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  • Content Refresh Strategy for Higher Education: Win Rankings

    Content Refresh Strategy for Higher Education: Win Rankings

    Reading Time: 14 minutes

    For years, the default response to declining organic performance in higher education marketing was simple: publish more content. More blogs. More landing pages. More keywords.

    In 2026, that instinct is no longer serving schools well.

    Search behaviour has changed. AI-generated answers now summarize content before users ever click. Organic rankings still matter, but visibility, authority, and citation matter just as much. At the same time, most institutions are sitting on years of underperforming, outdated, or misaligned content that no longer reflects how students evaluate programs.

    This is why content refresh strategy has become one of the highest-impact, lowest-risk growth opportunities in higher education digital marketing.

    Refreshing existing content, when done strategically, often delivers faster results than creating net-new posts. It strengthens topical authority. It improves AI visibility. And it aligns your site with how students, parents, and decision-makers actually search today.

    This guide outlines how schools should approach content refresh in 2026: how to select the right content to update, how to prioritize optimization workflows, and how to decide when refreshing beats creating something new.

    Turn underperforming pages into higher-intent traffic.
    Partner With HEM.

    The Shift: Why “More Content” Is No Longer the Answer

    Most higher education websites are not content-poor. They are content-heavy but performance-light.

    Many institutions already have:

    • Dozens of blog posts targeting closely related keywords
    • Program pages written primarily for search engines rather than prospective students
    • Articles ranking on page two or three that have never been re-optimized
    • Evergreen resources that have not been reviewed in years

    The issue is not production. It is performance management.

    At the same time, search behaviour is changing. AI-driven search experiences such as Google AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, and ChatGPT browsing prioritize structured, authoritative, and recently updated content. These systems synthesize information. They reward clarity, depth, and consistency across related topics.

    Publishing new content without maintaining existing assets often:

    • Dilutes topical authority
    • Creates keyword cannibalization across similar pages
    • Wastes crawl budget on redundant material
    • Signals inconsistency about what your institution stands for

    For enrollment marketers, this has direct implications. When multiple pages compete for the same query, rankings stagnate. When outdated statistics or program structures remain live, trust erodes.

    A structured content refresh strategy addresses these risks. It consolidates authority, sharpens positioning, and strengthens visibility across both traditional and AI-driven search.

    Example: Harvard Business School Online updates existing articles and resource pages rather than replacing them. Content reflects current delivery formats, learning outcomes, and credential structures. This disciplined update model reinforces authority across business education topics without expanding the content footprint unnecessarily.

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    Source: Harvard Business School Online

    Content Refresh vs. New Content: How to Decide What Comes First

    One of the most common questions marketing teams ask is: “Should we update old content or create something new?”

    The answer is not either or. It is sequenced and prioritized.

    In many institutions, the instinct is to publish. New programs, new campaigns, new blog posts. But without evaluating existing assets, this approach compounds inefficiencies and fragments authority.

    When Content Refresh Should Take Priority

    Refreshing existing content should come first when:

    • A page ranks in positions 4 to 20, indicating strong upward potential
    • The topic remains relevant, but the information is outdated
    • Search intent has evolved since publication
    • The page earns impressions but suffers from low click-through rates
    • The content aligns with enrollment goals, yet underperforms

    These pages already possess:

    • Indexation
    • Backlinks
    • Historical authority
    • Established keyword associations

    Updating them allows you to build on existing equity rather than starting from zero. Improvements to structure, internal linking, clarity, and intent alignment often generate faster gains than launching new pages.

    Example: University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies uses a centralized “Online and Remote Learning” hub that functions as a maintained inventory rather than a one-off editorial post. The page states: “We are continuously expanding our list of over 540 online learning opportunities.” It also exposes structured fields at scale (e.g., “Semesters: Spring/Summer – 26”), which indicates term-based upkeep of listings and metadata across many course entries. 

    For organic search, a maintained hub consolidates topical authority around “online/remote learning” and supports long-tail discovery via embedded course listings. For AI search, repeated structured labels (semester, delivery method) increase extractability and reduce interpretation risk. Enrollment impact is supported by the page’s direct path to course selection and funding guidance (internal linking to financial assistance) and by reducing modality confusion through plain-language delivery explanations.

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    Source: University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies

    So, how do I update old content for SEO? Audit performance first. Prioritize pages ranking positions 4–20. Update outdated statistics, improve intent alignment, strengthen internal links, refine headings, and enhance meta titles and descriptions. Consolidate overlapping content where necessary. Focus on clarity, depth, and conversion pathways, not just keyword density.

    When New Content Makes More Sense

    Creating new content is appropriate when:

    • A topic does not exist anywhere on your site
    • You are entering a new academic or credential area
    • Emerging search intent cannot be satisfied by existing pages
    • A new campaign or intake requires dedicated support

    The strategic sequence is clear: refresh high-potential assets first, then expand deliberately.

    What is the 80/20 rule in SEO? Roughly 80 percent of results often come from 20 percent of pages. Focus optimization efforts on high-potential URLs that already generate impressions or backlinks. Strategic refresh of existing assets typically delivers stronger ROI than producing large volumes of new content.

    What you’ll need (before Step 1)

    To run a refresh program efficiently, pull these inputs first:

    • Google Search Console (GSC): queries, impressions, CTR, average position, top pages, last 3-12 months trends
    • GA4 (or analytics equivalent): landing page engagement, key events, assisted conversions, content-to-program click paths
    • Site crawl (Screaming Frog or similar): indexability, redirects, canonicals, thin pages, duplicated titles/H1s, internal link depth
    • Lead and enrollment signals (CRM or forms): inquiry source, program interest, form conversion rate by landing page, call/chat volume trends
    • Page inventory sheet: URL, content type, intent stage, last updated date, owner, priority score
    • Stakeholder inputs: admissions FAQs, program changes, deadlines, delivery format updates, outcomes data owners

    Step 1: How to Identify the Right Content to Refresh

    Effective content refresh begins with selection discipline, not editing enthusiasm. The objective is to prioritize assets with measurable upside tied directly to enrollment performance, search visibility, and authority consolidation.

    High-value refresh candidates typically fall into five categories:

    1. “Almost There” Pages

    These pages rank between positions 5 and 20 and already generate impressions. They often require:

    • Stronger intent alignment
    • Improved on-page structure
    • Updated statistics or examples
    • Better internal linking to program pages

    Because these URLs already have authority signals, even modest improvements can move them into high-visibility positions.

    2. Evergreen Topics with Outdated Context

    Topics such as:

    • How online learning works
    • Choosing the right MBA
    • Career outcomes in healthcare

    remain consistently searched. However, modality changes, employer expectations, credential formats, and salary data evolve. Refreshing these pages should include:

    • Updated labor market data
    • Revised delivery models
    • New testimonials or case examples
    • Clearer pathways to inquiry or application

    Example: University of Nebraska–Lincoln: UNL’s CropWatch content offers one of the clearest “refresh-on-the-same-URL” patterns available in public higher-ed publishing: explicit revision labeling. The article “Common Mullein Control…” includes a transparent update statement: “REVISED: Sept. 20, 2024 (originally published Oct. 7, 2020).” This exactly substantiates the strategy that refreshing existing content often beats publishing net-new equivalents: the URL keeps its history while the content is updated. 

    The page also models topical consolidation and internal linking discipline. It references an “annually updated Guide to Weed Management in Nebraska” and links to a set of related posts, effectively clustering the topic rather than creating isolated duplicates. That supports AI and organic visibility by clarifying topical authority (this page sits within an organized content cluster) and reducing fragmentation.

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    Source: University of Nebraska–Lincoln

    3. Pages Written for SEO, Not Humans

    Older content may rely on repetitive keyword phrasing, thin subheadings, and limited depth. AI-driven search increasingly favors semantic clarity, structured information, and comprehensive topic coverage.

    4. Cannibalized Content

    When multiple URLs target similar intent, rankings fragment. A refresh may involve:

    • Merging overlapping posts
    • Redirecting weaker URLs
    • Establishing one definitive resource page

    Example: Purdue University Online: Purdue Online’s “Programs of Study” page is a strong example of consolidation to reduce cannibalization and improve discoverability without producing endless near-duplicate pages. The page is built around a navigable taxonomy with “Filters” and a “Search for Programs” function, including structured dimensions such as Delivery (Online/Hybrid), Program Type, and Areas of Study.

    This architecture supports AI and organic visibility by making the institution’s online offerings legible as a system rather than scattered pages. For organic, the consolidated hub can earn authority for broad queries (e.g., “online programs Purdue”), while filters help users (and crawlers) connect intent to the right program category. For AI summarization, structured taxonomies reduce ambiguity: it’s easier to describe “what Purdue offers online” when the content is already ordered and translated into consistent categories.

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    Source: Purdue University Online

    5. Content Misaligned with Enrollment Goals

    Some high-traffic pages attract broad awareness but do not guide users toward next steps. Refreshing may require reframing content to connect directly to program pages, deadlines, funding information, or admissions criteria.

    Selection should be data-led. Use performance metrics, not intuition, to determine priority.

    Step 2: Refreshing Content for AI Search Visibility

    AI search does not necessarily reward novelty. It rewards trust, structure, and clarity. Systems such as Google AI Overviews and conversational search engines extract, synthesize, and summarize content. If your page is difficult to interpret, it is unlikely to be surfaced.

    To improve AI search visibility, refreshed content should:

    • Answer primary questions directly within the first 100 to 150 words
    • Use descriptive H2 and H3 headings that reflect search intent
    • Include FAQ sections based on real query data
    • Replace vague promotional language with specific, verifiable claims
    • Demonstrate institutional credibility through evidence and transparency

    AI systems tend to prioritize content they can summarize confidently. That means clarity of structure and completeness of explanation are critical.

    What AI Optimized Content Looks Like

    Strong AI-ready content typically:

    • Defines key terms before expanding on them
    • Explains processes step by step, such as application pathways or program formats
    • Minimizes unexplained academic jargon
    • Includes current data, accreditation details, and outcome metrics
    • Connects related subtopics through logical progression

    How do I optimize content to rank in AI search results? Structure content for clarity and extraction. Use question-based headings, define terms concisely, provide step-by-step explanations, and include updated, verifiable data. Reduce jargon and vague claims. AI systems prioritize structured, authoritative content that can be summarized confidently.

    For enrollment marketers, this often requires restructuring rather than rewriting. Long narrative blocks should be broken into scannable sections. Claims should be supported by outcomes, rankings, or student data where appropriate.

    Example: University of the West of England, Bristol: UWE Bristol’s online course pages demonstrate a combined structure + currency approach that maps directly to AI visibility and enrollment conversion. The MSc Data Science (online) page uses clear sectioning (About, Entry, Structure, Fees, Careers), and prominent conversion pathways (“Apply now,” “Book a call,” “Course brochure”). Crucially, it also provides an explicit refresh signal: “Page last updated 26 January 2026.” 

    The page also includes decision-stage specifics that AI systems can safely summarize, such as time commitment: “12–18 hours per week.” This is an example of “intent alignment” in a refresh context: if working professionals increasingly ask feasibility questions, the content answers directly and quantitatively. Structurally, these clear headings and discrete data points improve extractability for AI summaries, while also improving organic performance through relevance and engagement (users get real answers quickly, rather than marketing copy).

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    Source: University of the West of England

    Step 3: Aligning Content Refresh with Search Intent, Not Keywords

    One of the most common refresh mistakes is updating keywords without reassessing intent. Rankings may improve temporarily, but performance plateaus if the page does not reflect what users are actually trying to accomplish.

    Search intent evolves alongside market conditions, technology, and student expectations. What prospective students searched for in 2021 is not what they search for in 2026.

    For example:

    • “Online degree benefits” has shifted from general flexibility messaging to measurable ROI, salary impact, and employer recognition
    • “College marketing strategies” now centers on AI integration, attribution modeling, and data transparency
    • “Best programs” increasingly reflect comparison behavior, peer validation, rankings context, and career outcomes

    A content refresh must address these shifts explicitly.

    This means:

    • Rewriting introductions to immediately reflect current decision drivers
    • Reframing subheadings around evaluation criteria, not generic descriptions
    • Updating statistics, industry data, and employer trends
    • Incorporating comparison elements where appropriate
    • Adding clarity for decision stage users, including entry requirements, workload expectations, delivery format, and outcomes

    Intent alignment also requires analyzing SERP composition. If search results now include comparison pages, FAQs, or outcome-driven content, your refreshed page must reflect that structure to remain competitive.

    Example: Imperial College Business School updates its online program blogs to reflect how working professionals evaluate flexibility, time commitment, career progression, and return on investment. The content addresses practical concerns rather than abstract program features, aligning with how prospective students now make decisions. 

    This student blog post (“Work-life balance and why the Global Online MBA programme is the right fit”) shows a strong AI-readable structure: it includes an explicit “Published” date (“10 January 2023”), multiple descriptive subheadings, and decision-relevant specifics (program length options: “21, 24, or 32 months”). The page also includes clear internal CTAs (“Download… brochure,” “Chat to our students”), connecting informational content to conversion paths.

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    Source: Imperial College Business School

    Refreshing for intent ensures that content remains commercially relevant, not just technically optimized.

    Step 4: Prioritizing the Content Refresh Workflow

    Not all refreshes require the same level of effort or resources. Without prioritization, teams risk investing heavily in low-impact updates while overlooking quick wins. A tiered workflow ensures measurable return and protects capacity.

    High Impact, Low Effort Updates

    These changes often produce measurable ranking or engagement improvements within weeks:

    • Refining titles to reflect current intent and improve click-through rates
    • Rewriting meta descriptions to strengthen value propositions
    • Adding structured FAQ sections based on real query data
    • Improving internal linking to relevant program and admissions pages
    • Updating outdated statistics, rankings, accreditation details, or examples

    These updates strengthen relevance and clarity without altering core page architecture.

    Medium Effort Updates

    These require structural edits but do not demand full reconstruction:

    • Rewriting introductions to align with current decision drivers
    • Strengthening conclusions with clearer next steps tied to enrollment
    • Reorganizing headings to reflect logical user progression
    • Adding new sections addressing emerging concerns such as AI skills, hybrid delivery, or career mobility

    This tier often yields significant improvements for pages ranking mid SERP.

    High Effort Refreshes

    Reserved for strategic assets with substantial upside:

    • Consolidating multiple overlapping pages into one authoritative resource
    • Repositioning content around new or evolved search intent
    • Rewriting entire articles to align directly with recruitment priorities

    These initiatives should be data justified and aligned with enrollment objectives.

    Begin with lower effort optimizations to demonstrate performance lift. Use documented gains in rankings, engagement, or inquiries to support broader refresh initiatives. Structured sequencing protects momentum and ensures scalability.

    Step 5: Measuring the Impact of Content Refresh

    Content refresh performance should be evaluated differently from net new content. The objective is not discovery from zero. It is the acceleration of existing equity.

    Because refreshed pages already possess indexation, backlinks, and historical signals, gains often appear faster than with newly published URLs.

    Key indicators include:

    • Improved rankings for existing URLs, particularly movement into the top three positions
    • Increased impressions within AI-generated summaries and enhanced search features
    • Higher click-through rates resulting from refined titles and intent alignment
    • Stronger engagement metrics, such as time on page and scroll depth
    • Increased assisted conversions across inquiry and application pathways

    Enrollment marketers should also evaluate internal behavior signals. For example:

    • Growth in clicks from refreshed blog content to program pages
    • Reduced bounce rates on high-intent informational pages
    • Improved conversion rates from updated FAQs or decision stage sections

    Tracking should compare pre-refresh and post-refresh performance over defined intervals, typically 30, 60, and 90 days. Annotating refresh dates in analytics platforms is essential to isolate impact accurately.

    When measured correctly, content refresh demonstrates compounding returns. Instead of creating new assets to chase growth, institutions extract greater value from the assets they already own.

    Common Content Refresh Mistakes to Avoid

    One of the most frequent errors institutions make is updating publication dates without improving the substance. Changing the year in a headline or adjusting a statistic does not strengthen authority if the framing, structure, and intent alignment remain outdated. Search engines and AI systems evaluate depth, clarity, and completeness. Superficial edits rarely produce measurable gains.

    Another common mistake is attempting to refresh everything at once. Without prioritization, teams dilute effort across too many pages and fail to generate visible impact. Effective refresh strategies focus on high opportunity URLs first, particularly those ranking mid SERP or closely aligned with enrollment goals. Demonstrated performance lift should guide expansion.

    Internal linking is also frequently overlooked. A refreshed article that is not strategically connected to program pages, admissions information, or related resources limits its commercial value. Refresh initiatives should strengthen contextual pathways that guide prospective students toward inquiry and application actions.

    Misalignment with admissions messaging presents another risk. Marketing teams sometimes update content independently of evolving recruitment priorities, entry requirements, or positioning shifts. If refreshed pages contradict or lag behind admissions communications, trust erodes, and conversion pathways weaken.

    Finally, treating AI search and traditional organic search as separate strategies fragments execution. Both systems prioritize clarity, authority, and intent satisfaction. Structuring content for AI summarization while ignoring ranking fundamentals creates inconsistency. The objective is unified optimization.

    Content refresh is not cosmetic. It is strategic infrastructure work that reinforces authority, strengthens visibility, and directly supports enrollment outcomes when executed with discipline.

    How Content Refresh Supports Enrollment, Not Just Rankings

    The most effective content refresh strategies extend beyond search performance. Rankings create visibility, but enrollment impact depends on clarity, alignment, and trust. When content is updated strategically, it strengthens the entire recruitment funnel.

    Refreshed content reduces admissions friction by answering common concerns before they reach an advisor. Clear explanations of workload, delivery format, prerequisites, timelines, and career outcomes minimize uncertainty. When prospects arrive informed, conversations shift from clarification to qualification.

    Content updates also improve lead quality. By explicitly outlining who a program is suited for and who it is not, institutions encourage self-selection. This reduces mismatched inquiries and increases the proportion of applicants aligned with program expectations.

    Advisor conversations benefit directly from refreshed assets. Updated FAQs, comparison sections, and outcome data provide consistent reference points across marketing and recruitment teams. When messaging is aligned, follow-up communication becomes more efficient and persuasive.

    Institutional credibility is reinforced through transparency. Current statistics, employer partnerships, graduate outcomes, and accreditation details demonstrate accountability. Prospective students evaluating multiple institutions are sensitive to outdated or vague information.

    Example: Athabasca University’s student success content clearly communicates who distance learning is best suited for, including learner characteristics and support expectations. This framing helps prospective students make informed decisions before initiating contact.

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    Source: Athabasca University

    Content should enable prospects to self-qualify before submitting a form. When refresh efforts prioritize clarity and alignment with admissions realities, the result is not just improved visibility, but stronger enrollment outcomes.

    Content Refresh Is a Strategic Advantage in 2026

    In 2026, institutions gaining sustained organic and AI visibility are not those publishing the highest volume of content. They are the ones systematically curating, refining, and strengthening their existing assets.

    A disciplined content refresh strategy enables schools to compete more effectively in AI-driven search environments where structure, clarity, and authority determine inclusion. It reinforces topical authority by consolidating fragmented content and aligning messaging with evolving intent. It directly supports enrollment objectives by reducing friction, improving self-qualification, and strengthening conversion pathways. It also maximizes prior investment by extracting additional performance from indexed, ranked, and linked assets rather than starting from zero.

    Content refresh is not maintenance work. It is strategic optimization. Institutions that treat it as core infrastructure rather than a periodic cleanup position themselves for sustained visibility, stronger engagement, and measurable enrollment impact.

    Turn underperforming pages into higher-intent traffic.
    Partner With HEM.

    FAQs

    How do I update old content for SEO?
    Audit performance first. Prioritize pages ranking positions 4–20. Update outdated statistics, improve intent alignment, strengthen internal links, refine headings, and enhance meta titles and descriptions. Consolidate overlapping content where necessary. Focus on clarity, depth, and conversion pathways, not just keyword density.

    How do I optimize content to rank in AI search results?
    Structure content for clarity and extraction. Use question-based headings, define terms concisely, provide step-by-step explanations, and include updated, verifiable data. Reduce jargon and vague claims. AI systems prioritize structured, authoritative content that can be summarized confidently.

    What is the 80/20 rule in SEO?
    Roughly 80 percent of results often come from 20 percent of pages. Focus optimization efforts on high-potential URLs that already generate impressions or backlinks. Strategic refresh of existing assets typically delivers stronger ROI than producing large volumes of new content.

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  • Spain considers banning teens from social media and holding tech executives criminally responsible for ‘hate speech’

    Spain considers banning teens from social media and holding tech executives criminally responsible for ‘hate speech’

    FIRE’s Free Speech Dispatch covers new and continuing censorship trends and challenges around the world. Our goal is to help readers better understand the global context of free expression. Want to make sure you don’t miss an update? Sign up for our newsletter.

    More under-16 bans and Spain’s threat of criminal liability for tech executives

    Spain and Greece are moving toward banning teenagers from social media, following a line of other nations considering the same. But that’s not all. In a speech earlier this month in Dubai, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that CEOs of platforms like X and TikTok “will face criminal liability for failing to remove illegal or hateful content.” Sánchez also promised, among other things, to “turn algorithmic manipulation and amplification of illegal content into a new criminal offense” and to “go after” the actors who create that content “as well as after the platforms whose algorithms amplify the disinformation for profit.” In the United States, Section 230 protects platforms from civil liability for user-generated speech. While Section 230 does not provide protection against federal criminal prosecution, the First Amendment stops the government from making content (and its distribution) illegal just because the government thinks it false or harmful.

    X faces raids and threats of bans in Europe 

    Problematic regulation of online speech and the tech platforms that host it, and the threats of further action like the ones described above, are a common feature in the Free Speech Dispatch given the alarming frequency with which they occur. Last year, French prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Elon Musk’s X over allegations that the platform’s algorithm and data extraction policies violated French law. Last week, that investigation intensified as prosecutors’ cybercrime unit raided X’s Paris office for alleged offenses including Holocaust denial material, which is illegal in France, and sexualized deepfakes of real people, including minors, generated by the platform’s AI chatbot Grok. Obviously the latter allegation is one that carries legal implications in the United States as well, unlike Holocaust denial, which is protected by the First Amendment. As FIRE’s John Coleman explains, “federal criminal law prohibits knowingly making or sharing child sexual abuse material involving actual children, whether it is created by a camera or with the assistance of AI.” But as FIRE warned when the UK threatened a ban on X earlier this year, countries must seek a careful approach to challenges posed by AI and social media: “Free nations that claim to honor the expressive rights of their citizens must recognize that mass censorship is never an acceptable approach to objectionable content or illegal conduct.” Threats to ban a platform entirely are neither careful nor justified.

    For publishing a newspaper, Jimmy Lai will die in prison

    The sentence is in. Media mogul Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison under Hong Kong’s oppressive national security law. Along with others who were sentenced to terms six to 10 years for their involvement, Lai was targeted for running Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper critical of Hong Kong and Chinese authorities. Chief Executive John Lee said this week that Lai used the paper to “poison the minds” of Hong Kong. Lai is 78 years old and has suffered declining health in the five years he has already spent in custody. A 20-year sentence will very likely mean that he dies in prison.

    Australian states expand authority to crack down on speech about Israel and Gaza

    Queensland is moving to criminalize the public use of phrases including “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada” under sweeping new hate speech laws introduced in response to the Bondi terror attack. The proposed legislation would make it an offense to distribute, display, or recite proscribed phrases when intended to cause “menace, harassment or offence,” carrying penalties of up to two years in prison.

    Australia blocks social media for teens while UK mulls blasphemy ban

    South Korea rejects a short-lived martial law decree, ‘Wicked’ does not defy local censorship laws, ‘Family Guy’ can’t fly, and Australian breakdancer Raygun threatens legal action over a musical.


    Read More

    And in New South Wales, hate speech rules now cover staff at more than 3,000 government, independent, and Catholic schools across the state, giving regulators the power to discipline or dismiss teachers for alleged hate speech even when it occurs outside the classroom or on social media, and without waiting for a criminal charge. The changes were fast-tracked after the Bondi Beach shooting that killed 15 people, with the government framing the move as necessary to protect students and social cohesion. Teachers and civil liberty groups warn the vague standards could chill classroom discussion of Gaza and Palestine.

    China perfectly illustrates the dangers of the UN’s cybercrime treaty

    China’s proposed Cybercrime Prevention and Control Law bill isn’t just about fraud and scams. It also targets “‘spreading fake news and fabricated information’ and publishing information that ‘goes against public order and accepted social morals to gain traffic or advertising revenue.’” That’s what one might also call a censorship bill. And this inclusion of online speech disfavored by the government under the umbrella of “cybercrime” is exactly why FIRE warned that the cybercrime treaty considered by the United Nations, and adopted by 72 member states last year, posed a serious threat to global free speech. 

    Also in China, two independent journalists in southwestern China were detained after publishing an online report alleging corruption by a local official, highlighting the risks of investigative reporting in the country. Authorities accused Liu Hu and Wu Yingjiao of making “false accusations,” detained them, and removed their article from WeChat.

    India widens speech controls through courts, police, and digital regulation

    In India, restrictions on expression continue to emerge across multiple fronts, from judicial warnings and police detentions to sweeping proposals for online regulation. 

    The Karnataka High Court questioned a Kannada television channel over a comedy show episode that allegedly portrayed Hindu gods in a derogatory way, stating that “freedom of speech cannot be used as a shield to hurt religious sentiments.” While granting interim protection from arrest, the court emphasized that creative expression is subject to “reasonable limits,” particularly where religion is concerned. Separately, UK-based YouTuber and doctor Sangram Patil was reportedly detained at Mumbai’s airport over social media posts critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

    At the national level, India’s central government is drafting new IT Digital Code Rules to regulate online content through age ratings, parental controls, and restrictions on obscenity and incitement. Officials have framed the proposal as a way to “protect minors” while balancing free expression, but the rules’ broad standards could expand state control over lawful speech and encourage platforms to over-censor to avoid penalties. 

    Nepal’s proposed film censorship threatens queer storytelling

    In Nepal, queer filmmakers and rights advocates say proposed film censorship rules would require all moving images, including festival screenings, to undergo government approval. Advocates warn the policy would severely restrict artistic freedom and LGBT storytelling. The Film Censorship Board and the Ministry of Information and Communication have temporarily held the policy from enforcement, but could enact it at any time.

    Filmmakers say the proposal, combined with social pressure and police interference, could eliminate remaining spaces for films addressing gender identity and sexuality. One advocate warned that the rules would make it nearly impossible for queer filmmakers to “exist publicly at all.”

    Pakistan escalates digital repression and blasphemy enforcement

    A Pakistani court sentenced prominent human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband to 17 years in prison over social media posts deemed “anti-state,” including charges of cyber terrorism and spreading false information. Mazari’s arrest over anti-blasphemy law posts sparked protests and strikes in Islamabad, with demonstrators calling her detention “judicial harassment” and demanding her release. Pakistani police arrested Mazari and fellow human rights lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha without a warrant, despite a court order granting relief from arrest.

    Police killings worsen crisis of mob violence against Pakistan’s blasphemers

    Plenty of free speech news out of Europe, the sedition crackdown in Hong Kong, efforts to control discussion of foreign governments in Canada and the U.S.


    Read More

    At the same time, rights groups report an increasing use of fabricated digital evidence in blasphemy cases, disproportionately affecting religious minorities. Against this backdrop, two Christian nurses, Mariam Lal and Newosh Arooj, were acquitted of blasphemy charges after more than four years. Advocates called the ruling “rare,” noting that trial courts in Pakistan seldom dismiss blasphemy cases due to extremist pressure.

    The UK’s expanded crackdown on protests about Israel and Gaza

    Pro-Palestinian activist and former Cornell PhD student Momodou Taal alleges UK police detained him for six hours at Heathrow Airport under the Terrorism Act 2000 to ask about his personal history and political views. Taal, whose devices were seized by police, said the stop was “political intimidation” tied to his opposition to the war in Gaza.

    London police arrested two people at a protest for supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action after officers spotted a banner linked to the organization. As FIRE has explained in previous entries, Palestine Action was banned under anti-terrorism laws for damaging military planes in a protest. Simply expressing verbal “support” for the group can also result in an arrest under the same legislation. Activist groups have claimed, though, that the banner was specifically obscured so it did not read “We are all Palestine Action.”

    Veteran rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was also detained at a separate London protest after displaying a placard reading “globalise the intifada.” The UK’s two largest police forces announced late last year that they would begin making arrests over phrases they say cause “increased fear in Jewish communities.”

    Attacks on art and culture in Russia, Cuba, and Egypt

    • In Russia, comedian Artemy Ostanin was sentenced to nearly six years in prison after being convicted of inciting hatred over a joke about a legless war veteran.
    • In Cuba, rapper Fernando Almenares Rivera, known as Nando OBDC, was sentenced to five years in prison for painting banners with pro-human rights slogans, which authorities classified as propaganda against the constitutional order.
    • In Egypt, poet Ahmed Douma was briefly arrested and interrogated over social media posts criticizing prison abuses. Rights groups say the case fits a pattern of repeated investigations and bail demands used to silence dissent. 

    Repression beyond borders, from the United States to the Middle East

    Two journalists from Italy’s public broadcaster RAI were threatened by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while reporting on immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, an incident that sparked concern among Italian officials about press freedom.  Italian politicians warned that the confrontation was unacceptable, with one lawmaker saying it was a “very serious episode that risks intimidating journalists who are simply doing their job,” and calling on authorities to ensure reporters can work “without threats or interference.”

    Across the Atlantic, a UK High Court ordered Saudi Arabia to pay more than 3 million British pounds in damages to London-based dissident Ghanem al-Masarir after finding the kingdom responsible for hacking his phones with Pegasus spyware and carrying out a physical attack against him. The court concluded that Saudi authorities were behind a “serious and unlawful interference” with al-Masarir’s rights, marking a rare judicial acknowledgement of transnational repression and a setback in Saudi Arabia’s efforts to change the global conversation about its human rights abuses.

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  • ADA Title II Final Rule for Higher Education

    ADA Title II Final Rule for Higher Education

    The countdown has officially begun. As of early February 2026, we are fewer than 80 days away from one of the most consequential shifts in digital accessibility that higher education has ever faced. On April 24, 2026, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Final Rule on ADA Title II takes full effect for most public higher education institutions.

    For marketing teams, IT departments, instructional designers, and campus leaders, this moment isn’t about checking a box or adding accessibility to a long list of competing priorities. It’s a clear signal that digital accessibility in higher education is no longer reactive or optional. It is now a baseline expectation for how public institutions serve their communities.

    So what does this rule actually require? And what should institutions be doing right now to be ready?

    What Does the ADA Title II Final Rule Require for Public Colleges and Universities?

    For years, higher education has operated in a gray area when it came to web accessibility. While courts consistently affirmed that the ADA applies to digital spaces, there was no single, universally adopted technical standard.

    That ambiguity is now gone.

    The DOJ’s Final Rule establishes, for the first time, a clear and enforceable accessibility standard for state and local government entities—including public colleges, universities, and community colleges.

    The Technical Standard: WCAG 2.1 Level AA

    The DOJ has officially adopted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as the compliance benchmark. At a practical level, this means your websites, apps, and digital materials must be:

    • Perceivable: Information and interface elements can be perceived by all users (for example, meaningful alternative text for images).
    • Operable: Users can navigate and interact using a keyboard or other assistive technologies.
    • Understandable: Content and navigation behave in predictable, consistent ways.
    • Robust: Content works reliably across browsers, devices, and assistive technologies.

    Who Must Comply—and When

    These timelines define how ADA Title II higher education requirements apply across different types of public institutions:

    • Large public entities (serving populations of 50,000 or more): Compliance is required by April 24, 2026.
    • Small public entities (serving populations under 50,000): Compliance is required by April 26, 2027.

    A note for private institutions: While this specific rule applies to public entities, private colleges and universities are not insulated. Institutions receiving federal funding under Section 504 or those targeted by Title III lawsuits are increasingly being held to these same WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

    What Types of Digital Content Must Be ADA Title II Compliant?

    A helpful rule of thumb: if the content is digital and supports your institution’s programs, services, or activities, it is likely covered under ADA Title II. This includes:

    • Websites: Your main .edu site, departmental pages, campaign microsites, athletics sites, and admissions experiences.
    • Mobile applications: Any university-branded app for registration, campus maps, or student life.
    • Course-related content: Syllabi, lecture slides, and materials hosted on learning management systems like Canvas or Blackboard.
    • Documents: All PDFs, Word docs, spreadsheets, and forms intended for student, employee, or public use.
    • Social media: Posts made on official university channels (including the use of alt text and captions).
    • Third-party tools: If you pay for a service (like a virtual tour or a scholarship portal), accessibility responsibility does not transfer to the vendor—you still own the risk.

    How Can Higher Education Institutions Prepare for ADA Title II Compliance by 2026?

    If you haven’t completed your remediation plan, the time to act is now. Follow these five critical steps to ensure ADA compliance for your college or university:

    Step 1: Build a Digital Inventory

    You cannot fix what you don’t know exists. Catalog every digital touchpoint, prioritizing:

    1. High-traffic pages: Admissions, Financial Aid, and Student Portals.
    2. Learning management system environments: Student- and faculty-facing content within your learning management system.
    3. Vendor contracts: Review VPATs (Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates) for all third-party software.

    Step 2: Audit and Remediate

    Effective audits combine automated testing and human evaluation. Automated tools help surface common issues like missing alternative text or color contrast failures. Manual testing, especially keyboard navigation and screen reader checks, is essential for identifying more complex barriers.

    Step 3: Tackle the “PDF Problem”

    Higher ed is notorious for “PDF bloat,” and many institutions are carrying years of inaccessible PDFs.

    A sustainable strategy is simple in concept, if not in execution:

    • Create new content in accessible HTML whenever possible
    • Fix essential, current documents
    • Remove or archive outdated files that no longer serve an active purpose

    Step 4: Faculty & Staff Training

    Accessibility is a distributed responsibility. Your marketing team can have a perfect homepage, but if a professor uploads an untagged PDF to a course, the institution is out of compliance.

    Mandatory, role-based training for anyone with publishing authority—faculty, staff, and student employees—is critical.

    Step 5: Establish a Digital Accessibility Policy

    Policies turn intention into accountability. A strong digital accessibility policy should clearly define:

    • Technical standards (WCAG 2.1 Level AA)
    • Procurement expectations for vendors and software
    • A transparent process for reporting and resolving accessibility barriers

    Are There Exceptions to ADA Title II Digital Accessibility Requirements?

    The DOJ final rule does allow for limited exceptions, but these are narrower than what you might expect. Examples include:

    • Archived content: Content created before the deadline that is held only for reference/record-keeping and not currently used.
    • Third-party user-generated content: Content posted by a third party (like a student comment on a forum) that is not under the university’s control.
    • Pre-existing electronic documents: Certain documents available on your site before the compliance date, unless they are actively used for current programs or services.

    Relying on exceptions as a strategy is risky. In practice, most high-impact content will still need remediation.

    Why Digital Accessibility Must Be Treated as Infrastructure, Not Compliance

    April 24, 2026, is a compliance deadline, but it’s also a cultural marker for digital accessibility in higher education. This moment challenges institutions to move beyond accommodation-as-afterthought and toward accessibility-as-infrastructure. When digital experiences are designed to work for everyone from the start, the benefits extend well beyond legal compliance.

    Accessible campuses are more usable, more equitable, and ultimately more human. And that is a standard worth meeting—well before the clock runs out.

    Carnegie’s award-winning website development team can help you create (and maintain) a site that is as stunning as it is accessible and user-friendly. Ready to take your website to the next level? Reach out and start a conversation.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)s

    Who does the ADA Title II Final Rule apply to?

    The ADA Title II Final Rule applies to state and local government entities, including public colleges, universities, and community colleges. Private institutions are not directly covered but may still be required to meet WCAG standards under Section 504 or ADA Title III.

    When does ADA Title II compliance take effect?

    Public higher education institutions serving populations of 50,000 or more must comply by April 24, 2026. Smaller public entities have until April 26, 2027.

    What accessibility standard is required under ADA Title II?

    The Department of Justice requires compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which covers web content, mobile applications, digital documents, and other electronic information.

    Does ADA Title II apply to PDFs and course materials?

    Yes. PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, and course materials hosted in learning management systems are all considered in scope if they support institutional programs, services, or activities.

    Are third-party tools exempt from ADA Title II requirements?

    No. If an institution uses or pays for third-party tools such as virtual tours, registration platforms, or scholarship portals, the institution remains responsible for accessibility compliance—even if the vendor created the content.

    Are there any exceptions to the ADA Title II Final Rule?

    Limited exceptions exist for archived content, certain pre-existing documents, and third-party user-generated content. However, these exceptions are narrow, and most active or high-impact content must still be accessible.

    What happens if a college or university is not compliant with the ADA Title II Final Rule?

    Institutions that fail to comply may face DOJ enforcement actions, civil rights complaints, legal risk, and reputational damage. More importantly, noncompliance can limit equal access for students, staff, and community members with disabilities.

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  • Adelphi Student Wins AI Plagiarism Lawsuit

    Adelphi Student Wins AI Plagiarism Lawsuit

    Orion Newby was accused of using AI to write a paper in his World Civilizations 1 class.

    Photo illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed | sarah5/iStock/Getty Images | kali9/E+/Getty Images

    An Adelphi University student who was accused of using artificial intelligence on an assignment has won a lawsuit against the institution, Newsday reported, with a federal judge ruling that the finding that he had plagiarized was without merit. The institution will be required to remove the plagiarism charge from his record; Adelphi students can face suspension or expulsion after committing two plagiarism offenses.

    “It feels incredible to finally have my name cleared,” the student, Orion Newby, said. He is now a sophomore at Adelphi, where he is studying history. “Winning this case is a huge weight off of my shoulders.”

    A spokeswoman for the university told Newsday that the institution “does not comment on litigation or on individual or personal cases involving students or faculty. We are evaluating the court’s decision and will proceed accordingly.”

    The plagiarism accusation arose from a paper on Christianity and Islam that Newby had written in a World Civilizations 1 class his first semester of college. Turnitin’s AI detector marked the essay as fully AI-written, but Newby ran it through two other detectors that said it was written by a human, court records show.

    The university denied an appeal of the plagiarism ruling, leading Newby’s parents to take legal action. The family said they have spent six figures on legal fees.

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  • Useful Case Study on Culture Capture

    Useful Case Study on Culture Capture

    Bad Bunny’s highly anticipated halftime performance at Super Bowl LX was epic, joyful, beautiful, captivating, exciting and delightfully entertaining. It was a big night for Puerto Ricans, Latinos, immigrants and all Americans. It is easily one of the best halftime performances ever. The 13-minute experience is a phenomenal, complex culture capture that is worth teaching in college classrooms. Fortunately, students and their instructors can easily access it on the NFL’s YouTube channel. Unsurprisingly, as of Tuesday evening it has been watched more than 62 million times.

    U.S. president Donald Trump did not love Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio’s show as much as millions of others and I did. In fact, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the show was “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” Months before the performance even occurred, the NFL’s choice to put one of the world’s biggest musical icons on television’s biggest stage garnered critique from conservatives. They were upset when the six-time Grammy winner, a U.S. citizen, announced that all the songs were going to be in Spanish. “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying,” Trump wrongly proclaimed in his social media post just after the halftime extravaganza ended.

    According to U.S. Census data, Spanish is spoken in well over 41 million households in this country, which is the highest number in the world after Mexico. Some estimates predict that one in three Americans will be Spanish speakers by 2050. Furthermore, the International Center for Language Studies reports that Spanish is spoken by 560 million people globally and that it is the official or national language in 21 countries. If the NFL’s goal was to attract more viewers across and beyond the U.S., then allowing a global megastar to perform entirely in Spanish was a brilliant business decision. Despite this, critics firmly maintain that the Super Bowl is an American cultural product.

    “A slap in the face to our country” is how Trump characterized Benito Bowl. Perhaps for some, but definitely not for the Latinos who watched the halftime show at Barrio BX, a restaurant in the Bronx. A CNN broadcast there showed an electrifying gathering of excited Americans, most of them Puerto Rican. “Many said this was the greatest display of Puerto Rican and Latino pride they had ever seen on such a big global stage,” Maria Santana, the CNN reporter, noted. Other networks have been showing huge crowds of Latinos gathered all across the U.S. clearly enjoying the performance. It was the antithesis of a slap in the face to these Americans. I, too, am American. I did not feel like my country had been disrespectfully slapped.

    I have vacationed in Puerto Rico more than anywhere else. It is my happy place. I came out to my best friend during our 2005 vacation there. It was the first trip I went on in 2008 with the boyfriend to whom I am now happily married. The day after I earned tenure at the University of Pennsylvania in 2011, I went there for several days to rest, recover and celebrate; it was my husband’s tenure gift to me. Two of my former students married each other there; of course I attended. For more than 20 years, I have felt connected to the place and its people.

    I was there in 2006 when Miss Puerto Rico Zuleyka Rivera won Miss Universe. There was a parade to welcome her home. It was lit. The cultural pride was unlike anything I had experienced. Bad Bunny’s performance was reminiscent of that. It also reminded me of the loving Puerto Rican families I have met, the amazingly delicious meals I have eaten, the nightclubs and streets in which I have danced, and photos I have taken with stunning cultural scenes surrounding me. In lots of ways, I had experienced Bad Bunny’s halftime show many times before—in real life.

    Corporations often make ads and other content that miss the mark on reflecting diverse cultures and communities. Some are simply inaccurate, while others are stereotypical and offensive (for example, a pair of Heinz ads released in 2024). Many times, the creators of those ads are college graduates. Professors who teach marketing and advertising classes could use Bad Bunny’s halftime performance as a case example on how to reflect culture with complexity and authenticity. It could also be useful in photography, journalism, filmmaking and other content-creation courses. It is a masterclass in multidimensionality—showcasing numerous sides of people and places instead of defaulting to one-sided, racist tropes. Dissecting the video frame by frame would be quite instructive; so too would analyses of still photos from the show.

    Bad Bunny took viewers on a thrilling field trip through Puerto Rico. Faculty members could thoughtfully do versions of the same. A quick trip to someplace, whether it is across town or far away, will not be deep enough. In fact, doing so could result in problematic misinterpretations. Regardless of duration, cultural excursions must be accompanied by meaningful assignments that require deep research into the place and its history, sampling its food, listening to its music, visiting its schools, exploring its fashions, understanding its government, stopping by a range of its businesses and, most importantly, conducting intergenerational interviews with its residents.

    Undoubtedly, Benito got it so right because the culture he was reflecting is his own. As an assignment, professors could ask students to sketch, fully design or even produce digital content that deeply reflects their own cultures and the places they are from. Bad Bunny set an impressively high bar. But what he did at Levi’s Stadium during Super Bowl LX could offer much guidance to students who aspire to get culture right in their future careers.

    Shaun Harper is University Professor and Provost Professor of Education, Business and Public Policy at the University of Southern California, where he holds the Clifford and Betty Allen Chair in Urban Leadership. His most recent book is titled Let’s Talk About DEI: Productive Disagreements About America’s Most Polarizing Topics.

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  • EAB Report Finds Confluence of Pressures on Higher Ed

    EAB Report Finds Confluence of Pressures on Higher Ed

    The headwinds facing higher ed have turned into a powerful gale.

    Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

    The higher education sector is increasingly squeezed by economic and political pressures affecting even the nation’s wealthiest institutions, according to a new report from consulting giant EAB.

    The report, out today, argues that higher education is in “a new era of scrutiny and conditional legitimacy.” EAB finds the sector battered by social, political and market headwinds as it simultaneously navigates a more adversarial relationship with the federal government, a bifurcated enrollment picture, public doubts about return on investment, a rapidly changing athletics landscape and the effects of artificial intelligence on job prospects for recent graduates.

    Here’s a look at some takeaways from EAB’s Higher Ed State of the Sector report.

    A Changing Social Contract

    The report notes that scrutiny on the sector is sharpening, which is driven by both the Trump administration and state lawmakers who have ratcheted up pressure on institutional autonomy by pressing universities to restrict certain speech and halt diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

    The authors argue that autonomy is no longer assumed and colleges must justify to the public their need for independence.

    “In the past, it was largely assumed we were given autonomy. It was assumed that we were going to deliver value, do good for the public,” Brooke Thayer, EAB’s senior director of research, told Inside Higher Ed. “Now it’s increasingly conditional and tied to—can you actually prove it? Can you show me the ROI? Can you show me the impact and economic value and alignment with the priorities of federal policymakers, state policymakers and the broader public as well?”

    Thayer and her co-authors note that in President Donald Trump’s second term, many historical assumptions about higher education no longer ring true. They point to restrictions on speech and DEI, loan caps, an increased focus on ROI, an expansion of the endowment tax, and cuts to research as evidence that higher education’s social contract has been rewritten in just the first year of Trump 2.0.

    “There’s one word that stuck out over this last year and it’s ‘Trump,’” said Colin Koproske, managing director in EAB’s research division. But, he added, the federal government’s shifting priorities are compounded by demographic pressures and the AI effect on job placement. Altogether, those headwinds amount to a powerful gale.

    ‘Synchronized Compression’

    While the report notes that the business model of higher education has been under strain for decades, authors argue, “Today’s challenges are substantively different.” They find “every major revenue stream and expense category is under pressure at the same time” across the sector.

    Institutions are facing what EAB calls “synchronized compression,” which means leaders have “fewer cushions to absorb shocks” due to simultaneous pressure on revenues and expenses.

    The report notes a high and largely fixed cost structure, heavy on labor costs, weighed down by deferred maintenance needs and subject to political headwinds, particularly for public institutions, where lawmakers may be keen to cut education to balance state budgets.

    “I think most schools are gonna have to make bigger changes than we have in the past and move a lot faster,” Thayer said. “A lot of that comes down to the reality that we have to manage our cost base, which is highly fixed and labor intensive. It’s tough to make a real change in the model and is going to require some of those bigger discussions and restructuring conversations around—do we have the right people, processes, investments in place and are there ways we actually can more sustainably build a model for the future with more cost flexibility in it?”

    But the report notes that even deep-pocketed institutions are subject to budget constraints, pointing out that wealthy universities also cut jobs and programs amid recent fiscal pressures.

    Need to Rethink Curricula

    The EAB report argues that higher education must confront concerns about market relevance as artificial intelligence reshapes the student body, the labor market and society at a broad level.

    The first factor is generational. The report argues that students arrive on campus less prepared “academically, socially and professionally.” But new graduates are also facing a contracting labor market, with entry-level jobs harder to obtain. Finally, EAB argues that artificial intelligence is “rewriting the foundations of work itself” as corporations make major bets on the technology.

    Thayer and Koproske argue that the effect of AI on early career outcomes—where many companies are tapping the technology to do the work of junior employees—means universities will have to rethink what they teach and how they teach it, with more of an emphasis on experiential learning. They also call on colleges to build more partnerships with employers to help students land internships and co-op placements in order to get a leg up on their careers.

    “There’s a bridge from a traditional four-year undergraduate education to the workforce that has to be built up to a much greater degree,” Koproske said.

    A ‘Winning Platform’

    Despite the concerns raised in the report, it isn’t all doom and gloom. EAB does offer a “winning platform” for institutions despite the many challenges confronting the higher education sector.

    The report highlights three areas where colleges should focus to improve public support.

    First up is “power jobs,” or the notion, as described in the report, that colleges provide “the fastest, most reliable route to jobs that sustain families and keep America competitive.” Second, the report highlights the importance of fostering civic pluralism, or making campuses a national model for debate and civic literacy in a time of polarization. Finally, colleges should focus on advancing national resilience, by taking center stage in areas such as defense, health and infrastructure by focusing research on areas of public interest and minting partnerships, according to the report.

    “Underlying all of those is this theme of transparency and making sure we’re measuring, we’re proving the outcomes, we’re being clear about the impact that we’re having. But those are three activities that cut across the party lines and are valuable in the eyes of the public,” Thayer said.

    A webinar discussing the findings in the report is scheduled for Wednesday at 3 p.m. Eastern.

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  • The Tyranny of Disciplines

    The Tyranny of Disciplines

    RST: Good morning, my dear hard-boiled egg. Did you have a good trip to Austin, upholding the patriarchy and extolling the manly virtues of the Western canon?

    EGG: You are so irritating. Old white men need to have a little space in the lexicon of human endeavors. I stand for all of them. So there!!

    RST: 🤮 There’s been a theme in the responses I’m hearing from people about this column, and it has to do with bodily functions and fluids. People have said they’ve snorted coffee out of their noses and nearly peed their pants while reading our text exchanges. We’re going to have to up our game to get them to actually pee. Higher ed needs more fun, Gordon.

    EGG: Rachel, I can tell you that I am having so much fun because you make it so. And the biggest gift you’ve given me is the gift of your friendship. That may be the last nice thing I say to you.

    RST: Liar, liar, pants on fire. You can’t help yourself. Nice things pour out of every text you send me. Plus, people are telling me, “I didn’t know Gordon Gee was so funny!” Apparently, you hid it well.

    EGG: I think having a thick skin and a sense of humor is the antidote to all of the whining and complaining common in universities. Besides, there are so many damn funny things that occur on a campus, why not laugh?

    RST: Now, let’s get into majors and the siloification of knowledge. I think we can agree expertise matters and U.S. higher ed is the expert factory. We need to keep cranking out Ph.D.s with specific knowledge about things like science, medicine, history and the global and pluralistic world—all the stuff we all teach. This matters more now because we have a government that offers dangerous “advice.” Welcome back, measles! I mean, plenty of people in your beloved state of West Virginia thought COVID wasn’t real and/or ate horse dewormer. I felt sorry for all those poor equines whose poop was wriggling with bot larvae.

    EGG: I must admit that some of your analogies are clearly made to irritate me. It is hard to believe that you are a Yale graduate. (Actually, it is not that hard to believe.) Certainly some of the advice that is coming out of the government is dangerous, particularly regarding public health. But they are also asking legitimate questions that should not be dismissed. I hope you are not a member of AA.

    RST: Alcoholics Anonymous? WTF, Gordon?

    EGG: Academic Antifa.

    RST: Oy. Anyway. I think we agree that we must protect and sustain disciplinary knowledge, and we need to maintain research and scholarship to keep our country healthy and our democracy alive. But many faculty members, no matter where they teach, including at small private colleges and regional publics, act as if they are still training mini-mes and are preparing students for nothing but graduate school.

    EGG: That is because universities are organized around departments and colleges rather than ideas. I think that we need to reorganize universities around centers, institutes and working groups, allowing both undergraduate and graduate programs to be very fluid and making disciplines not be the organizing principle but part of the creative process. Knowledge is doubling every few hours, so we need to evolve ideas and creative efforts at the same speed. Universities are elephants and need to become ballerinas and not just elephants with a tutu.

    RST: So we agree: Majors are dumb. I am at odds with some faculty because I don’t think we’re serving students for the world as it exists today. And when students come to us from community colleges and choose to major in creative writing (to my dismay, and I realize I may be writing myself out of a job), they can’t take courses that will round them out intellectually without jeopardizing their financial aid, because everything has to count toward degree completion. Given the way my university and many others are set up, I can’t even team teach with a professor in history or engineering.

    EGG: Rachel, I would say that you are not at odds with faculty, but rather your colleagues are at odds with academic reality. So many times I have seen people hang on to the way things are, even to the point that it is a death spiral. As a president, I would ask the question “Why are we doing this?” and the answer would be “This is the way we have always done things.” There is this belief among many that there are certain sacred issues that cannot be challenged. In my view, sacred cows make the best hamburgers.

    RST: Well, there’s a lovely image. When you were slashing and burning at WVU and destroying all that was good and holy—

    EGG: You know how to be really irritating. I suspect you would have been out in front of my office with a bullhorn—

    RST: Being irritating is one of my few superpowers. But, no, I’d be pelting you with stale bow-tie cookies or writing nasty op-eds. Did you try to reimagine how to fundamentally change things? Was there ever real conversation about inquiry-based learning? Could WVU have built a “university within a university”—a pilot college centered around problems, not majors, that attracts those faculty who want to try something different to serve today’s students? Have you heard about places (other than UATX—again, leaving that for later) that are doing cool things to get away from the tyranny of disciplines? I have.

    EGG: There was no slashing and burning. It was a necessary process to start to transform the university, a process that is now playing out across many institutions. The tyranny of disciplines and colleges has made it almost impossible to create new and more thoughtful ways to organize universities. The guild mentality requires loyalty to the discipline rather than the university—

    RST: You do know I wrote about this in the fall, right? I like to interrupt you. (Little Jewish girl from New York disrupts polite Mormon’s manners. Hell yeah!)

    EGG: —means it is difficult to start fresh and interesting programs within the body of the university. That is the reason, for example, that civic institutes are being created by legislators, due to the fact that the universities have refused to think of new and creative ways to teach and to organize themselves.

    RST: Oh, sure, the innovation of civics requirements some states are mandating, like the way your little patriarchal friends at UATX are trying to turn back the clock on a half century of social awareness?

    EGG: Well, part of this is due to the strong belief among many in the political community that institutions are rampant with wokeness. A premise I reject (although there is a good deal of “wokeness” in parts of many universities).

    RST: I have no idea what “wokeness” means, and surely you’re not dismissing the real and structural inequalities built into the legal foundations of our society. Really, Gordon, you were the dean of a law school (centuries ago). A couple of presidents, when I said that higher ed had barely changed in the last century and half, pointed out that if that were true, I wouldn’t be here. Is coeducation wokeness? Is looking at our sometimes ugly history with a critical eye wokeness? But if you’re saying that we could have done a better job of teaching why diversity (of all kinds), equity and inclusion matter, I agree. Everyone got real shouty, which resulted in a whole bunch of people feeling condescended to and left out.

    EGG: If university faculty had been more attuned to the changing nature of the world in which our universities are operating, they would have found ways to nurture new and different structures within the university that would allow multiple roads to academic conversations and salvation.

    RST: But we tend to stay within our little silos. And we’re also just swinging the pendulum of “cancellation” back and forth. I wonder if part of the problem with majors and departments is the way we’ve traditionally rewarded faculty, which is to say, we all act like we’re at mini R-1s.

    EGG: Now let’s really get into it. My question to you is, when are you going to give up tenure?

    RST: As soon as you find me another gig with even better benefits. Oops. Doesn’t exist because being a full professor is the most luxurious job in the nation. And you can keep your elephants in tutus. I’m obsessed with a baby pygmy hippo named Mars who lives in Wichita.

    Rachel Toor is a contributing editor at Inside Higher Ed and the co-founder of The Sandbox. She is also a professor of creative writing. E. Gordon Gee has served as a university president for 45 years at five different universities—two of them twice. He retired from the presidency July 15, 2025.

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  • How to: recruit non executives who genuinely strengthen your institution

    How to: recruit non executives who genuinely strengthen your institution

    Author:
    Julia Roberts

    Published:

    This blog was kindly authored by Julia Roberts, Founder and Principal Consultant at Julia Roberts Advisory.

    It is the second blog in our four-part ‘How To’ series that focuses on recruitment in higher education leadership roles. The first blog, on working with executive search, can be found here.

    Universities need Boards that can think clearly, challenge constructively and anticipate the pressures shaping the sector. That requires more than simply strong CVs: it requires a deliberately balanced mix of perspectives, experiences and capabilities that collectively enhance institutional judgement.

    Non executive recruitment is not about avoiding risk; it is about equipping your institution to navigate it.

    Be precise about the skills you actually need

    Boards rarely struggle to list the strengths they already possess. The real work lies in identifying the capabilities they do not yet have and being honest about where decisions feel harder than they should.

    A strong Board will typically benefit from three broad sources of insight:

    • Higher education experience, which is invaluable for understanding regulatory context, governance expectations, stakeholder dynamics and policy pressures. This perspective accelerates the Board’s ability to read risk and spot implications early.

    • Commercial experience, particularly where large-scale financial stewardship, technological change, market volatility or customer-driven transformation have shaped organisational strategy.

    • Public sector experience, which brings deep expertise in accountability, stewardship, complex partnership working and operating within high scrutiny environments.

    Be explicit about expectations

    NED roles in universities are far from light touch. Policy shifts, regulatory intervention, financial constraints and public scrutiny mean that governance requires real commitment.

    Be ambitious, especially in areas where capability gaps are growing

    The demand for Board level literacy in AI, cyber security and digital resilience has become strategically essential. A Board does not need technical specialists in every seat. But it does need members who can recognise the strategic implications of AI adoption, interrogate cyber risk plans with confidence and understand what good looks like in digital maturity.

    A final thought

    Non executive recruitment is one of the few levers that genuinely shifts institutional capability. When you make the right appointments, you broaden the institution’s strategic horizon and strengthen its resilience.

    Be clear about the skills you need, be clear about the expectations of the role, and be ambitious in building a Board with a balanced mix of higher education, commercial, public sector and digital expertise including AI and cyber insight.

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  • Cutting management apprenticeships would set young people up to fail at work

    Cutting management apprenticeships would set young people up to fail at work

    There is a growing sense, shared quietly by employers, universities and apprentices themselves, that something valuable is starting to slip through the cracks of the skills system.

    Amid much speculation, it would seem that the direction of travel is becoming harder to ignore. As Vice Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University and CEO of the Chartered Management Institute, we are deeply concerned that management and leadership apprenticeships are under threat as funding tightens and priorities narrow.

    There is much talk about simplification, streamlining standards and shorter, more flexible provision. In a recent interview, the former Labour Cabinet minister Alan Milburn, who is leading a review into the rise in young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), argued that the apprenticeship system has “drifted off course”. He described it as “crazy” that a significant number of apprenticeships are now taken up by people over the age of 40.

    Worried that – as one business leader in Staffordshire described it – talk of “streamlining” very quickly starts to sound a lot like “rationing”, employers, apprentices and higher education institutions have responded.

    They are backing a petition that warns against reforms that would sever the vital pipeline that trains the UK’s future managers.

    With more than 4,500 signatures from across the UK economy, voices from household names such as the Co-op Group, Capita, Ocado and TSB have joined hundreds of public sector and NHS workers, small business owners and charity leaders in calling for this route to be preserved.

    The move into work

    At its heart, this is not about who gets to do an apprenticeship. It is about what happens if management apprenticeships are “streamlined” out of existence. Who is then trained to support those unemployed young people as they take those first tentative steps into employment?

    Many NEETs face complex health and social challenges, and moving them off benefits and into work will not be simply a matter of handing them a job and telling them to show up each day.

    Keeping them there, keeping them motivated and helping them to see a future career path will all take skills – management skills. One third of workers have left a job because of a bad manager, and that’s without the myriad complexities faced by today’s NEET cohort.

    Ella Gladwin shows what that difference looks like in practice. A chartered manager degree apprentice at Manchester Metropolitan University, she chose not to follow a traditional degree and did not want to learn leadership in the abstract. Through her management apprenticeship, she has taken on real responsibility in the HVAC sector, contributed to business strategy, and built the confidence to lead in a male-dominated industry. She now mentors other young women entering the sector – not as a future leader, but as one already.

    Her story reflects something bigger. Chartered Management Institute (CMI) research found that 71 per cent of management apprentices come from families where neither parent went to university, and 59 per cent are women. Additionally, data shows that a significant number of management apprentices are under 25 – in 2024–25 this age group accounted for 38 per cent of new starters in the business administration and law sector alone.

    These are not elite qualifications for already-advantaged professionals. They are one of the few remaining routes that allow people to progress into leadership through work, often later in life, without taking on debt. Universities like Manchester Metropolitan have built programmes that are tightly aligned to employer need, rooted in real jobs, and open to learners who traditional routes have consistently failed to reach.

    Taking the productivity problem seriously

    Management apprenticeships account for only around eight per cent of all apprenticeship starts in England – despite the fact that almost a quarter of the UK workforce has management responsibility. They account for less than six per cent of the apprenticeship budget.

    Consider in that context that most UK managers receive no formal training at all – CMI data shows that 82 per cent get promoted having had no management training – creating a nation of “accidental managers”. Most of us will recognise the pattern, people promoted because they were good at their job, not because they were trained to lead others.

    This is reflected in the UK economy’s bottom line – our productivity problem is not just about technology or capital. For two decades, research by economists like Nicholas Bloom and John Van Reenen at the LSE has shown that management capability is the missing ingredient. Studying thousands of firms across 35 countries, they consistently find that better-managed organisations deliver higher output, stronger profitability and faster growth, regardless of sector or technology. John Van Reenen, who until recently chaired the Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ board of economic advisers, has seen first-hand how central management quality is to sustainable growth.

    None of this is an argument against supporting young people. We strongly support the Youth Guarantee and the urgent need to reduce inactivity. But those ambitions depend on skilled line managers who can recruit, retain and develop young people once they arrive. Entry routes matter, but progression and management matter too.

    As reforms to the apprenticeship system continue, ministers including Pat McFadden face a choice about the kind of skills system the UK truly needs. One that prizes speed over substance – the very problem that the levy on employers to fund apprenticeships was meant to solve. Or one that is rooted in what employers need – and that wisely recognises that opportunity does not end at the age of 24.

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  • Helping students articulate what they’ve learned

    Helping students articulate what they’ve learned

    The means to improve graduates’ employability during and following higher education remains a persistent topic of debate at both national and provider policy level.

    As both the cost of studying at university and graduate competition increases, the stakes are even higher for universities to achieve positive graduate destinations – for students and for regulatory purposes alike.

    The solutions that will achieve what are often complex, individual developments in students are far from easy, where committees debate the best approach while students themselves are increasingly keen for opportunities that will secure that dream career.

    It’s in this context that we’ve written The student’s guide to career planning and employability – a handbook for both students and lecturers on structuring accessible advice for the students of today.

    Skills are back on the menu

    Government nationally faces the same issues as our universities, where universities are increasingly asked to provide the medium and higher skills workforce to support economic development.

    In the last decade, this has seen agendas focused upon enterprise, regional skills reports, and new degree awarding powers to address how and where students are developed to be the graduates of the future.

    The Labour Party returned to government in 2024, and with it has returned a national focus on skills – including the publication of the UK standard skills classification released in November 2024.

    For many this is a return to a Labour priority of 1997–2010, where a focus on ensuring core skills are part of the curriculum was a major priority of the National Skills Taskforce, which outlined the need for a genuine link between university study and progression into industry, and such innovations as the foundation degree.

    Many universities responded with activities such as personal development planning and increased resources in careers services to develop these skills in the students of the 2000s, measured by the Destinations of higher education leavers survey.

    14 years on

    Whether you refer to skills as “hard skills”, “soft skills”, “transferable skills”, or “personal skills”, the challenge for educators and careers advisors hasn’t changed in the skills agenda.

    For students, finding the right means or opportunities not only to develop such skills is easier said than done at scale, but also to ensure students have awareness of such skills and can articulate them in processes such as job interviews. The context has considerably changed since, though, with technology, Covid-19, tuition fees, and job market changes seeing the skills agenda of today being very different to the last.

    The stakes are also far higher than just the league tables of the 2000s – Graduate Outcomes has been given three sets of very strong teeth for universities to answer to, notably:

    • Condition B3
    • The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
    • Access and participation plans

    Into the curriculum

    To ensure students’ engagement with skills development activities, increasing numbers of course teams are turning towards embedding employability in the curriculum. This sees curriculum going beyond traditional disciplinary content, taking steps to overtly engage students in skills development through access to experiences such as live briefs and work-related activities.

    Ensuring engagement through the hard line of summative assessment to assess such experiences, courses have innovated in assessment practice far beyond the essay, exam, and presentation – toward an array of authentic work-related assessment.

    The handbook

    To create a resource that engages, guides, and supports students’ development and awareness of skills, we were delighted to launch our new handbook for students at the start of the year. The student’s guide to career planning and employability is for students of all disciplines, and aims to provide an accessible source of advice and resources to kick-start their career planning.

    The book can also be used as core reading for employability modules, or as a resource for staff designing in-class materials – and there are even self-audit and reflective activities for students to complete.

    The handbook begins with students’ current position, where our initial chapters ask students to explore themselves, introduce skills, and understand the flexibility of degrees to different working contexts. The initial chapters highlight the vast opportunities available during university study to develop new skills and experiences through:

    • Work experience
    • Extra-curricular activities
    • Networking

    Beyond making the most of opportunities during university, the second half of the book focuses on graduate jobs to postgraduate study, including advice on job applications, interviews, and assessment centres.

    Order your inspection copy as an educator now, or see purchase options.

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