegorical quality. His experience strikes at the heart of the most pressing questions confronting higher education today: What do we stand for? What are we willing to abandon? And how much will ever be enough?

Multiple board members came prepared to put Ono in the hot seat, citing documents, speeches, and emails to ask about past beliefs. Ono didn’t directly answer many of the questions, at one point saying, “My name is on a lot of things at institutions that I didn’t write.”