Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · 5h

Thank you! And what a lovely thing to say about CTY

Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · 15h

Bonus: I put a little first person in there, near the bottom! You can learn a little about my parents and the longitudinal study I was a part of from birth until I was 18.

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · 15h

Want something fun (I hope) to read that's not about huge government interventions in higher ed? I wrote about nerd camp! The story has some higher-ed connections, I promise, and it was a pleasure to report: www.chronicle.com/article/what...

What Nerd Camp Can Tell Us About the SAT

No selective college relies on standardized tests alone to admit students, but the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth does. That makes it an interesting test case.

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · 6d

My colleagues broke down in detail the contents of the "compact" the Trump administration reportedly sent to nine colleges. Hope this helps your discussions: www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

The White House’s New ‘Compact’ Would Offer Universities an Edge in Grant Funding. What’s In It?

We’ve seen what the Trump administration’s stick looks like. Let’s look at its carrot.

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · 23d

What do teaching, research, and student life look like after a college reaches a deal with the Trump administration? I visited Columbia during the first week of classes to find out: www.chronicle.com/article/life...

Columbia Confronts Life After Its Deal With Trump

The university endured two years of unprecedented upheaval. Will its wide-ranging settlement with the government allow it to turn the page?

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · 27d

So proud of my colleagues' fast and in-depth work covering the killing of Charlie Kirk, and what it means for higher ed: www.chronicle.com/article/maki...

Charlie Kirk’s Killing Silences a Conservative Voice. His Movement May Grow Louder.

The founder of Turning Point USA was shot at a campus speaking event, injecting urgency and solemnity into a broader debate about political intolerance in higher education.

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Aug 28

Fab story by @peterelkind.bsky.social and @katiemangan.bsky.social about Leo Terrell, head of the White House antisemitism task force investigating colleges. Terrell's been sued for malpractice, owes almost $400K taxes, yells at coworkers. And that's just the start: www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

Why the Unlikely Leader of Trump’s Antisemitism Task Force May Be the Perfect Man for the Job

As a Black, Christian, former Democrat with little previous engagement with Jewish causes, Leo Terrell seemed an improbable pick to eradicate antisemitic harassment in higher ed. But his zeal and foot...

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Aug 18

I asked all my expert interviewees: "What if readers read this story and think: 'Yeah, welcome to our world, IVIES'?" and everyone basically responded: "Yeah, they probably will think that."

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Aug 18

Thank you, everyone, for not pointing this out, but I have fixed "of at Harvard Law School." And thank you for reading the story.

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Reposted by Francie Diep

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · Jun 30

In light of this morning's letter from the White House antisemitism task force to Harvard — which found Harvard "in violent violation of Title VI" — here's @franciediep.bsky.social and @erickelderman.bsky.social on what a deal between the parties might mean for #HigherEd. #AcademicSky

What a Harvard Deal Would Mean for Higher Ed

Some faculty and outside observers fear there are no good deals to be made with the federal government. Others hope for a path forward that safeguards university research and teaching.

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Jun 23

When I wrote a long report on college reputations, the big thing I realized was that everything that colleges traditionally chase — selectivity, high research productivity — appeals to traditional college students. But that may not be what future students want: store.chronicle.com/products/rai...

Raising Your College's Profile | The Chronicle of Higher Education

At institutions of varying size and reach, college marketers and leaders are innovating in how they reach their audience. This report explores how.

store.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Jun 23

The headline quote from the interview? U.S. News rankers "haven't really contemplated" what the demographic cliff means for their formula:

Screenshot from the Q&A that says: "When you started with the rankings, colleges were looking at a period of growth in traditional college-aged students. After the '80s, the demographic group of 18-to-24-year-olds would continue getting larger for another 20, 25 years. Now it's getting smaller. Have you and your team thought about how you need to change the rankings to deal with the fact that it's a different kind of student going to college these days?" "We haven't thought about your exact question. We haven't really contemplated that."

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Jun 23

Bob Morse, who's led the methodology for U.S. News' college rankings for 37 years, is retiring at the end of this month. Here's my exit interview with him: www.chronicle.com/article/u-s-...

‘U.S. News’ Rankings Guru, Soon to Retire, Reflects on the Role He’s Played in Higher Ed

Bob Morse helmed “Best Colleges” for almost 40 years, and has been at <i>U.S. News</i> for almost 50. Higher ed has changed a lot in his time.

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Jun 11

I'm sure it's just convergent evolution. But also ours is better-looking.

Michael Theis @mjtheis.bsky.social · May 27

On the left: The Harvard seal, pierced by darts, as photographed by me for @chronicle.com, published January 14, 2024. On the right, a Harvard shield, pierced by darts, illustrated by Lisa Sheehan, published on May, 23, 205 by @nytimes.com. Draw your own conclusions. #design #journalism #photography

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Reposted by Francie Diep

Stephanie M. Lee @stephaniemlee.bsky.social · Jun 9

Scoop from @franciediep.bsky.social: In Public, Harvard Is Fighting Trump. Quietly, It’s Dismantling a Program the White House Doesn’t Like. www.chronicle.com/article/in-p...

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Jun 2

Finally, a caveat: Not all the big-money Wall Street donors who have been vocal critics of their alma maters are trustees. In fact I'd say the biggest names that spring to mind aren't.

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Jun 2

One of the paper's authors, @charlieeaton.bsky.social, has been in demand lately as a speaker as a result of his research and of his willingness to proscribe solutions, which can be rare among academics. My Q&A with him both discusses his work and is thoughts on how it's all played out politically.

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Jun 2

Does it feel like private-equity guys are suddenly everywhere talking about higher ed? Perhaps because they are: A paper out earlier this year found a big rise in the percentage of top-ranked university trustees who are private-equity and hedge-fund managers: www.chronicle.com/article/priv...

Private-Equity Wealth Is Growing on the Most Prestigious University Boards, Study Finds

“That’s become a political vulnerability,” one researcher said.

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · May 21

Bob Morse is retiring! www.usnews.com/education/bl...

Here's my take on Morse's place in higher ed, from 2022: www.chronicle.com/article/wher...

More to come soon, I hope!

www.usnews.com

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Reposted by Francie Diep

nilay patel @reckless.bsky.social · May 16

Information is a product and you get what you pay for

dell cameron @dell.bsky.social · May 15

The news media is crowded with people who aren’t here to newsgather. They make no research or investigative contributions; just personalities whose job is comparable to pumping out youtube reaction videos. They’re entertainers, not journalists, and they’re paid 5x what decent reporters pull in.

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · May 15

The political media is obsessively relitigating the issue of Biden being too old and out of touch while the current president babbles incoherently at press conferences and regularly admits he's not the one making decisions on key policy matters.

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · May 16

I noticed a new trend: The Trump administration has been highlighting less prestigious colleges in its higher-ed reform efforts. One thing that points to is that officials seem to be choosing where to focus based on viral news.

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

The Trump Administration Widens Its Scrutiny of Colleges, With Help From the Internet

After months of headlines about elite colleges, the Trump administration is announcing investigations of less-prominent ones, sometimes seemingly in reaction to viral news.

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · May 1

Lol I wouldn't say my story is too sad. If anything, the book itself is sadder, because it talks about Magill's attempts to address the Penn community in a balanced, nuanced way, and they just didn't work, at least not for the loud complainants. The events I cover aren't sad.

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · May 1

What really happened behind the scenes in fall 2023, as Liz Magill, Penn's president, faced calls from big donors to resign? A new book, from the chair of Penn's board at the time, offers an inside look: www.chronicle.com/article/how-...

Very interesting to see how some big donors operate.

How Things Fell Apart at the U. of Pennsylvania After the Antisemitism Hearing

A new book by the former chair of Penn’s Board of Trustees offers an inside look at the drama and big-donor influence that led to his resignation and that of the university’s president.

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Apr 16

Two years after conservatives took over the New College of Florida, what does campus life look like? Emma Pettit's story is thorough, thought-provoking (How might this translate to other colleges should the administration succeed in its crusade?), and an easy read: www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

The College That Conservatives Took Over

The overhaul of New College of Florida stoked fear on the left and excitement on the right. Two years in, what’s really changed?

www.chronicle.com

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Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Mar 11

More details: This is for a report I'm working on about college reputation-building. I'm not looking for moral reasons to keep to a local mission. I'm seeking someone who would argue it can be good for a college's rep and finances.

Francie Diep @franciediep.bsky.social · Mar 11

Reporting request: Do you know of someone who advocates for and counsels colleges to double down on a local, teaching, open-access, student-success-oriented mission — rather than chasing traditional markers of prestige, like rankings? Bonus if you know they're good at writing!