Afternoon Update: Middle East scholars are under pressure

Title IX rule temporarily blocked; Indiana U. at Bloomington will get a chancellor; another Wisconsin college closes; and more. ADVERTISEMENT [Afternoon Update Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. THE REVIEW | ESSAY [Middle East Scholars Are Under Pressure]( By Marc Lynch and Shibley Telhami [STORY IMAGE]( Tensions on campus are real and intense. ADVERTISEMENT [Middle East Scholars Are Under Pressure]( PROGRESS IMPEDED [Final Title IX Rule Is Temporarily Blocked by a Judge]( The ruling, which took place in a federal district court in Louisiana, will prevent the Biden administration’s Title IX changes from taking effect for colleges in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Idaho. The changes, which the Education Department finalized in April, broadened legal protections for LGBT students and reversed several Trump-era requirements for adjudicating sexual-misconduct cases. (Politico) BACK TO OFFICE [U. of Texas at Austin Ends Remote Work for Nearly All Staff]( The change will take effect for the fall semester, according to a Wednesday email from Jay Hartzell, the university’s president. Hartzell said in the email that he believed staff members could most effectively serve students and others while working on campus. The return-to-office mandate, a shift from pandemic-era flexibility, drew criticism from UT-Austin’s faculty union. (The Austin American-Statesman) LEADERSHIP [Indiana U. Will Hire a Chancellor for Its Bloomington Flagship]( The chancellor role is being restored after some years without one, according to a university statement, which said that the “size and complexity” of the flagship necessitates a separate leader. Indiana’s president, Pamela Whitten, who previously led the Bloomington campus but oversees the nine-campus system, [has faced criticism]( in recent months over how she’s handled pro-Palestinian protests and other speech issues at the flagship. (Indiana University, The Chronicle) CAMPUS CLOSURE [U. of Wisconsin Shutters Another Campus Amid Declining Enrollment]( The news affects the Fox Cities campus of UW-Oshkosh, where the number of students enrolled had declined by 65 percent in five years. The UW system has now shuttered six of the 13 institutions that made up the UW Colleges, a group of two-year feeder campuses that merged with the system’s four-year institutions in 2018. Market realities and student demand [are driving the shift]( university officials say. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, The Chronicle) ATHLETICS [Legislation Saying College Athletes Aren’t Employees Advances in U.S. House]( The Republican-backed bill [has been a top priority]( for the NCAA and athletic-conference leaders. College athletes have increasingly argued that they are employees at their colleges and are therefore entitled to compensation and benefits. Last month, the NCAA and colleges agreed to a settlement in [a sweeping antitrust case]( in the richest conferences, college athletes will receive a cut of athletics revenue. (Yahoo News, The Chronicle) UPCOMING PROGRAM [The Chronicle's Library and Institutional Success Program | July 2024] The Chronicle is partnering with Ithaka S+R to host a brand new [professional development program for librarians]( in July. This innovative two-week program will help library leaders understand the many roles they might take on, boost the success of the campus library, and better align with their institution’s goals. Learn more about our seminars and workshops, and [register today]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Future of Diversity Training - The Chronicle Store]( [The Future of Diversity Training]( Diversity training for faculty and staff members is widely used across higher education. Yet there’s little agreement on whether such training is effective. [Order this report]( for insights to improve your college’s approach to building a culture that supports diversity. JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Search jobs on The Chronicle job board]( [Find Your Next Role Today]( Whether you are actively or passively searching for your next career opportunity, The Chronicle is here to support you throughout your job search. Get started now by [exploring 30,000+ openings]( or [signing up for job alerts](. NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2024 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037