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What do you dream about for your online presence, academics?

Let’s talk about dreams for your digital life

What do you dream about your online presence that you’re not at now? Is there something you think you want in the future, but you just can’t see it happening? Feel like it will take more work than you have capacity for right now?

That’s how I felt about my blog/podcast/updating my website. At one point, I felt not good about each of these things. You see, website updates are something that can happen anytime. For professors that might include adding a new publication or speaking engagement.

But when there are substantive changes you dream about? Or a new project? Sometimes that list of to-do’s can add up. That makes it more than updating what you already have.

For your online presence, that might look like doing an overhaul of your LinkedIn profile. Writing a new academic bio or faculty profile. Doing a professional photoshoot for photos of you.

So what sparked taking action for me? Doing it for myself wasn’t enough. It’s when I thought about who this would help, the people who were involved. Which is you! The readers! And all the academics to come.

I was open about the fact that I was behind on this with my friends, Brittany Trinh and Jennifer Ho. They happened to need to update their websites too. I ended up hosting a coworking day for us. It was fun to do it together, each of us using our energy towards better communication. Sharing a clear representation of who we are on our websites is always a good use of time.

That’s true for clients I work with on their websites. We’re doing it together. The process of dreaming can make it beautiful. If you have a friend or colleague who is also interested in their online presence, I encourage you to do it together and cheer each other on too.

That’s one thing I love about websites: it allows me to create an open source trove of articles and interviews that people can find, and people do find, even years after they’ve been shared.

I’m sharing this story with you because of what came after my redesign, when there was no more to-do list and I had space to think and dream again. That’s when creative opportunity sparked.

I want to have more conversations with professors, grad students, researchers, the people who help them… because telling our own stories is really powerful.

When we can build community and share what we’re open about with people in ways that could help them, we have to make that work for our lives. It has to be doable within our creative constraints, equipment, budget, tech, skills, and time. There are all these things that might impact how we feel about our dreams.

For me, having my podcast has always been not consistent. I don’t release episodes on a set schedule. I don’t have the regular publishing schedule that I admire in other podcasters. But I love being able to share in these more accessible ways.

I love that you can experience an interview in written form, or watch it on YouTube, or check it out on Spotify. Creating in written, audio, and video format makes it interesting for me to create and it helps more people. I have the capacity to do that. Consistency is the only thing I sacrificed.

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The Social Academic Live

Actually, I remember my first time being open to being on video for my podcast (which had been audio only for 1+ year). I interviewed Dr. Ruth C. White about being on video and TV. She shared a story about pitching herself to the local TV station in the middle of the night. In the morning, she had an invitation to appear on their show that day as an expert on mental health.

I thought, ‘Wow! I’m so glad I was open to trying out putting myself out there when I didn’t know if I was going to stick with it.’ To be honest, I thought I’d go back to audio and leave YouTube. Nothing was set in stone, except my willingness to try.

When the spark came that I wanted to highlight more people on The Social Academic this year, I realized my current process of getting episodes out wasn’t going to be within my capacity.

I’d been teaming up with an audio engineer, Sir Nic, and my husband, Matthew, was doing the video editing. We had a process we were happy with that worked for a long time. But the time frame to get episodes out wouldn’t have allowed me to highlight all the people that I had dreamed about.

That’s why The Social Academic interview series is now a live-first format. And honestly? That kinda makes me laugh. It brings up a memory of a friend from college, Jose, who was a YouTuber. He was well known enough that some people recognized him. And he made it work, recording in his college dorm room. Jose used to livestream on a platform called YouNow, which is how I met one of my favorite DJs. And, where I first forayed into livestreaming.

At the time, I was deep into research for my creative thesis, a collection of poetry based on the pianist, Glenn Gould. Gould had a fascinating view of the relationship between audience and performer, and became reclusive later in life. I was a singer. And my own relationship with performance had shifted. It was like better understanding Gould helped me make a more informed decision for myself.

I no longer wanted to sing for people in person. But I was curious about how musicians were opening themselves up to performing virtually. It seemed like a different relationship, one that created distance while also sharing this more intimate personal side of the musician livestreaming. And the musicians? They seemed mostly relaxed.

I wanted to explore how I felt performing live to strangers. It touches me to think back to that moment of bravery because opening yourself up can be scary for many people. It certainly was for me. I tried livestreaming a few times. I even got a couple virtual tips. And while my livestreaming experience on YouNow was shortlived, it opened up my mind to what it meant to hold space for people. And, to create space for yourself too.

Sometimes, the things we try out aren’t your dreams. But they help other people. Maybe they build your capacity. Or, help you to better understand yourself.

While I never dreamed about being a livestreamer, it really works with the kind of openness I am hoping we can create for each other in that conversation when we are live on The Social Academic interview series.

LIVE ON THE SOCIAL ACADEMIC

P.S. There is another live on YouTube this evening! Dr. Lily Rosewater joins me to talk about what it means to be more visible as an expert.

When you want support to make your dream happen

What dreams do you have? What dreams have you been holding back? Is there something you’re open to, but you aren’t sure how to get there?

You don’t have to move forward with your dream now. I just love that you’re open to it for yourself in the future. If I’m more open to my dreams, if my guests are open to their dreams, if you the reader are more open to your dreams…we can better protect higher education in the ways that we care about it.

Research is important, teaching is important, faculty, and each person on campus has value.

I want people to be able to have a voice.

It’s ok if the way you dream about sharing your voice doesn’t feel accessible to you right now. There may be ways or opportunities for you in the future. Naming your dream now can be a gift to ourselves.

I want to wrap up with a personal story. My father-in-law, Bob Pincus, was one of my first clients back when I started The Academic Designer LLC in 2018. His online presence was not something he dreamed about. Social media in general was not a priority for him. He’s an art history professor, and a local celebrity here where he was art critic for the San Diego Union-Tribune for many years.

Whether social media was a priority for Bob or not, his audience of people who already care about and were connected with him, were on social media. Every time he posts on Facebook, people are excited to talk with him. Do you have a professor friend like that?

I’m sharing this story with you because Bob, who never loved social media, had a new dream recently. And actually this is funny, because none of us can remember what first sparked it. My mother-in-law, Georgie, says it was my idea. My husband, Matthew, says it was Bob’s. One day at the Costco in Carlsbad, California, we’re sitting at the outdoor bench having a slice of pizza. By the end of the slice, a plan for his YouTube channel was already in the works.

Someone who never dreamed about having a YouTube channel now has multiple episodes in progress. He’s sharing in meaningful ways with the public about art in America through video.

When Bob was laid off from paper, like many excellent journalists around the country were, people suggested he create something for himself. They said, “You should start a podcast!” or a blog. More recently he’s been encouraged to try Substack or a LinkedIn newsletter.

But you have to want it for yourself.

I’m so glad that when the spark for sharing on video came to Bob, he was open to the conversation. To turning the idea over in his head and seeing what we could make happen for him as a team. While you can totally start your YouTube channel on your own like I did, Bob knew he didn’t want to get there on his own. When you have an idea, it’s okay if you’re like Bob, thinking, “I need collaborators on this.” Maybe your idea is best solo, but it’s okay if you need a team to support each other too.

One professor I chatted with who dreams about a podcast to talk about her research field, shared that a reason she’s wanting to be more active on social media is in hopes of finding a co-host for that dream.

When we have a dream that feels like us and helps share our voice, it’s ok if you don’t know how to get there. These academics were all DIY for their YouTube. I’ve met podcasters who have started on their phone. I’ve met people whose university was able to support them in creating their podcast.

There are awesome professors out there who turn their class into a limited-time podcast, and encourage students to create video even if it’s something they’ve never tried before.

I want you to believe that if you don’t know how to do something, there’s an opportunity to explore your dream in the future when you’re ready.

What’s your dream, academics?

Here’s a few ideas for what you may dream about for yourself as a professor or researcher. You can help more people by being intentional about how you show up online. If it’s something you want for yourself? I’m excited for you. You’ve got this. Find resources on The Social Academic blog to help you.

Subscribe to The Social Academic blog.

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Want emails from Jennifer about building your online presence? Subscribe to her email list.
Looking for the podcast? Subscribe on Spotify.
Prefer to watch videos? Subscribe on YouTube.

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August 5, 2025
Fiction is not a felony

Karan Kuppa-Apte is a rising junior and Edan Kauer is a sophomore. Both are FIRE summer interns.

In American courtrooms today, song lyrics are being treated as confessions and fiction is being read as fact.

On July 24, Reps. Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) reintroduced the Restoring Artistic Protection (RAP) Act, a bill aimed at reining in a surreal injustice in the American legal system — using artists’ creative fiction as evidence against them at trial.

This is not a hypothetical. As of June of this year, courts have seen over 820 cases where lyrics and other artistic work were presented as supposed proof of guilt. That number doesn’t include what’s buried in sealed records or never covered by the press. These aren’t smoking guns either — they’re lines from songs.

Through their creations, artists depict their struggles and bear their souls. And under the First Amendment, such creative expression is protected. Yet it is repeatedly used against artists in court.

In a press conference celebrating the Act’s reintroduction, Johnson and Kamlager-Dove were joined by groups such as the Recording Academy, the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC), PEN America, and FIRE.

Johnson pointed to the importance of this legislation in protecting “artists of color who disproportionately face scrutiny and unjust consequences stemming from their creative work.”

But the problem of treating art as evidence is not limited to rap or hip-hop. This affects all creative mediums, including film and literature.

“Unfortunately, it has become a growing problem where artistic expression is used against artists,” said Greg Gonzalez, legislative counsel at FIRE. “Their art is distorted, misconstrued, and presented as fact in court.” He added, “But these works of fiction aren’t confessions — they are creations.”

Left to right: Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, co-founder and CEO of Black Music Action Coalition; Jen Jacobsen, executive director of the Artist Rights Alliance; Greg Gonzalez, FIRE legislative counsel; Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04); Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37); Chelsea Green, chair of the Recording Academy’s board of trustees

Also at the press conference was Erik Nielson, professor of liberal arts at the University of Richmond and co-author of the book Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America, which cites nearly 700 cases in which prosecutors used rap lyrics as evidence against artists. Describing his research, Nielson said he “was shocked that this could happen in a country with the First Amendment” and lauded the RAP Act as “an important first step in protecting art, regardless of who the artist is.”

Under the RAP Act, artistic works can only be used as evidence against the artist if they relate to “specific facts” alleged in the crime or complaint that cannot be supported by other evidence.

This means that in order to use artwork as evidence in court, the government must prove that the artist intended for it to have “a literal meaning, rather than figurative or fictional meaning.” In other words, unless the art contains things like information that only the perpetrator would know, it cannot be taken as fact and must remain out of the courtroom.

This issue extends beyond ideological differences, and similar legislation has passed in both the Republican-led statehouse of Louisiana and the Democratic-led legislature in California. Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, president and CEO of BMAC, summed it up perfectly: “It’s not a partisan issue. It’s a constitutional one.”

We’re hopeful this bipartisan momentum will continue at the federal level. No artist should fear their work being used against them as evidence for crimes they didn’t commit. No artist should have to self-censor to avoid intense legal scrutiny. Indeed, without such freedom, many of the greatest works of American art would never have come into being.

“When creative expression is treated as criminal evidence,” said Gonzalez, “artists begin to self-censor. They hold back. They stop taking risks. And when that happens, we all lose.”

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August 5, 2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln to slash $27.5M from budget
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Dive Brief:
- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln plans to cut $27.5 million from its budget — possibly including eliminating or merging academic programs — by the end of the year to address an ongoing structural deficit.
- “Despite our best efforts to live within our means, our revenue has not kept pace with expenses,” UNL Chancellor Rodney Bennett said in a campus message on Monday. He attributed the shortfall to insufficient state funding and declining net tuition revenue combined with high inflation.
- The flagship university is among the many higher education institutions cutting their budgets amid an uncertain financial landscape. UNL will also extend its hiring freeze for at least the second time and likely offer employees a voluntary separation package this fall, Bennett said.
Dive Insight:

A planning committee composed of administrators, faculty and student representatives plans to discuss potential budget cuts this week. Bennett will then take the committee’s recommendations and propose a final budget plan to the head of the University of Nebraska system by the end of October, he said.

The plan may recommend degree program cuts or mergers that will allow UNL to capitalize on its “existing strengths,” the chancellor said.

Moving forward, the university will prioritize growing extramural grants and contracts and increasing tuition revenue through higher enrollment and student retention, he said.

UNL officials also hope to see additional revenue from a tuition hike approved by the University of Nebraska system’s board in June.

In-state undergraduate tuition at UNL will increase from $277 to $291 per credit hour for the 2025-26 academic year. For out-of-state students, the cost will rise from $888 to $932.

In the same vote approving the tuition increase, the system board cut more than $20 million from its budget.

Like Bennett, the system board cited “a legislative session in which the university received modest funding increases that do not fully cover inflationary pressures, rising employee benefit costs or strategic investments.”

The University of Nebraska relies heavily on state funding. In the fiscal 2024-25 year, a fifth of the system’s operating budget — just under $700 million — came from state appropriations.

However, recent increases to the state’s higher education funding have been nominal and have not kept pace with inflation.

Earlier this year, Nebraska’s Legislature raised the University of Nebraska’s state funding by 1.25% over the next two years. The bump fell well short of inflation and the system’s requested increase of 3.5%.

But that’s still a significant improvement over Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s initial proposal. Pillen, who served as a system regent for a decade, sought to cut the system’s funding by 2%, which would have amounted to a loss of $14.3 million.

On Wednesday, Bennett referenced the series of austerity measures the university has undertaken in recent years and expressed hope that the next round of cuts could help UNL achieve operational stability.

“I want to realize a future for UNL in which faculty and staff are not repeatedly asked to do the same quality and amount of work with fewer resources — but rather are provided the support and opportunity to excel beyond current levels of success,” he said
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August 5, 2025
‘You are college-ready’: Direct admissions comes to Alabama
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Dive Brief:
- This fall, an Alabama initiative will begin offering interested high school students direct admissions to 16 of the state’s four-year institutions and 23 of its community colleges based on their transcripts.
- Under the newly announced Alabama Direct Admission Initiative, high school seniors must upload their transcripts to an online portal to receive automatic admissions offers. The process will neither charge students application fees nor require them to upload additional materials like essays or recommendation letters.
- States have increasingly turned to direct admissions as a way to reach out to students who may not have considered higher education or don’t view themselves as college material.
Dive Insight:

The direct admissions portal is set to open to students on Aug. 26. To participate in the first round of offers, interested students must upload their transcripts by Sept. 23 to receive their acceptances by Oct. 6.

The participating colleges are primarily public institutions, like Alabama State University, the University of Montevallo and the state’s community colleges. The list also includes some historically Black institutions, such as Alabama A&M University and the private Tuskegee University. The University of Alabama, the state’s flagship, and Auburn University are not participating.

Many participating colleges will include merit-based scholarships with their offers, according to the initiative’s website.

“The goal is to make college more affordable from the start,” it said.

Students will also have the opportunity to indicate interest in acceptance notifications from out-of-state institutions, per the website. Those offers would come later in October, it said.

In a Thursday statement, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called the initiative “a smart, student-centered solution” that demonstrates the state’s focus on educational opportunities and workforce readiness.

Alabama Possible, a nonprofit that’s focused on educational attainment and economic opportunity in the state, is leading the direct admissions initiative in partnership with the Alabama Department of Education and the state community college system. The student-college matching software, Appily Match, is a product of education company EAB.

Chandra Scott, executive director of Alabama Possible, said Thursday that direct admissions supports the state’s workforce and economic mobility goals.

“Direct admissions eliminates uncertainty and sends a clear message to Alabama students: you are college-ready and you belong,” Scott said in a statement.

Nationwide, higher education officials may look to direct admissions to bolster enrollment amid a looming contraction of the K-12 student pipeline.

One of the earliest statewide direct admissions programs, started by Idaho in 2015, raised first-time undergraduate enrollment by a little over 8%, according to a 2022 study.

Since Idaho, several other states have pursued direct admissions programs to both boost college attendance among residents and increase enrollment at public institutions.

One of Alabama’s neighbors similarly invested in direct admissions this summer. Last month, Tennessee announced it would launch a direct admissions pilot this November, automatically offering college acceptance to students based on their academic records and their completion of the Tennessee Promise application.

The Tennessee pilot, which includes students from a randomly selected pool of high schools, will also provide roughly half of the recipients with personalized financial aid information to see if that increases their chances of enrolling in college.

Last year, The Common Application expanded its direct admissions program to send automatic acceptance letters from 116 colleges to first-generation and low- and middle-income students.

And Utah launched a similar acceptance program last year, offering the state’s high school students guaranteed admissions to at least one of its public colleges. While direct admissions offers students college acceptances without an application, guaranteed admissions promises eligible students that they will be accepted if they apply.
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August 5, 2025
A Loss for Independent Economic Accountability
The sudden disappearance of updated economic series from ShadowStats.com in late 2023 represents a significant loss for those seeking alternative metrics on inflation, unemployment, GDP, and money supply. For nearly two decades, John Williams offered alternative calculations using older methodologies—like pre-1997 CPI and the pre-1993 U-6 unemployment series—that pushed back against official narratives from Washington.

As of mid-2023, Williams had announced server transitions and communication delays. But since then, there have been no new numbers. The ShadowStats homepage now feels like a ghost town—quiet in a moment when alternative data is arguably more vital than ever.

A Counterpoint to Politicized Official Data

In early August 2025, President Donald Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the Biden-appointed Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, following a disappointing July jobs report and significant downward revisions to previous months. McEntarfer was accused, without evidence, of manipulating the numbers. The move alarmed economists across the political spectrum and cast new doubts on the independence of federal data reporting.

ShadowStats long operated in this shadowy realm—challenging official statistics not just for technical flaws but for what Williams saw as systemic obfuscation. Critics often scoffed at his high inflation numbers and methodology, but many respected the necessity of an outsider audit, especially as trust in federal institutions wanes.

Now, with McEntarfer gone and the BLS under renewed political pressure, the absence of ShadowStats leaves a void for watchdogs, skeptics, and independent researchers. Whatever one thought of Williams’ conclusions, his presence forced a more honest conversation.

Independent Scrutiny, Silenced

ShadowStats wasn’t perfect. Economists questioned its internal consistency, and some warned that it exaggerated inflation by double-counting or overestimating price pressures. But Williams’ work was never meant to replace the BLS—it existed to question it. Without that challenge, what’s left?

The timing of the silence is especially troubling. As jobs reports become politicized, as inflation is gamed to manage perception and investor sentiment, as federal agencies come under threat of dissolution or reorganization, the independent mirrors held up to power are fading.

And make no mistake: even flawed mirrors can reflect uncomfortable truths.

Where Do We Go from Here?

The disappearance of ShadowStats doesn’t just affect monetary theorists or Austrian school economists. It matters to ordinary Americans who sense that the numbers don’t match their lived experiences—at the pump, in the grocery store, in their paychecks. It matters to working-class families whose struggles are minimized by rosy job reports. And it matters to journalists, educators, and activists who rely on independent data to inform the public honestly.

If ShadowStats doesn’t return, its legacy will still endure as a case study in resistance—however imperfect—against technocratic opacity. But the need for independent, adversarial data has not gone away. It’s only grown louder.

We shouldn’t have to wait for another fired statistician—or another economic crisis—to demand better numbers and more transparency. The silence of ShadowStats should be a warning. Independent oversight must be rebuilt, or we’ll be flying blind into the next storm.

Sources:
- Shadow Government Statistics, John Williams. www.shadowstats.com
- Washington Post, August 1, 2025. “Trump fires BLS chief after weak jobs report.”
- New York Magazine, August 2, 2025. “Trump’s Firing of the BLS Commissioner Is Bound to Backfire.”
- Business Insider, August 2, 2025. “Why the market is shrugging off Trump’s firing of the BLS chief.”
- Wikipedia: Shadowstats.com. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowstats.com
- Moneyness blog by JP Koning. “Cross-checking ShadowStats.”
- MarketWatch, August 3, 2025. “There’s no sure cure for what ails the U.S. jobs report.”
- AP News, August 1, 2025. “Economists warn BLS independence at risk after Trump ousts chief.”
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August 5, 2025
Nicholas Kent Sworn In as Under Secretary of Education

Nicholas Kent, a career higher education policy expert and now the Department of Education’s under secretary, has made his priorities for American colleges and universities clear—controlling student debt, building public trust and ensuring students experience a positive return on investment.

“If colleges and other postsecondary institutions merit taxpayer investment, it is because they equip American citizens with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in this rapidly-evolving economy,” he said in his first letter to the department’s staff. “The ‘higher education industrial complex’ must be shaken up by competition, accountability, and a future-focused mindset.”

The letter was Kent’s first statement since being confirmed late Friday and sworn in early Monday morning. It is one of few times he has discussed what he plans to prioritize since President Trump nominated him to be the most senior official focused on postsecondary education in February.

Over all, Kent’s missive elicited praise and caution from higher education experts.

Some say his years of experience, combined with his resistance to the status quo, make him a prime appointee. Others worry that despite his promises of accountability and workforce development, he will focus more on the vitality of the market and less on consumer protection. Others still are encouraged simply by the fact that he’s focused on constructive regulation, not culture war–focused litigation.

“I feel a little bit like a broken record, because I keep coming back to it, but it’s so refreshing to be talking about things like accountability, outcomes, value and career-aligned education pathways, compared to what we have been talking about for the last six months with this administration,” said Jon Fansmith, senior vice president for government relations at the American Council on Education. “Hopefully the confirmation of Nicholas Kent will help reorient the Trump administration toward productive policy outcomes.”

A first-generation college student and Pell Grant recipient, Kent has spent the entirety of his career in higher education. Most recently, he served as deputy education secretary for Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin. But before that he advocated primarily for private institutions, working with both Career Education Colleges and Universities, which represents some for-profit colleges, and Education Affiliates, a for-profit college company that faced public scrutiny in 2013 after a whistleblower accused the company of fraud.

Critics say Kent’s ties to for-profit colleges, which they see as predatory, should have disqualified him from the job. But Education Secretary Linda McMahon voiced confidence in him.

His “technical expertise and vast experience in higher education will serve as an invaluable asset to the Department of Education team,” McMahon said in a statement Monday. “Not only will he work to fulfill President Trump’s vision for accreditation, accountability reforms, and more, but he will also be a great benefit to current and aspiring postsecondary students, faculty, and staff.”

In his letter to department staff, Kent provided little granular detail, though he’s expected to say more at several upcoming rule-making sessions. He did speak generally on a few topics, like increasing access to alternative postsecondary pathways, protecting campus free speech and helping students feel empowered by their postsecondary options.

“President Trump has entrusted me with a weighty task: to restore the greatness of American higher education and ensure that our taxpayer-supported colleges, universities, vocational schools, and other postsecondary programs are genuinely helping young Americans,” he wrote. “High school graduates should enter college with a clear direction. The taxpayer money spent on their education should have a direct impact on their ability to contribute to the workforce. [And] the federal government should be less focused on making legacy institutions ‘too big to fail’ and making students skilled enough to succeed.”

Kent also reiterated a point which Trump and McMahon have been making since the earliest days of the chief’s second term in office: The Department of Education and its Office of Federal Student Aid are failing to properly manage student loans.

“By no means should this Department administer a $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio—the fifth largest financial servicer in the country—that is 25 percent in default,” he said.

Unlike McMahon and Trump, however, Kent did not explicitly reference moving loan services to a different agency or department, like the Small Business Administration or Treasury. That said, the tone of his letter made it clear he thinks that the current system must change.

“Colleges should not be increasing their tuition each year, enabled by generous federal loan subsidies, without having to answer for their students’ outcomes,” Kent wrote.

Some policy experts like Preston Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, said they were “thrilled” to see Kent confirmed and characterized his letter as “right on the mark.”

Others, like Fansmith from ACE, weren’t quite as enthusiastic but still remained hopeful. He noted that while he likely won’t always agree with Kent on how to solve a problem, at least they will start on the same page and agree there is a problem that policy should be used to address.

“Maybe my expectations are too high,” Fansmith said. But “the letter, in a lot of ways, is a positive sign in terms of what we have repeatedly wanted from this administration—which is engagement and working with the community around matters of policy to reform and improve the higher education system.”

But Wesley Whistle, a project director for student success and affordability at New America, a left-leaning think tank, called the new under secretary’s view of public doubt in higher ed too narrow, his concerns about free speech unlicensed and his emphasis on accountability just rhetorical.

“I respect that Mr. Kent brings personal experience as a first-generation Pell recipient. But will that truly guide his approach?” Whistle said. “They’ve gone after Harvard, Columbia and other elite schools and have launched investigations into many public colleges over DEI, but where has their oversight been in terms of protecting students from fraud and poor outcomes?”

If the Trump administration really cares about improving student outcomes and holding colleges accountable, “they should make sure there is sufficient staff to properly oversee higher education and protect students and taxpayers,” he added. “It’s what students deserve and Americans want.”

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August 5, 2025
Recognizing First-Gen Student Athletes

First-generation students can often feel alone or isolated on their college campuses, but a new initiative at the University of Texas, San Antonio, seeks to put first-generation student athletes in the spotlight.

Starting this fall, UTSA competitive athletes will be given special patches to place on their uniforms, recognizing their unique identity as a first-gen learner.

“We’ve been really intentional about telling the stories of our student athletes and sharing their personal stories that extend far beyond the fields and courts of competition,” said Lisa Campos, vice president for intercollegiate athletics and athletic director.

Approximately 45 percent of UTSA’s student population are the first in their families to attend college, and over one-third of student athletes (or 113 students) are also first-gen learners. So far, a majority of student athletes have opted to wear the patch—which displays the campus mascot, a roadrunner, and the words “first gen”—on their uniforms for the upcoming year, Campos said.

First gen in context: While NCAA student athletes are more likely to report thriving while in college, according to a study by Gallup, first-generation students are less likely to be engaged and connected on campus.

A 2023 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse found 37 percent of first-gen students spent zero hours per week engaging in extracurricular activities, while just 25 percent of continuing-generation students reported spending no time participating in activities on campus.

Navigating institutional processes and the hidden curriculum of higher education can also be barriers to first-generation student success, because these students are less likely to ask for help or use campus resources.

“First-gen students need a lot of support and a lot of education about what the college experience is like because, unlike other students, there’s not someone in their household who can answer all of the questions they may have,” Campos said.

Past research shows, when given academic and emotional support, first-generation student athletes feel more driven and capable of graduating from their college or university.

Students on display: The patch is just one piece of how the university seeks to celebrate first-generation students’ identities. UTSA’s athletic department is in the middle of a campaign that highlights stories of first-generation students, coaches and staff, recognizing their unique experiences. The department is also creating a resource hub on its website for first-gen student athletes.

As a first-gen student herself, Campos said attending and graduating from college is a major accomplishment for these students because of how new and unfamiliar the experience can be. “It’s important to us to recognize those student athletes who every day are changing the trajectory of their families for generations to come.”

Many of UTSA’s athletic staff members, including those on the leadership team or senior staff, are also first-generation college graduates, which Campos said provides them a better understanding of how to support student athletes.

Across the university, first-generation students can participate in a mentorship program and other special programming from the First-Generation and Transfer Student division.

How does your campus celebrate first-generation student identities? Tell us about it.

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August 5, 2025
Can Western New Mexico U Recover a Golden Parachute?

Western New Mexico University is looking to claw back $1.9 million in severance already paid to former president Joseph Shepard, who stepped down in January following a spending scandal.

Shepard, who led the university for nearly 14 years, resigned late last year in the aftermath of media reports that found he spent university funds to upgrade the president’s house with lavish furniture. Critics also raised questions about costly recruiting trips to Greece, Spain and Zambia that yielded very few enrollments from those countries. The Office of the State Auditor determined in November that Shepard “engaged in the waste of public funds” and found instances where his travel appeared to be “unrelated to official university business.”

But in December, after the damning details came to light, board members—some of whom had joined the president on international trips—gave Shepard nearly $2 million in severance, plus additional fringe benefits and a five-year faculty contract that required him to teach six credit hours a year, though he had the option to do so online. Shepard’s annual faculty salary is set at $200,000, down from the base salary of $365,000 he was making as president.

The agreement prompted outrage at WNMU, which is located in one of the nation’s poorest states and has many low-income students. Democratic governor Michelle Lujan Grisham subsequently demanded the resignation of the board, who complied, and has since appointed new members.

Last week, the new board voided Shepard’s separation agreement and terminated his teaching contract, arguing that the regents who struck the deal did so improperly and in violation of New Mexico’s Open Meetings Act. State officials have made similar arguments in a related lawsuit.

A Board Reversal

WNMU regents took up Shepard’s contract and separation agreement at a Thursday meeting.

John V. Wertheim, one of the new regents appointed by the governor in recent months, argued that the prior board failed to provide proper notice of the action items at the December meeting where they approved Shepard’s contract. Given the alleged failure of compliance with New Mexico’s Open Meetings Act, Wertheim argued that the board’s approval of the deal was invalid.

In two separate motions, the board unanimously agreed to invalidate the deal and terminate Shepard’s teaching contract. Board Chair Steven Neville said the agreement is now “in limbo.”

Wertheim noted that while WNMU’s board hired special counsel to advise them on the matter, there are outstanding questions, many of which he said regents would not be able to answer immediately due to both the legal complexity of the issue and because it is a personnel matter.

“I’m sure both the press and the public are going to have a lot of questions, and all I ask is that there be patience … because all of these detailed questions, we don’t necessarily have the answers today to give everyone, but we will, in due course,” Wertheim said at the meeting.

Following the vote, Shepard accused WNMU in an emailed statement to Inside Higher Ed of orchestrating a smear campaign against him.

“After serving 14 exemplary years of advancing the university, it’s troubling that this new, Governor-appointed Board has chosen this path. This is a matter before the courts. The Board’s desire to attempt to circumvent the legal process is telling in that they know they can’t win where facts matter and are doing all they can to prevent the truth from being shared,” Shepard wrote, calling the move an effort to destroy his reputation and career.

But the state’s governor praised the board’s decisions as the “right thing.”

“They recognized that public dollars must serve the public good, not pad executive pockets during difficult transitions,” Lujan Grisham wrote on social media. “This decision represents exactly the kind of fiscal responsibility and accountability New Mexicans deserve from their public institutions. Our students and their families work too hard and sacrifice too much to see their tuition dollars and taxpayer investments squandered on excessive golden parachutes.”

What’s Next?

WNMU declined to provide a comment to Inside Higher Ed, noting the situation was a personnel matter. But according to board members’ remarks, a legal fight with Shepard is expected and a settlement remains a possibility.

Complicating the matter are two lawsuits brought by the state.

New Mexico attorney general Raúl Torrez filed a lawsuit earlier this year in an effort to void the contract and recover severance payments. Torrez argued regents breached their fiduciary duty by approving the costly agreement and violated open meeting laws at December’s meeting.

Torrez brought the initial complaint in January and amended it in February. While he initially attempted to block the payment, that effort was unsuccessful, as the funds had already been disbursed. The legal fight in that case is ongoing.

Then, in late June, the New Mexico State Ethics Commission also sued Shepard, accusing him of violating the Governmental Conduct Act, which applies to state employees. In addition to the prior complaints of lavish spending, the commission accused him of diverting $177,404 intended for an ADA-compliant walkway and ramp to instead construct a walkway and patio “for the purpose of hosting events related to his daughter’s wedding” held on campus.

(Shepard has denied that university funds were used to help pay for his daughter’s wedding.)

The lawsuit also alleges that as president, “Shepard had a practice of authorizing university expenditures from which he benefited that were only loosely connected to university purposes.”

The commission is seeking financial penalties and for Shepard to reimburse WNMU for the construction of the originally planned ADA-compliant ramp and walkway, which were not built.

Back at the university, board members say they are open to some financial compensation for the former president. Had Shepard been fired for cause, he would have received no severance. Had he been fired without cause, he would have received less than $600,000, per the contract he previously negotiated with the board in 2022.

Wertheim indicated at Thursday’s meeting a desire to reach a settlement.

“The best resolution for everyone is to get this in front of a retired judge or justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court to hammer out a fair, negotiated settlement,” he said at the meeting.

Before Thursday’s vote, Shepard was reportedly scheduled to teach two online classes this fall, including one on business ethics. However, Interim president Chris Maples told The Silver City Daily Press that he and other officials plan to meet to determine what will happen with those courses. And with the semester starting Aug. 15, they’ll need to make a decision soon.

“Whatever we do, we’ll do the best job we possibly can for our students,” he told the newspaper.

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August 5, 2025
International Student Enrollment Could Drop 15% by Fall

International student enrollment is projected to decline this fall, based on projections from NAFSA using publicly available federal data.

Photo illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed | Getty Images

New international enrollments in the U.S. could drop by as many as 150,000 students in the next year, according to scenario modeling by NAFSA, the association of international educators, and JB International.

Based on a 30 to 40 percent decline in new students, the research projects that colleges and universities could see a 15 percent drop in overall international student enrollments in the next academic year, resulting in $7 billion in lost revenue and 60,000 fewer jobs.

“This analysis … should serve as a clarion call to the State Department that it must act to ensure international students and scholars are able to arrive on U.S. campuses this fall,” said Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA, in a press release. “For the United States to succeed in the global economy, we must keep our doors open to students from around the world.”

The modeling is based on data from the Department of Homeland Security’s SEVIS By the Numbers and State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Annual J-1 Exchange Visitor Report, as well as State’s Monthly Nonimmigrant Visa Issuance Statistics, available through May 2025.

NAFSA attributes the projected decline to recent changes to international student visa processing under the Trump administration.

The State Department paused student visa interviews between May 27 and June 18, during peak issuance season, and then implemented vetting protocols for students’ social media accounts, which may have impeded some students’ ability to receive a visa.

NAFSA member institutions have also reported there are limited or no appointments available for their international students in China, India, Japan and Nigeria, which are among the top countries of origin for international students studying in the U.S.

On June 4, President Trump signed an executive order restricting visitors from 19 countries, but visa issuances for students from those countries had already begun to drop. F-1 visa issuances declined 150 percent and J-1 issuances declined 105 percent in May compared to last year, according to an Inside Higher Ed analysis of State Department data.

Over all, F-1 and J-1 visa issuance dropped 12 percent from January to April 2025 and an additional 22 percent year over year in May. NASFA’s report estimates that June 2025 F-1 visa issuances will decline as much as 90 percent under the new policies.

NAFSA is urging Congress to direct the State Department to provide expedited visa appointments for F-1, M-1 and J-1 visa applicants as well as exempt international students from travel restrictions.

The projection does not reflect increasing anxieties among international students interested in studying in the U.S.; a May survey by Study Portals reported student interest in studying in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest point since COVID-19, with students considering other English-speaking nations like the U.K. or Australia instead.

Current visa projections only account for fall 2025 enrollment. In a July interview with Inside Higher Ed, Rachel Banks, senior director of public policy and legislative strategy at NAFSA, noted some colleges and universities are anticipating international students will be unable to make the start of classes in the fall but may be able to come to campus later in the term or in the winter.

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August 5, 2025
3 Questions for Higher Ed Market Researcher Scott Jeffe

We have a long history of working with Scott Jeffe during his time as the VP of research at RNL. Recently, Scott moved on from RNL to begin working as an independent higher ed market research consultant and adviser to universities. To learn more about the work that Scott does and to hopefully gain some insight into where things may be going with online and graduate programs, we asked Scott the following questions.

Q: Tell us about what it means to be an independent higher ed market researcher. What sort of projects do you work on? How does what you do for universities differ from the services available from traditional consulting firms?

A: In higher education, the best market research means more than just gathering data—it means showing up as a consultant. That’s something I’ve really learned throughout my career. Too often, I see research reports that are, frankly, hard to interpret or apply. The data might be sound, but it’s overly complex, the visualizations are unclear or the recommendations are disconnected from the realities of how colleges and universities actually operate.

I’ve had those moments—looking at a data visualization and spending several minutes just trying to figure out what it’s supposed to say. And I know that no dean, provost or president has the time to do that. I’ve also read plenty of conclusions that are technically accurate but completely impractical in the real-world context of higher ed. That’s the kind of disconnect that leads campus leaders to quietly shelve the report, walk away and think, “Well, that was a waste of money.”

That is exactly what my work today seeks to avoid. My research and consulting prioritize being more direct, actionable and grounded in higher ed’s current challenges. My work now spans both institutional consulting and national research, and I think that balance is part of what makes my approach effective. For example, I’ve recently completed national studies on graduate student expectations and mentorship, which give me insight into broader trends that I can then bring into highly tailored campus-level work.

Over the past six months, I’ve developed four core services designed specifically for this moment in higher ed—politically, economically and culturally. They’re affordable, practical and fast to implement. I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions, but I do believe institutions deserve work that respects their time, their context and their need to move quickly on what matters.

That’s ultimately the difference between what I offer and what many vendors often provide. I’m not just delivering a report—I’m helping institutions make real decisions, grounded in both the data and the dynamics of higher ed today.

Q: What are the most significant challenges and opportunities for universities wanting to grow graduate and/or online enrollment today?

A: At the graduate level, one of the biggest looming challenges is the likely decline in international enrollment, which has quietly propped up graduate enrollment growth for the past several years. Under the Biden administration, we saw international graduate enrollment rise by more than 117,000 students—reaching over 500,000 total. Just last year, international students made up a full one-third of new graduate enrollments in the U.S., and over 200 institutions reported that international students represented more than 30 percent of their total graduate population.

But we have to be clear-eyed: Not only is that level of growth not sustainable, but decline is coming. Whether due to shifting geopolitics, visa policy changes or growing global competition, institutions will need to refocus their efforts on the domestic graduate market—and fast.

That said, there’s opportunity in the challenge. In fact, the current job market will likely nudge more adults to consider graduate study as a buffer or springboard during economic uncertainty. The catch? Institutions are now facing unprecedented competition. By some counts, we’re adding 800 new master’s programs each year. To grow—or even maintain—enrollment, institutions must have an acute understanding of what today’s graduate students expect. That means building a blueprint rooted in student preferences and behaviors and then aligning everything—program design, marketing, recruitment and support—around those insights.

That’s where much of my work comes in. Over the last two decades, I’ve helped institutions do exactly this through tools like my Scorecard and Playbook and the Audience Alignment Study, which zero in on how to position programs for today’s increasingly selective learners.

Now, on the online education side, the landscape is a bit more favorable at the moment—particularly due to the regulatory environment calming down. The Biden administration’s push to more heavily regulate online programs—particularly around OPMs and state reciprocity—has largely been shelved. That’s good news for smaller institutions, where online offerings often represent the best path to enrollment stability or growth. Interestingly, one of the unintended effects of that regulatory scrutiny is that OPM contract terms are now much more favorable than they were a few years ago. Institutions have more leverage.

In terms of opportunity, there are two major areas I’m watching closely. First, the long-discussed but rarely well-executed effort to serve the 30 to 40 million U.S. adults with some college and no credential is almost entirely an online opportunity. However, most institutions struggle to fully serve this group. The barriers tend to fall into three key areas: restrictive credit transfer policies, pricing models that remain out of reach and a misplaced assumption that these students will return to campus for their courses. Institutions that succeed here build fully online programs with wraparound support—advising, tech help, financial aid guidance—specifically designed for students who haven’t set foot on a campus in years. And when they do that, it doesn’t just help this population—it improves online education quality for everyone.

The second opportunity is more subtle but just as important: the increased demand from traditional undergraduates for access to online courses. While this isn’t online program growth in the classic sense, it presents a major advantage. A robust online course infrastructure doesn’t just support distance learners—it makes the entire campus experience more flexible, more attractive and more resilient. For institutions, that’s a strategic win across multiple audiences.

Q: How can universities better choose which programs to start and invest in and then grow enrollments to financially sustainable numbers?

A: At all levels, I think most institutions are doing a much better job now of integrating market data into their program decision-making. There’s a pretty direct line between the era when those insights were missing and the wave of program cuts we’re seeing now. For instance, Inside Higher Ed recently reported that Indiana’s public institutions have combined or eliminated over 400 programs that weren’t meeting fairly modest graduation thresholds. That’s a clear example of the consequences of earlier decisions made without solid market alignment.

When I work with institutions on program strategy, my role is really to facilitate a conversation that balances market data and institutional strengths. I bring the external perspective—labor market demand, competitor analysis, growth trends—and they bring the internal knowledge of what they’re truly good at. The goal isn’t just to chase hot programs, but to find areas where there’s strong or emerging market demand and where the institution already has expertise, capacity and visibility. That combination is where real opportunity lives.

Why take that approach? Because institutions need quick wins. We’re often working with limited time and resources and pressure to show results. If you can build momentum by improving or reconfiguring an existing program—something that already has a foundation—you get to impact faster and more cost-effectively. In fact, across dozens of program prioritization studies I’ve been involved in, I’ve rarely seen a proposed new program with more short- or midterm market potential than several underperforming existing ones. That’s why I usually recommend a 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 investment ratio favoring existing programs over net-new launches.

Once we identify the right programs to focus on, differentiation becomes key—especially in the online space, where commodification is a real concern. Institutions need detailed competitor intelligence, not just high-level benchmarking. We’re looking at how programs are positioned, how they’re structured and what messages they’re putting in front of students. That kind of granularity allows us to develop a true blueprint for differentiation—one that goes beyond clichés like “small class sizes” or “personalized attention” and speaks to what really sets a program apart.

And finally, with federal regulations increasingly focused on graduate outcomes and return on investment, it’s more important than ever to bake those metrics—job openings, wage growth, projected earnings—into the program planning process from the beginning. We’re entering a new phase where programs will be judged not just on academic merit or enrollment numbers, but on how they impact students’ long-term economic success.

So to me, the smartest institutions are those that align their strengths with market needs, invest in what they already do well and differentiate with purpose—grounded in real data.

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August 5, 2025