Artificial intelligence has crossed a threshold on U.S. college campuses. What was once met with caution, policy debates and outright bans is now being woven into the daily rhythm of academic life. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is emerging as an early beneficiary of that shift, quietly securing a foothold in higher education as universities rethink how students learn, research and work. Across public university systems, ChatGPT is no longer treated as a fringe study tool. Institutions are increasingly licensing the platform for broad use among students and faculty, signaling a move away from enforcement toward education. The change reflects a growing belief that generative AI is not a temporary disruption but a permanent presence in modern learning.
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Agents, robots, and us: Skill partnerships in the age of AI - Lareina Yee, McKinsey Global Institute
Work in the future will be a partnership between people, agents, and robots—all powered by artificial intelligence. While much of the current public debate revolves around whether AI will lead to sweeping job losses, our focus is on how it will change the very building blocks of work—the skills that underpin productivity and growth. Our research suggests that although people may be shifted out of some work activities, many of their skills will remain essential. They will also be central in guiding and collaborating with AI, a change that is already redefining many roles across the economy.
How two new rules are reshaping career education - Dana Godek, University Business
The new gainful employment and financial value transparency rules fundamentally change the way the federal government decides which college programs deserve access to federal financial aid. Instead of assuming that anything offered by a college has inherent value, the government is now asking a more pointed question: Does this program actually improve a student’s economic future compared to what they could earn with a high school diploma or a short-term workforce certificate? Under these rules, colleges must show evidence that their graduates earn more than typical high school graduates and more than those completing equivalent certificates that are often available through high school CTE, workforce boards or industry credentialing bodies. Programs that cannot demonstrate this “value add” are now at risk of losing eligibility for Pell Grants, federal loans and work-study.
Friday, January 2, 2026
How lifetime pathways will build the university of the future - Alcino Donadel, University Business
Two years into his tenure at Fairleigh Dickinson University, President Michael Avaltroni is building a statewide network that spans a learner’s journey from K12 to higher ed to the workplace. Avaltroni is building a coalition of New Jersey higher education institutions and organizations to better integrate human and machine learning in healthcare. Fairleigh Dickinson University also recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Rowan University to expand the state’s supply of healthcare professionals. Avaltroni intends to cement the four-year university’s relevance as the economy and student demographics shift.
How home exams and peers affect college grades in unprecedented times - Tinna Laufey Ásgeirsdóttir, et al: European Economic Review
Leveraging administrative data from the University of Iceland, which cover more than 60% of the undergraduate population in the country, we examine how home exams and peer networks shape grades around the COVID-19 crisis. Using difference-in-difference models with a rich set of fixed effects, we find that home exams taken during university closures raised grades by about 0.5 points relative to invigilated in-person exams outside the pandemic period. Using rich administrative data from the University of Iceland, covering most of the undergraduate population in the country, this paper shows that unproctored home exams during COVID-19 increased student grades by about half a point, a roughly 7% premium, on top of the usual positive return to take-home exams already present off-pandemic. Despite widespread disruption, student performance did not deteriorate during the pandemic.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014292125002909
Stanford Grads Struggle to Find Work in AI-Enabled Job Market - Nilesh Christopher, Los Angeles Times
Stanford students describe a suddenly skewed job market, where just a small slice of graduates who already have thick resumes are getting the few good jobs, leaving everyone else to fight for scraps. Top tech companies just don't need as many fresh graduates. "Stanford computer science graduates are struggling to find entry-level jobs" with the most prominent tech brands, said Jan Liphardt, associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford University. "I think that's crazy." While the rapidly advancing coding capabilities of generative AI have made experienced engineers more productive, they have also hobbled the job prospects of early-career software engineers.
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Opinion: In an Age of Tech, Colleges Should Emphasize Connections - Eric Anicich, Los Angeles Times
Technology is driving at least two trends in young people that colleges should have an answer for: self-education and loneliness. Meanwhile, employers increasingly value social and collaborative skills that AI cannot provide. Artificial intelligence is rapidly eroding their monopoly on instruction, and young adults are experiencing historically high levels of loneliness. If higher education is to justify its staggering cost, it must confront both realities at once by deliberately designing environments and experiences that foster social connection alongside academics. Done well, colleges can offer something AI cannot replicate. Gen Z is living through a profound social crisis. Nearly three-quarters of 16- to 24-year-olds report feeling lonely, and young adults now spend 70 percent less time in person with friends compared with just two decades ago. The share of U.S. adults with no close friends has quadrupled since 1990.
Copilot+ PCs Offer Fast, Powerful AI to Boost Faculty Members’ Productivity - Amy Burroughs, EdTechMagazine
On-device artificial intelligence and custom applications drive efficiency in teaching, research and administrative work. “All of us are being asked to do more with less,” says Dale Perrigo, the director of Windows in the Education for the U.S. and Canada for Microsoft. “And in higher ed, research is important. There’s often that element of competing with other universities. Being able to address this productivity challenge is key.” The NPU on a Copilot+ PC can handle upward of 40 trillion operations per second, the base requirement for on-device AI workloads, says Rob McGilvrey, Microsoft’s Americas director for Windows Commercial. Another differentiator is Windows AI Foundry, a built-in framework that supports both local and hybrid AI applications. Together, the NPU and Windows AI Foundry allow new, out-of-the-box capabilities, McGilvrey says.
The UB Podcast: Navigating the new age of higher ed philanthropy - University Business
University leaders seeking support from donors must present the impact of certain programming tactfully.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, which has the most Pell Grant recipients in the state system, must carefully communicate how affordability and diversity initiatives contribute to the state’s success, says Jones.Those conversations must take place in the backdrop of increased state and federal efforts to end DEI initiatives. “It’s about going back to your mission,” while avoiding “DEI terms,” says Jones. A diverse student body exposes students to more viewpoints, which “makes critical thinking even more important.”
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Ethical AI in higher education: boosting learning, retention and progression - Isabelle Bambury, Higher Education Policy Institute
New research highlights a vital policy window: deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) not as a policing tool but as a powerful mechanism to support student learning and academic persistence. Evidence from independent researcher Dr Rebecca Mace, drawing on data generated by a mix of high, middle and low-tariff UK universities, suggests a compelling, positive correlation between the use of ethically embedded ‘AI for Learning’ tools and student retention, academic skill development and confidence. The findings challenge the predominant narrative that focuses solely on AI detection and academic misconduct, advocating instead for a clear and supportive policy framework to harness AI’s educational benefits.
OpenAI Inks Deals With Colleges, Seizing Early Lead in Education Market - Brody Ford & Liam Knox, Bloomberg
OpenAI has sold more than 700,000 ChatGPT licenses to about 35 public universities for use by students and faculty. Students and faculty used ChatGPT more than 14 million times in September, with each user calling on it 176 times that month for help with tasks such as writing, research and data analysis. OpenAI has sold “well over a million” licenses to colleges globally, with schools willing to purchase bulk access to ChatGPT paying a few dollars per user per month.
Energy Department Announces Collaboration Agreements with 24 Organizations to Advance the Genesis Mission - US Dept of Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced agreements with 24 organizations interested in collaborating to advance the Genesis Mission, a historic national effort that will use the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate discovery science, strengthen national security, and drive energy innovation. The announcement builds on President Trump’s Executive Order Removing Barriers to American Leadership In Artificial Intelligence and advances his America’s AI Action Plan released earlier this year—a directive to remove barriers to innovation, reduce dependence on foreign adversaries, and unleash the full strength of America’s scientific enterprise.
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
You can now verify Google AI-generated videos in the Gemini app. - Google Keyword Blog
We’re expanding our content transparency tools to help you more easily identify AI-generated content. You can now check if a video was edited or created with Google AI directly in the Gemini app. Simply upload a video and ask something like, "Was this generated using Google AI?" Gemini will scan for the imperceptible SynthID watermark across both the audio and visual tracks and use its own reasoning to return a response that gives you context and specifies which segments contain elements generated using Google AI. For example, it might say: “SynthID detected within the audio between 10-20 secs. No SynthID detected in the visuals.”Uploaded files can be up to 100 MB and 90 seconds long.Both image and video verification are now available in all languages and countries supported by the Gemini app.
Leading growth through transformation - McKinsey
Companies are embracing a new model of performance—one where leaders approach volatility and uncertainty with the discipline of an elite athlete. In this shifting order, transformation becomes a new way of working, enabling companies to adapt rapidly to constant change. And growth is possible only through bold strategic choices and rigorous execution. Today’s most successful leaders unite digital innovation with the best of human potential to build resilient organizations and create sustainable value at scale.
The Colleges That Couldn’t Survive 2025 - Josh Moody, Inside Higher Ed
At least 15 nonprofit institutions announced closures this year due to enrollment and financial challenges, down from 16 last year. There were also fewer mergers announced. That number is down from last year when Inside Higher Ed tracked 16 closure announcements but up from 2023 when 14 nonprofit colleges announced plans to shutter their operations. That count does not include colleges that closed this year but had previously announced plans to do so. Colleges planning to close are a mix of public and private institutions, though all seven of those in the public sector were part of Pennsylvania State University. Pennsylvania was the only state that had more than one college announce closure plans in 2025. Of the other eight colleges that announced closures, five were religiously affiliated. Enrollment at colleges that announced closures ran from a high of nearly 2,000 students to a low of less than 100. Most had seen enrollment tanking for years while operating costs continued to rise, creating untenable deficits.
Monday, December 29, 2025
Trump expands travel bans and restrictions to 39 countries - Laurel Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive
President Donald Trump on Tuesday fully banned individuals from an additional seven countries from traveling to the U.S., as well as those with travel documentation from Palestinian authorities, effective Jan. 1. In a presidential proclamation, he also placed partial entry limitations on 15 additional countries, including Nigeria, one of the top 10 sources for international students in the U.S. Higher education officials pushed back on the travel ban expansion — which will include 39 countries — arguing it will further constrict the U.S.’s international student pipeline and stymie the country’s global competitiveness.
https://www.highereddive.com/news/trump-expands-travel-bans-and-restrictions-to-39-countries/808185/
Here are 3 qualities that make graduates better job candidates - Alcino Donadel, University Business
Higher education is fulfilling its mission of cultivating a civilized and workforce-ready society, according to a new employer survey from AAC&U, or the American Association of Colleges and Universities. At least 70% of executives and hiring managers have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education and believe colleges and universities are adequately preparing students for the workforce. Furthermore, nearly three-quarters of employers (73%) believe a degree is worth the financial investment. These findings contrast with public and political concerns about the cost of college, said Lynn Pasquerella, president of AAC&U.
Artificial intelligence: Embracing agentic AI coworkers - McKinsey
Employees started the year more ready to adopt gen AI than their leaders. And the technology itself continued to build momentum, developing at a striking pace. But while nearly all companies have invested in AI, few have seen tangible benefits—the so-called gen AI paradox. As we move into 2026, companies have the opportunity to advance beyond incremental gains from copilots, chatbots, and other reactive, gen AI–based tools. The best are acting now to transform workflows, functions, and, ultimately, their entire organizations by onboarding AI agents to work side by side with their people.
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/year-in-review#artificial-intelligence
Sunday, December 28, 2025
AI Has Joined the Faculty - Beth McMurtrie, Chronicle of Higher Ed
According to a recent survey by Tyton Partners, about one in four faculty members had used AI to save time in creating more engaging in-class activities or generating quizzes and other assessments. About one in five had used it to create writing assignments or grading rubrics. Another survey, by The Chronicle, found that 52 percent of faculty members had used generative AI to enhance course materials. That’s fueling competing visions of the future. In one version, AI raises the bar, freeing professors from tedious hours of labor so they can spend more time with students and create engaging courses. In another, AI leads to a breakdown in foundational relationships, chipping away at trust and authenticity as professors and students mediate their interactions through an often-unreliable technology.
Women in the Workplace 2025 - Alexis Krivkovich, Drew Goldstein, and Megan McConnell; McKinsey
Women face less career support and fewer opportunities to advance as companies show declining commitment to women’s progress. While women are as dedicated to their careers as men, there is a gap in their desire for promotion. That’s according to the latest Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey and LeanIn.Org. Corporate America risks rolling back progress for women. According to this year’s Women in the Workplace study, only half of companies are prioritizing women’s career advancement, part of a several-year trend in declining commitment to gender diversity. And for the first time, there is a notable ambition gap: Women are less interested in being promoted than men. When women receive the same career support that men do, this gap in ambition to advance falls away. Yet women at both ends of the pipeline are still held back by less sponsorship and manager advocacy.
University of Illinois seeks partners to build Quantum facilities as ComEd starts power upgrades at South Side tech park - CCN Staff Writer, Chicago Construction News
Construction is underway at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), a multibillion-dollar project on the South Side that aims to make Chicago a global hub for quantum technology, and the University of Illinois System is now seeking partners to build two cornerstone facilities. ComEd has begun delivering critical upgrades to power the campus, which broke ground in fall 2025 on the former U.S. Steel South Works site. The utility is installing specialized grid enhancements and a substation to support advanced energy demands for tenants including PsiQuantum, IBM and Infleqtion.
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