Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 38m

Gotta feel for the Phillies' pitcher there. That's painful.

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 4h

There is a sponsorship opportunity with A1.

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Alex Usher @alexusherhesa.bsky.social · 4h

Real change in public expenditures on higher education, 2008 to 2023, selected countries that actually publish the damn data. UK is worst here, but note this does not include RAB (projected future loan forgiveness, basically). If RAB is included...UK would still be last.

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Sarah Brown @brownepoints.bsky.social · 12h

Great piece.

"...a central and long-running rupture over the foundational mission of civics schools... Should they reform how universities teach by prioritizing civil discourse, or should they add viewpoint diversity by hiring more conservatives?"

UNC-Chapel Hill’s Lesson in Civics

The School of Civic Life and Leadership’s public fighting is part of a long-running rupture about the mission of civics schools around the country.

www.theassemblync.com

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Brendan Cantwell @cantb.bsky.social · 13h

The problem with college costs is that, with some exceptions, spending more allows campuses to do more good things better. Sure, competition and glitz, high salaries explain some of it. But much of it is a problem about how to ration quality.

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 14h

As anyone who has read the classic tome about the ramifications of giving a mouse a cookie knows, Harvard isn't going to be left alone after signing a document.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/u...

Last week, President Trump made a surprise announcement that Harvard and the government were near an agreement that would allow the university to continue to receive billions in research funds. But a day later, his administration sent letters to nine universities that asked campus leaders to embrace a plan that would align the Trump administration’s political agenda with preferred access to federal research dollars.

Harvard officials have since discussed internally the possibility of seeking additional assurances from the administration that the university will not be subject to further demands once an agreement has been signed, according to two people briefed on the matter.

Administration officials have said the letters to campuses were attempts to solicit feedback, not ultimatums. Still, the requests concerned Harvard leaders because three of the schools had either agreed to deals with the administration or were in negotiations.

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 17h

Nope.

Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 1d

That wasn't mentioned, surprisingly enough.

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 1d

It's fascinating that a higher ed search firm reached out to a very conservative member of Congress to recruit the new president of Youngstown State. I didn't know that was a part of search firms' playbooks.

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

What is more unusual is that, while in Congress, Johnson, a staunch conservative, swapped endorsements with President Trump, and was perhaps best known for voting not to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election and supporting a travel ban on majority-Muslim nations during Trump’s first administration.

Johnson, 70, wasn’t seeking a fourth act. So when representatives from the search firm WittKieffer came calling about the Youngstown State job, he had a question of his own: “Why would I consider something like this?”

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 1d

College presidents, head coaches, and enrollment management directors have a lot in common. They are high-profile, their wins and losses can be easily seen, and are well-paid. But these also result in short amounts of time on the job.

For Enrollment Leaders, the Hot Seat Keeps Getting Hotter

They’re navigating demands for an annual miracle: more applicants, more revenue, more everything — no matter the circumstances.

www.chronicle.com

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Steve Berkowitz @byberkowitz.bsky.social · 1d

During 2019 football season -- last one before the pandemic -- there were two college head coaches making over $8 million, none making over $9.5M.

This season, nine coaches are making more than $10 million, with another now at an annualized total of $10M.
sportsdata.usatoday.com/ncaa/salarie...

Highest Paid College Football Coaches & Salaries - USA TODAY

Ever wondered who the highest paid coach in college football is? Find out today with USA TODAY's complete salary data.

sportsdata.usatoday.com

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 1d

That's wild. We have local schools for a reason in most of the country.

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 1d

As a small-town Midwesterner with a PhD in education policy, I know the world of competitive high schools exist...but I still can't process it. Growing up, the options were the local public high school or a regional Catholic school. I went to the public school and turned out okay-ish.

These Parents Are Willing to Pay Up to $15,000 to Get Their Kids Into High School

Getting into high school—private and public—is more competitive than ever. Parents are paying up.

www.wsj.com

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 2d

And the faculty in your higher education program!

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Brendan Cantwell @cantb.bsky.social · 2d

Student number controls

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 2d

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to announce plans to cut the number of UK university places by about 100,000 annually by reintroducing student number controls, reports Patrick Jack #edusky
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/badenochs-number-caps-plan-would-cut-100000-university-places

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 2d

North Carolina football is cancelling a planned documentary series with Hulu, likely because the on-field product isn't tremendously entertaining.

Report: UNC scraps plans for Hulu documentary

UNC has scrapped plans for a documentary series with Hulu, according to a report from Inside Carolina, after the team's 2-3 start on the season.

www.espn.com

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Austin Slaughter @austinslaughter.bsky.social · 2d

This is a terrific paper looking at which programs are likely to fail the new earnings threshold established by the OBBA

www.american.edu/spa/peer/upl...

Bar graph showing the percentage of students in low-earning programs by credential type. Undergrad certificates: 24%; associate's: 3.9%; bachelor's: 0.6%; grad certificates: 3.1%; master's: 2.9%; doctoral: 0.3; professional: 4.7%; total (with undergrad certificates): 3.7%; total (without undergrad certificates): 1.8%.

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Reposted by Robert Kelchen

Kristi @kdonnn.bsky.social · 2d

so much more was to come from
the NCES longitudinal studies, especially high school which has been a mainstay since the 1970s.

HS&B:22 was planned to follow students through 12th grade and after, through postsecondary and career transitions.

NPR @npr.org · 2d

The federal government has long surveyed high schoolers to help track how their academic choices may have influenced the course of their lives. The Trump administration put an end to that effort.

The government has long researched high school experiences. Then DOGE cut the effort

The federal government has long surveyed high schoolers to help track how their academic choices may have influenced the course of their lives. The Trump administration put an end to that effort.

n.pr

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 2d

I was in a meeting yesterday with a bunch of people in suits. I show up in a polo shirt and khakis.

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 2d

@dcollier74.bsky.social and I are trying to be counterexamples!

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 2d

It's tough when red-state public university presidents put their jobs at risk when their association signs onto anything.

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 2d

The Trump administration is again exploring selling off part of the federal student loan portfolio. But that can only be done if the sale doesn't cost taxpayers money, and most of the portfolio is worth less than the book value of the loans.

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Experts caution that any sale comes with potential pitfalls for both taxpayers and borrowers.

Preston Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said selling off student loans was a dubious idea that made little fiscal sense. Private investors, he said, wouldn’t be willing to pay more than the loans are worth. Even if the goal is to shrink the portfolio and ease administrative costs, he said, it likely isn’t worth it.

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 2d

Individual colleges should know their international student enrollments by now (and a few numbers are coming out), but we won't have a solid national number for at least 4-6 months. The available data sources all tell parts of a potential story, but have notable flaws.

International Student Arrivals Drop 19%

Some experts note that the entry data contradicts enrollment increases shown in SEVIS data—while others say the declines are even more extreme than the arrivals data indicates.

www.insidehighered.com

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 3d

And the Cubs and Brewers are saying, "Hold my Spotted Cow."

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 3d

What an ending to the Dodgers-Phillies game (and I don't have a horse in that series). Baseball is awesome!

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