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why Nepalese students are choosing the UK
Restrictive immigration policy in Australia has boosted numbers coming to UK.

75% of the market is searching for undergraduate options with affordable fees.

Medium-of-instruction (MOI) English language waivers are common, and often linked to TNE college partnerships.
Nepal has been a key recruitment market for both Australia and the UK for many years – but as the number of students applying to the UK rises, many more universities are starting to explore the market.

In the year ending March 2024, according to ONS data, 9,003 Nepalese students were issued study visas for the UK, with the number undoubtedly larger for the intakes since.

According to Enroly, the number of CASs issued for the January 2025 intake was up 200% while CAS issuance for its entire UK portfolio was only up 23%. Overall, the total market share of CAS issuance for Nepal grew from 3% to 7% in 2024.

This impressive growth has come at a time when some British universities have seen falling demand from other international markets, and the government has announced a student visa clamp-down on Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka – linked to asylum claims.

So why are Nepalese students choosing the UK and will it last?

Over 60,000 Nepalese students previously chose to study in Australia each year, making it the third biggest source market for the country.

Recent visa restrictions imposed by the Albanese government, however, are now forcing many students to seek an alternative destination.

While the Australian visa process requires detailed evidence on income, the UK system allows students to show a mature bank account, often supplemented by private student loans.

Enroly estimates that 78% of Nepalese students are now funded through education loans, or a combination of an education loan and university discount.

Affordable fees and scholarships

Despite economic growth, projected to be 4.61% this fiscal year, Nepal is still a price-senstitive market.

As a consequence, there are 15-20 British universities from the ‘Million Plus’ and ‘Alliance’ groups attracting a large market share in the country.

Many of these institutions are the same UK universities that are diversifying income through franchise activity, brand campuses and TNE articulations.

Offering average annual fees of between £11,500 and £13,500 enables them to attract a large number of predominently undergraduate students to supplement their numbers.

According to HESA statistics, some of the biggest recruiters are BPP, University of Sunderland and Coventry University.

The latter have validation partnerships with local providers such as ISMT College and Softwarica College of IT and eCommerce, respectively, creating a pipeline of students that can top-up with a final year in the UK or progress easily on to masters degree.
The UK universities recruiting the most students from Nepal:

University of West Scotland, London

BPP

Coventry University

University of Sunderland

University of Roehampton

York St John University

Ravensbourne University London

University of East London (UEL)

University of West London

University of Wolverhampton

University of Central Birmingham (UCB)

University of Hertfordshire

University of Greenwich

Ulster University
The trend for universities to accept Nepalese students directly has significantly reduced the demand for foundation programmes in the region.

Accpetance of MOI letters as proof of English

Another key factor is the widespread acceptance of MOI letters as a waiver of additional English language tests.

These letters are used as proof that the qualification gained by a prosepctive student was both taught and assessed in English to a level acdepted by a university as having met English language requirements. The UK government is currently consulting with the sector on the way universities make English language self-assessment decisions for admissions purposes.

Agents and immigration consultants use English language waivers as one of the areas to save prospective students money and support partner universities.

According to Enroly, 82% of course deposits paid by Nepalese students for the UK, come from applications supported by an education agent.

The PIE News visited Nepal to better understand the challenges education agents face in a competitive market. Read the full report here.
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June 13, 2025
Measuring AI Density within the Evolving Search Marketing Landscape
This fundamental shift demands a re-evaluation of how we evaluate, measure, and evolve our SEO and website marketing efforts. For higher education institutions, staying ahead of this curve isn’t just about visibility; it’s about connecting with prospective students in new and impactful ways.

The world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is in constant flux, and never has this been more evident than in the current era of artificial intelligence. AI-driven search experiences are fundamentally shifting how prospective students search for schools and programs, and what worked yesterday won’t be enough to drive success going forward.

Gone are the days when organic traffic and keyword rankings were the sole arbiters of SEO success. While still important, the reasons for their diminishing effectiveness are becoming increasingly clear:

Traffic is no longer a perfect proxy for exposure: With the rise of AI-powered search features like Google’s AI Overviews, users are increasingly finding answers directly on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) without needing to click through to a website. This “zero-click” phenomenon means your content can provide value and influence prospective students even if it doesn’t result in a website visit. A high ranking might lead to less traffic if the answer is provided directly on the SERP, skewing traditional traffic metrics.

Keyword rankings don’t capture semantic understanding: AI excels at understanding natural language and user intent. While a keyword ranking tells you if you’re visible for a specific phrase, it doesn’t tell you if your content is truly satisfying the underlying need or being recognized as authoritative for a broader topic. Users are asking more complex questions, and AI is providing more nuanced answers, making a simple keyword ranking less indicative of true search performance.
The Rise of AI Overviews and Our “AI Density” KPI Approach

Google’s AI Overviews (formerly Search Generative Experience) are transforming how information is consumed. These AI-generated summaries appear prominently at the top of the SERP, synthesizing information from multiple authoritative sources to provide immediate answers.

Google AI Overview example within a higher education SERP

For higher education marketers, this means that even if a user doesn’t click on your link, your institution’s content can still be featured, influencing their perception of your brand and their enrollment decision-making. With this, it is necessary to expand your measurement framework to encompass new KPIs; one such KPI is AI density.

AI density measures how often your institution’s content is cited or referenced within AI Overviews for relevant queries. This KPI goes beyond clicks, focusing on the ultimate visibility and attribution your brand receives within these AI-powered summaries. A high AI Density signifies that your content is considered a trusted and valuable source by AI models, driving more visibility among high-intent prospective students.
How to Influence Your Website’s AI Density:

Optimize for authority and trustworthiness: AI models prioritize content from credible and authoritative sources. Focus on building E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) through high-quality, in-depth content, expert authors, and strong internal and external linking.

Structure your content for AI readability: Use clear headings, concise answers to common questions, and structured data (schema markup) to help AI models easily understand and extract information from your pages.

Analyze source citations: Pay attention to which websites Google’s AI Overviews are sourcing their information from. Are you among them?
Beyond the Click: Other Essential Modern SEO KPIs

While AI density is a powerful new addition, a holistic view of your SEO performance in the AI era requires tracking a broader set of KPIs. Here are some that will become increasingly vital:

Search Share of Voice: This metric moves beyond individual keyword rankings to assess your institution’s overall visibility for a set of relevant topics or queries compared to your competitors. In the modern search landscape, this encompasses your website, your social media presence, your external brand mentions, and more.

On-Platform Visibility: Students are searching on more platforms than ever before, from social platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and TikTok, to chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. Your SEO strategy needs to consider visibility on these platforms, and your KPIs should reflect your presence and engagement there.

Brand Search Volume: As AI provides direct answers, users may be exposed to your brand without visiting your site. Monitor branded search queries in Google Search Console and Google Trends. An increase in branded searches indicates growing brand awareness and recall, even if the initial search didn’t lead to a click.

Engagement Quality (Beyond Bounce Rate): Instead of solely focusing on bounce rate, delve into metrics that indicate true engagement. Look at “engaged sessions” in GA4, video views, downloads of resources, and repeat visits. These metrics show that your content is truly resonating with users, even if the conversion isn’t immediate.

Conversion Influence (aka Assisted Conversions): SEO’s role in the user journey is becoming more complex. It might not always be the last click, but it often initiates or assists a conversion. Utilize GA4’s attribution models to understand how organic search influences conversions further down the funnel, even if other channels get the “last click” credit.
Adapting for the Future

The shift in the SEO landscape is not a threat but an opportunity for marketers to become more strategic and meet prospective student needs more effectively. By evolving our KPIs to reflect the realities of AI-powered search, higher education institutions can gain a deeper understanding of their online performance and adapt their strategies to thrive.

EducationDynamics is committed to helping institutions navigate this evolving digital terrain. By focusing on these modern KPIs, you can ensure your SEO efforts are not just about ranking for keywords, but about building genuine visibility, authority, and engagement in an increasingly intelligent search environment. Contact us to learn how we can support your strategy.
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June 13, 2025
Ignite Reading Again Approved as 1:1 High-Dosage Early Literacy Tutoring Provider in Massachusetts
BOSTON — Ignite Reading — a Science of Reading-based virtual tutoring program serving students in 18 states nationwide — today announced its approval by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to continue providing 1:1 high-dosage evidence-based literacy tutoring to K-3 students across the commonwealth.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s administration called on her state to invest heavily in high-dosage tutoring (HDT) earlier this year, earmarking $25 million in her state budget proposal to help accelerate literacy growth, “complementing the more systemic, long-term improvement work” being supported under the administration’s five-year literacy improvement campaign, Literacy Launch.

In its approval process, DESE evaluated Ignite Reading’s services to Massachusetts districts over the past three school years and approved the literacy company to again provide school districts and charter schools with tutoring that is focused on building foundational skills — including phonological awareness, phonics knowledge and decoding skills — to help students become independent fluent readers in the early grades.

Since Ignite Reading first gained DESE approval during the 2022-23 school year:
- 30 Massachusetts schools and districts have partnered with Ignite Reading to provide students with 15 minutes of daily, 1:1 virtual tutoring.
- Ignite Reading’s tutor educators have delivered differentiated, evidence-based early literacy instruction to more than 7,800 Massachusetts students.
- Researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Research and Reform in Education have followed approximately 2,000 Massachusetts 1st graders enrolled in the program. The quasi-experimental study found the number of students reading on benchmark increased 213% after a year of Ignite Reading tutoring. At the same time, the percentage of students who required intensive reading intervention decreased 55%. All student groups — including Black and Hispanic students, those with IEPs and Multilingual Learners — had equitable skills growth, and those meeting end-of-year reading benchmarks grew more than 125%.
The Healey-Driscoll Administration recently announced that schools and districts in Massachusetts are invited to apply for high-dosage early literacy tutoring for K-3 students with 1st grade as the state’s top priority.

“When we get kids reading proficiently by the end of 1st grade, we set them up for a lifetime of academic success,” said Ignite Reading CEO Jessica Sliwerski. “Our continued approval by DESE means we can keep delivering the intensive, personalized support that Massachusetts 1st graders need to learn to read on grade level and on time. We are honored to be able to continue to partner with Massachusetts districts to ensure all students can access the tools they need to succeed as readers.”

For more information about Ignite Reading’s Massachusetts partnerships, visit https://info.ignite-reading.com/massachusetts.

About Ignite Reading

Ignite Reading is on a mission to ensure every student can access the tools they need to be a confident, fluent reader by the end of 1st grade. School districts nationwide depend on Ignite Reading’s virtual tutoring program to deliver literacy support at scale for students who need help learning to read. Our highly trained tutors provide students with 1:1 tutoring in foundational literacy skills each school day, helping them go from learning to read to reading to learn.

A recent study by the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University found that Ignite Reading students across demographics — including students who are English Learners, Black, Hispanic, and those with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) — achieve the same outstanding gains of more than 5 months of additional learning during a single school year. For more information about Ignite Reading, visit www.ignite-reading.com.

eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.

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June 13, 2025
Top govt figure in the dock for role in Kenyan scholarship scandal

Jonathan Bii, governor of Uasin Gishu, one of Kenya’s prominent counties, is now facing legal scrutiny over his alleged involvement in the controversial Uasin Gishu Finland/Canada Scholarship Program.

Bii, a member of the United Democratic Alliance, an affiliate of Kenya’s ruling coalition, is accused of supporting the scholarship scheme and requesting additional payments from students.

As per media reports, he later distanced himself from the initiative amid allegations of misappropriation of over KSh 1.1 billion meant for scholarships.

Individual accounts by parents of the students revealed that payments ranged from KSh 650,000 to over KSh 1.2 million (approximately USD$5,000–$9,230), with some families reportedly paying up to KSh 3 million (around USD$23,100).

These amounts covered expenses such as tuition, visa and insurance fees, and accommodation deposits.

Kenyan news outlet Daily Nation reported that a key witness, Mitchelle Jeptanui, testified before senior principal magistrate Peter Ndege that in June 2023, Bii held a meeting with parents to assure them that the overseas trip would receive approval shortly.

The parents, already anxious as their children had received admission letters from universities in Canada and Finland, were allegedly asked to pay an additional KSh 200,000 to KSh 300,000 (approximately USD$1,540 to $2,310) for accommodation fees.

However, despite the payments, none of the students were able to travel abroad.

My son never travelled. I am still hoping either for a refund or support for him to go
_{^{Benjamin Kibet, parent}}

When parents once again demanded answers, Bii allegedly shifted the blame to his predecessor, Jackson Mandago, who initiated the program.

However, testimony from seven out of eight witnesses last week confirmed they made their payments after Bii assumed office.

Benjamin Kibet, a parent of one of the affected student, told the court that he took out a loan of KSh 650,000 (around USD$5,000) to fund his son’s education at Stenberg College in Canada, after being introduced to the programme by Mandago and Bii.

“My son never travelled. I am still hoping either for a refund or support for him to go,” Kibet told reporters.

As the case unfolds, Mandago, along with former county officials Meshack Rono and Joshua Lelei, is expected to face criminal charges related to the alleged misappropriation of the scholarship funds.

Over the past two years, the scandal has shaken Kenya’s growing middle class, who have aspirations for overseas education.

A 2020 survey had found that more than half of Kenyan students preferred studying at international universities over local institutions.

Moreover, Kenya has been identified as a “high-growth potential” source market for international education.

It ranked as the leading East African market for US universities, with enrolments rising by 45% in 2022 compared to 2019.

Canadian institutions, a key draw for many of the students who ultimately became entangled in the scholarship scandal, also recorded a 12% rise in Kenyan student enrolments during the same period.

Kenyan parents have taken to the streets across Uasin Gishu County over the past few years, demanding answers, as the scandal has left over 300 students stranded at home.

Many of them have reportedly been expelled from Finnish universities or deported, as previously reported by The PIE News.

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June 13, 2025
People want AI regulation — but they don’t trust the regulators

Generative AI is changing the way we learn, think, discover, and create. Researchers at UC San Diego are using generative AI technology to accelerate climate modeling. Scientists at Harvard Medical School have developed a chatbot that can help diagnose cancers. In Belarus, Venezuela, and Russia, political dissidents and embattled journalists have created AI tools to bypass censorship.

Despite these benefits, a recent global survey from The Future of Free Speech, a think tank where I am the executive director, finds that people around the world support strict guardrails — whether imposed by companies or governments — on the types of content that AI can create.

These findings were part of a broader survey that ranked 33 countries on overall support for free speech, including on controversial but legal topics. In every country, even high-scoring ones, fewer than half supported AI generating content that, for instance, might offend religious beliefs or insult the national flag — speech that would be protected in most democracies. While some people might find these topics beyond reproach, the ability to question these orthodoxies is a fundamental freedom that underpins free and open societies.

This tension reflects two competing approaches for how societies should harness AI’s power. The first, “User Empowerment,” sees generative AI as a powerful but neutral tool. Harm lies not in the tool itself, but in how it’s used and by whom. This approach affirms that free expression includes not just the right to speak, but the right to access information across borders and media — a collective good essential to informed choice and democratic life. Laws should prohibit using AI to commit fraud or harassment, not ban AI from discussing controversial political topics.

The second, “Preemptive Safetyism,” treats some speech as inherently harmful and seeks to block it before it’s even created. While this instinct may seem appealing given the potential for using AI to supercharge harm production, it risks turning AI into a tool of censorship and control, especially in the hands of powerful corporate or political actors.

As AI becomes an integrated operating system in our everyday life, it is critical that we not cut off access to ideas and information that may challenge us. Otherwise, we risk limiting human creativity and stifling scientific discovery.

Concerns over AI moderation

In 2024, The Future of Free Speech analyzed the policies of six major chatbots and tested 268 prompts to see how they handled controversial but legal topics, such as the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports and the “lab-leak” theory. We found that chatbots refused to generate content for more than 40% of prompts. This year, we repeated our tests and found that refusal rates dropped significantly to about 25% of the time.

Despite these positive developments, our survey’s findings indicate that people are comfortable with companies and governments erecting strict guardrails on what their AI chatbots can generate, which may result in large-scale government-mandated corporate control of users’ access to information and ideas.

Overwhelming opposition to political deepfakes

Unsurprisingly, the category of AI content that received the lowest support across the board in our survey was deepfakes of politicians. No more than 38% of respondents in any country expressed approval of political deepfakes. This finding aligns with a surge of legislative activity in both the U.S. and abroad as policymakers rush to regulate the use of AI deepfakes in elections.

At least 40 U.S. states introduced deepfake-related bills in the 2024 legislative session alone, with more than 50 bills already enacted. China, the EU, and others are all scrambling to pass laws requiring the detection, disclosure, and/or removal of deepfakes. Europe’s AI Act requires platforms to mitigate nebulous and ill-defined “systemic risks to society,” which could lead companies to preemptively remove lawful but controversial speech like deepfakes critical of politicians.

Although deepfakes can have real-world consequences, First Amendment advocates who have challenged deepfake regulations in the U.S. rightly argue that laws targeting political deepfakes open the door for governments to censor lawful dissent, criticism, or satire of candidates, a vital function of the democratic process. This is not a merely speculative risk.

An open society cannot thrive if its digital architecture is built to exclude dissent by design.

The editor of a far-right German media outlet was sentenced to a seven-month suspended prison sentence for sharing a fake meme of the Interior Minister holding a sign that ironically read, “I hate freedom of speech.” For much of 2024, Google restricted Gemini’s ability to generate factual responses about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after the Indian government accused the company of breaking the law when its chatbot responded that Modi had been “accused of implementing policies some experts characterized as fascist.”

And despite panic over AI-driven disinformation undermining global elections in 2024, studies from Princeton, the EU, and the Alan Turing Institute found no evidence that a wave of deepfakes affected election results in places like the U.S., Europe, or India.

People want regulation but don’t trust regulators

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that nearly six in 10 U.S. adults believed the government would not adequately regulate AI. Our survey confirms these findings on a global scale. In all countries surveyed except Taiwan, at least a plurality supported dual regulation by both governments and tech companies.

Indeed, a 2023 Pew survey found that 55% of Americans supported government restrictions on false information online, even if it limited free expression. But a 2024 Axios poll found that more Americans fear misinformation from politicians than from AI, foreign governments, or social media. In other words, the public appears willing to empower those they distrust most with policing online and AI misinformation.

A new FIRE poll, conducted in May 2025, underscores this tension. Although about 47% of respondents said they prioritize protecting free speech in politics, even if that means tolerating some deceptive content, 41% said it’s more important to protect people from misinformation than to protect free speech. Even so, 69% said they were “moderately” to “extremely” concerned that the government might use AI rules to silence criticism of elected officials.

In a democracy, public opinion matters — and The Future of Free Speech survey suggests that people around the world, including in liberal democracies, favor regulating AI to suppress offensive or controversial content. But democracies are not mere megaphones for majorities. They must still safeguard the very freedoms — like the right to access information, question orthodoxy, and challenge those in power — that make self-government possible.

We should avoid Preemptive Safetyism

The dangers of Preemptive Safetyism are most vividly on display in China, where AI tools like DeepSeek must enforce “core socialist values,” avoiding topics like Taiwan, Xinjiang, or Tiananmen, even when released in the West. What looks like a safety net can easily become a dragnet for dissent.

Speech being generated by a machine does not negate the human right to receive it, especially as those algorithms become central to the very search engines, email clients, and word processors that we use as an interface for the exchange of ideas and information in the digital age.

The greatest danger to speech often arises not from what is said, but from the fear of what might be said. An open society cannot thrive if its digital architecture is built to exclude dissent by design.

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June 13, 2025
RAJ AGNIHOTRI | Diverse: Issues In Higher Education

RAJ AGNIHOTRI has been named the next Raisbeck Endowed Dean of Iowa State University’s Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business. He will begin his service July 1, 2025. Agnihotri currently serves in the college as Mary Warner Professor and Morrill Professor of marketing and assistant dean for industry engagement at Iowa State. He has served at Iowa State since 2018, and in his current role as assistant dean since 2024. Prior positions include appointments at the University of Texas-Arlington and Ohio University. Agnihotri earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Pune in India, an MBA in management from Oklahoma City University, and a Ph.D. in marketing from Kent State University.

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June 13, 2025
National Junior College Athletic Association Head Coaches Reveal Athletic Equity is Present

Dr. Riann MullisImagine going through a typical work week without a colleague or coworker inserting an analogy or anecdote from sports into the conversation. Regardless of the reason, from comparison to training, or overcoming adversity, “Collegiate athletics have been a part of the American culture since the 1800s” (Lewis, 2013). Sports significantly influence colleges and universities nationwide, acting as a driving force for institutional culture. The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is no stranger to cultivating a positive environment for student-athletes. The association has been providing student-athletes with opportunities to compete in collegiate athletics since 1938 (NJCAA, 2025). Community college athletics traditionally have not received the majority of attention from national media; however, discussion is crucial at this foundational level, especially for the more than 45,000 NJCAA student-athletes pursuing academic and athletic opportunities each year.

Mainstream media’s focus on ticket sales, influential athletes, and comparisons of athletic experience have contributed to a heightened sense of awareness of athletics at all levels. A significant change for athletics occurred more than 50 years when President Richard Nixon signed Title IX of the Education Amendment (Title IX) into law in 1972 (Valentin, 1997). “Implementing Title IX requires institutions to provide equal athletic opportunities for members of both sexes and to accommodate students’ athletic interests and abilities effectively” (U.S. Department of Education [USDE], 2020b).

Dr. Jennifer Spielvogel The ability to conceptualize the similarities and differences of sports becomes critical to recognize what is considered fair opportunities and experiences for student-athletes. This informs the concept of athletic equity. Though major progress has been made since the enactment of this law, questions remain as to what equity looks like in athletics (Jensen, 2022).

In a recently published study, “The Assessment of Athletic Equity by Head Men’s and Women’s Coaches in the National Junior College Athletic Association”, (Mullis, 2024) head coaches from a variety of NJCAA sports at Division I (DI) and Division II (DII) institutions were surveyed and interviewed to glean their opinions pertaining to implementation and best practices of athletic equity. Questions focused on observations, opportunities, and experiences.

The NJCAA head coaches’ opinions about athletic equity initially focused on facilities, scholarships, and travel provided for teams. They were asked to assess the level of agreement on a 4-point Likert (1932) scale ranging from 4 (strongly agree) to 1 (strongly disagree) and the mean (M) was calculated for each question. The head coaches assessed facility equity (M = 2.8), scholarship equity (M = 2.8) and travel equity (M = 3.2) at prominent levels, indicating equity is present. The survey data also were disaggregated by team, with no significant differences found from head coaches of men’s and women’s teams in any sport. Further, the coaches agreed that equity is present for all teams at their institutions.

In the study, head coaches also rank ordered the importance of six distinct coaching roles: advisor, advocate, fundraiser, leader, mentor, and role model. All 192 survey respondents were consistent in ranking leader as the most significant role. The coaches were confident about their relationships and impact on the student-athletes. Most impressively, when interviewed, none of the coaches mentioned wins and losses. Rather, their focus, shared with enthusiasm, highlighted the importance of each of their identified roles and their overwhelming responsibility to advance athletic equity through fair experiences and opportunities for their student-athletes.

Collectively, the head coaches conveyed enhanced advocacy accountability for their athletes and teams. Case in point, when coaches were asked in the interviews if they had a responsibility to advocate for athletic equity, an NJCAA DII women’s basketball coach confidently expressed:

Yes. Absolutely. If I do not advocate for my kids [women’s basketball student-athletes], who is going to do that? That is my job. My goal is to make sure they are getting the same treatment the same opportunities that every other sport, whether it be male or female, is getting on campus.

With similar conviction, when posed the question if he considered himself responsible for advocating for athletic equity, a DII softball coach sharply stated, “No question.” In the interviews many coaches indicated that campus athletic directors and presidents should be involved and aware of athletic needs. From their perspective, there is a need for effective collaboration and communication, as the administration’s decisions can significantly impact the advancement of athletic equity.

The assessments and opinions from NJCAA DI and DII head coaches offer a never-before-seen insight into athletic equity implementation at the NJCAA level. Continuing the conversations around the best practices of athletic equity through the voice of the coaches is imperative for the future of collegiate athletics. Implementing progressive ideas such as campus forums, shared documentation, and open discussion around the student-athlete and how to best provide equitable experiences for everyone involved will lead to the continuation of athletic equity at the two-year college level.

Dr. Riann Mullis serves as Athletic Director and Title IX Coordinator at Neosho County Community College (KS).

Dr. Jennifer Spielvogel serves as Professor of Practice, Community College Leadership Program, Department of Educational Leadership, at Kansas State University.

The Roueche Center Forum is co-edited by Drs. John E. Roueche and Margaretta B. Mathis of the John E. Roueche Center for Community College Leadership, Department of Educational Leadership, College of Education, Kansas State University.

References:

Jensen, M. (2022, June 23). What would starting Title IX from scratch look like? Philadelphia Inquirer. https://www.inquirer.com/college- sports/title-ix-anniversary-polls-issues 20220623.html

Lewis, G. (2013). The beginning of organized sport. American Quarterly, 22(2), 222–229. https://history.msu.edu/hst329/files/2015/05/ LewisGuy-TheBeginning.pdf

Likert, R (1932). A technique for the measurement of attitudes. Retrieved May 4, 2025 from https://archive.org/details/likert-1932/ page/14/mode/2up

Mullis, R. (2024). The assessment of athletic equity by head Men’s and Women’s coaches in the national junior college athletic association (Order No. 31489530). Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Kansas State University; ProQuest One Academic. (3097398397). Retrieved from https://er.lib.k-state.edu/ login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations- theses/assessment-athletic-equity- head-men-s-women/docview/3097398397/ se-2

National Junior College Athletic Association. (2025). About. History. Retrieved May 4, 2025 from https://www.njcaa.org/about/history/ index

U.S. Department of Education. (2020b). Intercollegiate athletics policy: Three part test – part three. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/ list/ocr/docs/title9-qa-20100420.html

Valentin, I. (1997). Title IX: A brief history. 25 years of Title IX. WEEA Digest. Women’s Educational Equity Act Resource Center at EDC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED414271

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June 13, 2025
Harvard Medical School Faces Backlash Over Latest DEI Office Renaming

Harvard Medical School’s decision to rename its Diversity, Inclusion and Community Partnership office has sparked significant reaction from students and observers, marking Harvard’s latest move to reshape its diversity infrastructure amid shifting political pressures.

The medical school will now call the unit the Office for Culture and Community Engagement, according to a letter from Dr. George Daley, dean of Harvard Medical School. The announcement comes as Harvard continues to navigate criticism over its earlier decision to rename its main “Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging” to “Community and Campus Life” — a move that drew considerable backlash when the university also eliminated funding and support for affinity graduations.

“I hope it is abundantly clear that while we continue to adapt to the ever-evolving national landscape, Harvard Medical School’s longstanding commitment to culture and community will never waver,” Daley wrote in his letter to the medical school community.

The renamed office will emphasize “opportunity and access” along with “collaboration and community-building,” according to Daley’s announcement. Additionally, the Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs will be absorbed into the Office of Student Affairs as part of the restructuring.

Harvard’s moves come as the Trump administration has intensified pressure on higher education institutions over diversity, equity and inclusion programming. An executive order signed by President Trump characterizes many DEI programs as “unlawfully discriminatory practices” and threatens to revoke accreditation from colleges and universities that maintain such initiatives.

The timing has also created tension for Harvard, which became the first major institution to legally challenge the Trump administration when it filed a lawsuit in response to federal threats to withdraw billions in funding. However, the DEI office renaming has been viewed by some as contradictory to that stance of resistance.

“It’s signaling that if they’re willing to capitulate on some demands, then they’re likely to capitulate in the future. This kind of sends confused, mixed signals to students,” Harvard junior and LGBTQ student Eli Johnson said about the university’s broader DEI changes.

Harvard Medical School’s decision follows similar moves by other prominent institutions. Dr. Sally Kornbluth, MIT’s president, announced plans in late May to “sunset” the university’s Institute Community and Equity Office and eliminate its vice president for equity and inclusion position, though core programs will continue under other offices. Northeastern University has also renamed its diversity office.

As part of the medical school’s transition, Daley announced the creation of a committee to “review and recommend updates” to the “principles and statements that guide our community and our values.”

A Harvard spokesperson declined to provide additional comment on the medical school’s decision or the broader reaction it has generated.

The developments highlight the challenging position many higher education institutions find themselves in as they attempt to balance longstanding commitments to diversity and inclusion with mounting political and potential financial pressures from the federal government.

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June 13, 2025
To write about what’s new, look to the past

To help explain what’s happening out there now, it helps to delve into the past.

That’s because, for one thing, something similar probably happened before and how that ended might help you anticipate what will happen next.

News story after news story about U.S. President Donald Trump, for instance, talks about things being unprecedented. But did you know that in the 1850s in the United States there was a political party called the Know Nothing party. It was xenophobic and a spreader of conspiracy theories. According to the writer Lorraine Boissoneault, it was anti-immigration and called for mandatory Bible readings in schools.

“At its height in the 1850s, the Know Nothing party, originally called the American Party, included more than 100 elected congressmen, eight governors, a controlling share of half-a-dozen state legislatures from Massachusetts to California and thousands of local politicians,” Boissoneault wrote.

It is important to delve into history when doing a news story because things don’t just happen. Stuff led up to what is happening now. There are causes, and causes of causes. There might be a whole link of events that led up to the calamity that is now, or the explosion that happened or the political turmoil you find yourself in.

Put events into context.

A little history in a story brings depth and context. It makes the whole story more interesting and helps people better understand what is happening now. News Decoder correspondent Gene Gibbons helped us understand the constitutional crisis the United States finds itself under Trump by looking back at a previous crisis in the 1970s under President Richard Nixon.

Correspondent Bernd Debusmann knew he couldn’t really explain the significance of the antipathy Trump now has for the European Union without explaining why the EU was formed in the first place. That meant going back to the aftermath of World War Two.

Correspondent Barry Moody helped us appreciate the triumphant win in a rugby game in South Africa by delving into the long history of apartheid and showing how rugby fit into that.

But how do you add some history? Well, you find yourself a historian. Every town has one, whether that person carries a title or not. A historian is simply someone who keeps track of past events and often documents them by collecting news stories or photographs, or by keeping journals. They might be the caretaker of archives of one kind or another.

You can also seek out professional historians. They can be found in university history departments, libraries and historical societies. Some are super specialized. I once saw a great documentary about a portrait of a woman believed to be painted by Leonardo de Vinci, and to prove it, the owner found a hair historian who found that the hairstyle of the woman was specific to a short time in history in a very small geographical area of Italy.

If you were doing a story about technology and wanted to include a bit of history you could contact the Society for the History of Technology. There are historians of politics, war, fashion, movies, food and architecture.

You can also just ask about the history of a place or event when you interview experts on what is happening now. You can’t really call yourself an expert on any topic if you don’t know its history.

So when you ask about what just happened, ask about what happened a decade or two ago, or more. Ask how things came to be the way they are. Maybe if we all understood the history of our times, history wouldn’t have to repeat itself.

Questions to consider:

1. How can history add context to a news story?

2. Where might you find a historian?

3. If you were doing a story about your town, where would you find someone knowledgeable about its history?

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June 13, 2025
Wearable tech helps students overcome central vision challenges

Central vision loss–a condition that impairs the ability to see objects directly in front of the eyes–can have profound academic and social impacts on K-12 students. Because this type of vision loss affects tasks that require detailed focus, such as reading, writing, and recognizing faces, students with central vision impairment often face unique challenges that can affect their overall school experience.

In the classroom, students with central vision loss may struggle with reading printed text on paper or on the board, despite having otherwise healthy peripheral vision. Standard classroom materials are often inaccessible without accommodations such as large print, magnification devices, or digital tools with text-to-speech capabilities. These students might take longer to complete assignments or may miss visual cues from teachers, making it difficult to follow along with lessons. Without appropriate support, such as assistive technology, students may fall behind academically, which can affect their confidence and motivation to participate.

As a result, they may be perceived as aloof or unfriendly, leading to social isolation or misunderstanding. Group activities, games, and unstructured time like lunch or recess can become sources of anxiety if students feel excluded or unsafe. Moreover, children with vision loss may become overly dependent on peers or adults, which can further affect their social development and sense of independence.

While this may seem daunting, there are assistive technologies to help students navigate central vision loss and have fulfilling academic and social experiences.

One such technology, eSight Go from Gentex Corporation’s eSight, uses an advanced high-speed, high-definition camera to capture continuous video footage of what a user is looking at. Algorithms optimize and enhance the footage and share it on two HD OLED screens, providing sharp, crystal-clear viewing. The user’s brain then synthesizes the images to fill any gaps in their vision, helping them to see more clearly, in real time.

“The ability to have central perception brought back into your set of tools for education is critically important,” said Roland Mattern, eSight’s director of sales and marketing. “Ease of reading, ease of seeing the board, using tablets or computers–all of these things [lead to] the ability to complete an academic task with greater ease.”

One key feature, Freeze Frame, lets the user capture a temporary photograph with the device’s camera, such as an image on an interactive whiteboard, a textbook page, or a graphic. The student can magnify the image, scan and study it, and take what they need from it.

“This eases the ability to absorb information and move on, at a regular pace, with the rest of the class,” Mattern noted.

Socially, central vision loss can create additional barriers. A major part of social interaction at school involves recognizing faces, interpreting facial expressions, and making eye contact–all tasks that rely heavily on central vision. Students with this impairment might have difficulty identifying peers or teachers unless they are spoken to directly. The glasses can help with these social challenges.

“There’s a huge social aspect to education, as well–seeing expressions on teachers’ and fellow students’ faces is a major part of communication,” Mattern said.

What’s more, the glasses also help students maintain social connections inside and outside of the classroom.

“Think of how much peer-to-peer communication is digital now, and if you have central vision loss, you can’t see your phone or screen,” Mattern said. “The educational part is not just academic–it’s about the student experience that you want to enhance and optimize.”

Educators, parents, and school staff play a crucial role in fostering inclusive environments–by educating classmates about visual impairments, encouraging empathy, and ensuring that students with central vision loss are supported both academically and socially. With the right accommodations and social-emotional support, these students can thrive in school and build strong connections with their peers.

“If we can make daily living, hobbies, and education easier and facilitate participation, that’s a win for everybody,” Mattern said.

For more spotlights on innovative edtech, visit eSN’s Profiles in Innovation hub.

Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.

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June 13, 2025