Tag: University

  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln to slash $27.5M from budget

    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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  • AI in the University From Assistant to Autonomous Agent

    AI in the University From Assistant to Autonomous Agent

    We have become accustomed to generative artificial intelligence in the past couple of years. That will not go away, but increasingly, it will serve in support of agents.

    “Where generative AI creates, agentic AI acts.” That’s how my trusted assistant, Gemini 2.5 Pro deep research, describes the difference. By the way, I commonly use Gemini 2.5 Pro as one of my research tools, as I have in this column, however, it is I who writes the column.

    Agents, unlike generative tools, create and perform multistep goals with minimal human supervision. The essential difference is found in its proactive nature. Rather than waiting for a specific, step-by-step command, agentic systems take a high-level objective and independently create and execute a plan to achieve that goal. This triggers a continuous, iterative workflow that is much like a cognitive loop. The typical agentic process involves six key steps, as described by Nvidia:

    1. User or Machine Request
    2. The LLM: Understanding the Task

    The LLM acts as the brain of the AI agent. It interprets the user’s prompt to understand the task requirements.

    1. Planning Module: Task Breakdown

    The planning module divides the task into specific actions.

    1. Memory Module: Providing Context

    The memory module ensures context is preserved for efficient task execution.

    1. Tool Integration: Performing the Task

    The agent core orchestrates external tools to complete each step.

    1. Reasoning and Reflection: Improving Outcomes

    Throughout the process, the agent applies reasoning to refine its workflow and enhance accuracy.

    An early version of a general agent was released last week by OpenAI to their paid subscribers of ChatGPT. The message accompanying the release explains the potential for power and productivity as well as the care one must take to ensure privacy:

    “ChatGPT agent allows ChatGPT to complete complex online tasks on your behalf. It seamlessly switches between reasoning and action—conducting in-depth research across public websites, uploaded files, and connected third-party sources (like email and document repositories), and performing actions such as filling out forms and editing spreadsheets—all while keeping you in control. To use ChatGPT agent, select ‘Agent mode’ from the tools menu or type /agent in the composer. Once enabled, just describe the task you’d like completed, and the agent will begin executing it. It will pause to request clarification or confirmation whenever needed. You can also interrupt the model at any time to provide additional instructions … When you sign ChatGPT agent into websites or enable connectors, it will be able to access sensitive data from those sources, such as emails, files, or account information. Additionally, it will be able to take actions as you on these sites, such as sharing files or modifying account settings. This can put your data and privacy at risk due to the existence of ‘prompt injection’ attacks online.”

    I tried the new agent for an update on an ongoing research project I have been conducting this year. It was faster than the ChatGPT-o3 deep research product I have used previously. The report was more concise but included all the data I expected for my weekly update. It also condensed and formatted relevant material in tables. I was careful with the way in which I handled sharing personal information with the agent. Over time, I am confident that more secure ways will be found to protect users and their privacy.

    Inherently, the agentic AI is different from the generative AI. Generative AI is like a brilliant but rather passive research assistant that requires constant, explicit direction. You must provide a series of precise, individual prompts to get it to complete your real objective. Agentic AI, on the other hand, functions more like an experienced project leader. You provide it with a high-level, strategic objective such as “Prepare a report for the provost that outlines the potential of offering a number of relevant new online AI certificate programs this fall targeted to large regional corporations.”

    The agent then autonomously deconstructs this goal into a multistep workflow. It will search for relevant topics and targets, identify potential programs, compare and contrast current and potential offerings with those at competing institutions, generate a ROI over time analysis, synthesize the findings, draft the briefing document, access the provost’s calendar, identify available meeting times, and send a calendar invitation with the briefing attached.

    That’s just one example. Agentic AI will be useful in many aspects of the university operation. It will promote efficiency, accuracy and save significant money through its round-the-clock productivity. Here are some key areas where agentic AI may be useful in the year ahead.

    • Student recruitment, admissions and support: We are already seeing agentic AI transforming recruitment from a high-volume, nonpersonalized process into a deeply individualized and proactive process. Engaging prospective students 24-7 across multiple communication channels, agents tailor their outreach with the promise of personalized learning that has been a central goal of educational technology. Agentic AI is poised to make this vision a reality at scale.
    • Teaching and learning: At last, agentic AI can personalize the learning process. These systems function as autonomous, 24-7 AI tutors that adapt to each student’s unique learning pace and style. The agentic tutor can assess a student’s understanding of a concept, identify any knowledge gaps and adapt the materials for each learner to create a personalized learning path. By employing techniques such as Socratic questioning, an agent can guide a student through a problem-solving process, adapting to the learner’s understanding of the topic and prompting them to think critically, rather than simply providing the correct answer. This can lead to mastery learning, where all learners master the key concepts of a class before they are awarded credit. No learner is left behind.
    • Administrative support: Agentic AI can create enhanced, annotated grade books and continuously updated, enhanced course plans for faculty; predictive analytic reports for deans and directors; individualized retention and advancement recommendations; marketing and public relations materials and plans; library recommendations for acquisitions and student engagement; and many more functions across the spectrum of administration.

    AI agents will offer the next level of artificial intelligence to higher education. We can anticipate embodied agents becoming available in a year or so. Meanwhile, I encourage us all to experiment with agentic AI as it becomes available. In doing so, we can begin to create our own personalized, proactive, professional assistant that can anticipate our needs and implement our preferences.

    Who at your university is leading the move to agentic AI? Perhaps you may be in a position to model the efficiency and professionalism of AI agents.

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  • Southern University Launches Student-Operated Radio Station WSUB 106.1 FM

    Southern University Launches Student-Operated Radio Station WSUB 106.1 FM

    Southern University’s Department of Mass Communication will begin operating its own radio station, WSUB 106.1 LPFM “The Bluff,” following a cooperative agreement with the Louisiana Community Development Capital Fund.

    The low-powered FM station will be operated entirely by the Department of Mass Communication, with faculty, staff and students leading daily programming and operations. WSUB replaces WTQT, a long-running 24-hour gospel station that previously broadcast on the frequency.

    “The Department of Mass Communication is so proud to lead the way in operating the university’s FCC regulated radio station,” said Dr. Yolanda Campbell, interim chair of the Department of Mass Communication. “I’m especially excited to see our students demonstrate how this hands-on training will prepare them for their careers in the industry.”

    The station will serve as a practical training facility for students pursuing careers in radio, podcasting and audio production. Programming will reflect Southern University’s community spirit by promoting cultural awareness, supporting local talent and delivering educational content.

    WSUB’s musical format will blend gospel, hip-hop, R&B and pop music. The 24-hour station aims to help students strengthen their broadcasting skills, engage audiences and prepare for media industry careers.

    Campbell will serve as station manager. Nicolette Gordon, a Southern University alumna and experienced radio professional, has been named operations manager. Jammin Jacque Griffin, longtime program director at WTQT, will continue in the same role at WSUB.

    “Radio has always been about community, and there’s no one more prepared than Southern to seize this amazing opportunity to be a voice for the Baton Rouge community in music and content creation,” Campbell said.

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  • Priyanka Roy, York University

    Priyanka Roy, York University

    Introduce yourself in three words or phrases. 

    Borderless thinker, story collector, quietly fierce.

    What do you like most about your job?

    Connecting people to possibilities. It blends everything I’ve studied and lived through, connection, culture, and human behavior.

    With a background in clinical psychology, I lean into the why behind choices, but I also love thinking big: What changes access? What drives outcomes? What makes strategy stick? Helping students dream bigger is what I do daily, but assisting institutions to see differently is what I’m growing toward.

    Best work trip/Worst work trip?

    Best: Nepal. A place where spirituality meets ambition, and every conversation felt like a masterclass in purpose. I met students who challenged assumptions,
    asked global questions, and reminded me why this work isn’t just recruitment, it’s relationship-building across borders.

    Worst: One of those everything-goes-wrong kind of trips – delayed flights, tech glitches, and a schedule that changed by the hour. I remember the panic, but
    more than that, I remember pivoting fast, staying present, and making it work. It showed me how adaptability and clarity under pressure aren’t just nice-to-haves;
    They’re the bones that build leaders.

    If you could learn a language instantly, which would you pick and why?

    Arabic. I was born in Saudi, so it’s always felt like the soundtrack of my early life. Learning it would be more than linguistic. It’d be a way of reconnecting with
    something I’ve always found myself drawn to.

    A close second would be Japanese. With how they’re innovating in education and global engagement, it feels like a language that’s about to take centre stage.

    What makes you get up in the morning?

    The fact that someone out there is making a life-changing decision, and I might get to play a small part in it. That, and the promise of good coffee.

    Champion/cheerleader which we should all follow and why?

    Tunde Oyeneyin. Peloton coach turned powerhouse. She speaks about purpose, identity, and growth like she’s been reading your journal. I was never athletic or sporty and exercise never felt like it belonged to me.

    But something shifted when I found her. She made movement feel like a celebration, not a punishment. Her energy is magnetic, her story is powerful, and her voice makes you believe you can rewrite your narrative, and when used intentionally, can move people.

    Best international ed conference and why

    APAIE in India earlier this year. My first global panel! Sitting among leaders I Googled in awe and quietly learn from, now contributing to the conversation at the same table as them was surreal. It was one of those “you’re not in the audience anymore” moments.

    Worst conference food/beverage experience

    One conference served “fusion” snacks. I tried something that was somewhere between dessert and deep regret. Coffee didn’t salvage it either. It’s fine.
    Character was built.

    Book or podcast recommendation for others in the sector?

    The One Thing by Gary Keller. This sector moves fast. There’s always something to do, someone to help, somewhere to be. This book forces you to pause and ask: “What’s the one thing I can do right now that actually makes a difference?” Game changer for anyone juggling a million priorities.

    Describe a project or initiative you’re currently working on that excites you.

    I’m working on a storytelling series that spotlights international students who’ve carved out unexpected paths. It’s about humanising the data and reminding
    institutions that behind every stat is a story worth telling. Still in early stages, but it’s one of those ideas that just won’t leave me alone.

    The post Priyanka Roy, York University appeared first on The PIE News.

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  • Breaking the Bar: how can university graduates enter elite professions?

    Breaking the Bar: how can university graduates enter elite professions?

    This blog was authored by Charlotte Gleed, who is undertaking an internship at HEPI this summer. Charlotte is a BA History Graduate from Jesus College, Oxford and holds a Graduate Diploma in Law, supported by the Exhibition Scholarship from the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. Following this internship, Charlotte will be studying an MPhil in Education: Knowledge, Power, and Politics at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

    ‘Barristers: they make coffee, don’t they?’

    A family member said this to me recently. Not thinking much of it, I laughed and replied, ‘not quite, the ones who wear the wig and gown and bang the stick’. This conversation got me thinking: why is it that some professions seem so far removed from everyday life that not only does the possibility of entry appear distant, but what a person does in that profession is misunderstood? The English Bar falls in this category.

    The Bar is the profession of barristers, a set of specialist legal advocates who represent parties usually in courts or tribunals. The Bar has historically been a profession preserved for the elite. The requirement of high grades from top-ranked universities, together with financial instability during legal studies and in practice, compound this assumption. However, there can be an alternative narrative. As social mobility schemes arise, universities develop closer ties with the profession, and the availability of scholarships widen, there is a real opportunity to change the composition of the Bar.

    Fortunate to be a product of these changes, my journey to the Bar has highlighted three main obstacles for university graduates. First, the precarious financial situation. We are all aware that higher education of any form is expensive, even with government-backed student loans. However, further vocational study required for the Bar stretches student finances considerably. The cost of the Bar Vocational Course ranges from £12,640 to £20,220. Unless supported by family, scholarships and/or private bank loans, the costs can be both difficult to justify and even harder to deliver.

    Second, it is increasingly clear that a law degree alone is no longer sufficient. For students who complete an LLB or BA Jurisprudence, competition is so fierce that postgraduate study – a master’s or equivalent – is beneficial. For students who study a non-law undergraduate degree, the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) is necessary. The cost of the law conversion course, ranging from £7,150 to £13,590 dependent on region and university provider, exacerbates the gap between those who can afford the additional university costs and those who cannot.

    Third, the essence of the Inns of Court is strikingly akin to an Oxbridge college. Each aspiring and practising barrister across England and Wales chooses membership of one of four Inns: Middle Temple, Inner Temple, Lincoln’s Inn, and Gray’s Inn. This is both a blessing and a curse for university graduates. A blessing because its magic and mystery is something to aspire to; a curse because its majesty can be intimating and can feel exclusionary. One barristers chambers, Essex Court Chambers, have partnered with the Social Mobility Foundation to improve accessibility to the commercial Bar. This is a welcomed step. But more needs to be done.

    What is the solution? Postgraduate study needs investment. The aggregate £12,000 postgraduate loan available from the government goes some way. Yet, this amount falls short of most postgraduate course fees and does not include maintenance costs. If university is to be a true social leveller, access to more advanced levels of higher education must be supported – and funded. Furthermore, the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple and Inner Temple interview all applicants for both their GDL and Bar Course scholarships. This is a start. It is advantageous to students who have not attended prestigious schools or universities with a raft of academic prizes and extra-curriculars to be seen and heard. Interviews for all scholarship candidates is one way to level the playing field. Together with links between university careers services, student societies, and mentorship schemes, this could be an era of genuine collaboration between students, universities, and professions.

    Education pays. But it cannot pay if access to elite professions, and its required higher education courses, is hindered in the first place.

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  • Northwestern University Announces Major Staff Cuts Amid Federal Funding Crisis

    Northwestern University Announces Major Staff Cuts Amid Federal Funding Crisis

    Northwestern University is moving forward with plans to eliminate more than 400 staff positions as it confronts significant financial challenges stemming from a $790 million federal funding freeze implemented by the Trump administration, according to multiple sources familiar with internal discussions.

    The cuts will affect staff across multiple schools within the university system, including the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and the McCormick School of Engineering. Administrators have begun notifying affected departments of the impending workforce reductions.

    In a university-wide communication released earlier this week, Northwestern leadership confirmed the elimination of approximately 425 positions throughout the institution. Half of these positions are currently vacant, while the remainder will result in actual job losses. The reductions are expected to decrease the university’s staff-related budget by roughly 5 percent.

    The administration characterized the decision as necessary to address what they termed a “significant budget gap” that cannot be resolved without reducing personnel expenses, which represent 56 percent of Northwestern’s total annual operating costs.

    Prior to implementing the staff reductions, university leadership directed schools and administrative units to approach the cuts strategically, with instructions to “think strategically about how to minimize the impacts to their units, our workforce, students, and the University.”

     

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  • Northwestern University cuts 425 jobs in face of federal funding pressure

    Northwestern University cuts 425 jobs in face of federal funding pressure

    Dive Brief:

    • Northwestern University plans to cut about 425 staff jobs— amounting to roughly 5% of the private nonprofit’s staffing budget — senior leaders said Tuesday in a community message. 
    • Nearly half of the jobs are vacant, while others will be cut through layoffs, which administrators are working to complete within 48 hours of the announcement. 
    • The Illinois university is navigating a host of financial challenges, including federal research funding cuts and a potentially higher endowment tax under the Republicans’ new spending law.

    Dive Insight:

    In their message Tuesday, Northwestern President Michael Schill, Provost Kathleen Hagerty and Chief Financial Officer Amanda Distel described recent months as “among the most difficult in our institution’s 174-year history.”

    About a month and a half ago, the same group of officials said the university faced “an increasing strain” on its finances from both looming federal policy changes and increasing expenses.

    At the time, they rolled out a series of austerity measures, including a pause on employee raises, a hiring freeze for faculty and staff, health insurance changes, reduced capital spending, and lowered budgets for academic and administrative units. 

    While the university has cut nonpersonnel budgets by 10%, employee costs make up 56% of Northwestern’s total annual spending. “We still are left with a budgetary gap that cannot be bridged without cutting personnel costs,” the officials said. 

    The layoffs announced this week represent “a drastic step that causes pain and anxiety both for the individuals whose lives are affected, but also for our entire community, and we do not take it lightly,” they said. They also noted that schools and units were given discretion in making cuts and asked to “think strategically”  to minimize the impact to units, workers, students and the university.

    Northwestern is among the prominent universities targeted by the Trump administration through probes into their responses to antisemitism on campus by the U.S. departments of Education and Health and Human Services. 

    The university, however, has reported an 88% year-over-year decline in complaints of antisemitic discrimination or harassment as of November 2024.

    Nonetheless, the Trump administration in April reportedly froze $790 million funds to Northwestern. Although the university at the time hadn’t received official notification of a targeted freeze from the government, it saw around 150 stop-work orders and grant terminations from federal agencies by May 1.

    Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported via an anonymous source that the Trump administration was in talks with Northwestern and other universities about possible deals that would involve a hefty fine to resolve the investigations. The news followed Columbia University’s controversial settlement with the government requiring a $221 million payment in return for the government restoring most of its research funding.

    In an op-ed published in The Daily Northwestern on Tuesday, a group of Northwestern faculty described such fines as a “ransom” and called on university leadership to “resist the administration’s attack on fundamental democratic principles by refusing to ‘make a deal’ with the administration.” 

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  • University role in productivity roundtable – Campus Review

    University role in productivity roundtable – Campus Review

    A tax write-off for small businesses that hire PhD graduates, lower course fees and higher PhD stipends are some of the ideas higher education’s peak body has put to the federal government ahead of its economic roundtable on productivity.

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  • Brown University Takes Out $500M Loan After Funding Freeze

    Brown University Takes Out $500M Loan After Funding Freeze

    Brown University is taking out a $500 million loan as it faces a prolonged federal funding freeze and braces for other changes to federal policy, Bloomberg reported.

    The university previously borrowed $300 million in April after the Trump administration said it was freezing about $510 million in federal grants and contracts at the Ivy League institution. 

    “Given recent volatility in capital markets and uncertainty related to evolving federal policy related to higher education, research and other important priorities of Brown, the university is fortunate to have a number of sources of liquidity,” a Brown spokesperson told Bloomberg.

    Other universities have turned to loans or bonds to get immediate cash amid federal funding freezes.

    In a June message that warned of the potential for “significant cost-cutting” measures, Brown administrators pointed to numerous challenges such as federal research grant cuts, the increasing tax on university endowments and threats to international students. Administrators were considering, among other measures, service reductions as well as changes to staffing levels and graduate student admissions. Brown was already grappling with a $46 million deficit before President Trump took office in January, and the university implemented a hiring freeze in March.

    “All these losses represent an ongoing threat to Brown’s financial sustainability and, consequently, our ability to fulfill our mission,” university officials wrote of the federal policy changes. “We are doing everything possible to minimize the impact, and we are proud of the response of this community in making important changes to operations to reduce expenses over the past year. Unfortunately, the level of savings to date is not enough to counter the deep financial losses Brown is experiencing and must prepare for in the coming year.”

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  • Murderer of 4 University of Idaho Students Sentenced to Life

    Murderer of 4 University of Idaho Students Sentenced to Life

    An Idaho judge Wednesday sentenced the murderer of four University of Idaho students to life in prison without possibility of parole, various media outlets reported.

    Judge Steven Hippler of the state’s 4th Judicial District sentenced Bryan Kohberger to four consecutive life sentences.

    Kohberger pleaded guilty June 30 to the 2022 killings of seniors Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21; junior Xana Kernodle, 20; and freshman Ethan Chapin, 20. As part of Kohberger’s plea deal, prosecutors agreed to not pursue the death penalty.

    Authorities said the four University of Idaho students were sleeping at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, when Kohberger—then a criminology graduate student at nearby Washington State University—stabbed them to death. He declined to speak during his sentencing hearing, and his motive remains unknown.

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