Afternoon Update: Florida A&M president resigns after botched $237-million donation

When books become venomous, the humanities suffer; coping with a lone-wolf dean; questions about Virginia endowments; cuts on two campuses; 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](. LEADERSHIP [FAMU President Resigns After $237-Million Botched Donation]( By Jasper Smith [STORY IMAGE]( Larry Robinson’s announcement comes in the wake of scrutiny over a gift that seemed too good to be true. ADVERTISEMENT [FAMU President Resigns After $237-Million Botched Donation]( THE REVIEW | ESSAY [Curricular Trauma, Vaporous Politics, and Field Death]( By Len Gutkin [STORY IMAGE]( When books become venomous, the humanities suffer. ADVICE [Ask the Chair: How to Cope With a Lone-Wolf Dean]( By Kevin Dettmar [STORY IMAGE]( A department head seeks advice on collaborating with a senior leader who doesn’t play well with others. FINANCE [Virginia’s Public Colleges Asked to Verify That Investments Aren’t Politically Driven]( In the wake of this past spring’s [student protests calling for divestment from Israel]( a letter from the state’s secretaries of education and of finance requests that the public institutions certify that only financial considerations guide the investment policies for their endowments and foundations. (Cardinal News, The Chronicle) LEADERSHIP [Cal Poly Humboldt President to Step Down Months After Campus Crackdown]( Tom Jackson Jr. said he’d resign in August after five years at the helm of the California State University campus. This past spring he authorized a police crackdown on [pro-Palestinian student protesters]( who had occupied a campus building; dozens were arrested, the campus was closed for the rest of the semester, and the [faculty voted no confidence]( in him. (Los Angeles Times, The Chronicle) GOVERNANCE [Investigators Find No Evidence of Sexual Harassment in Seton Hall U. Case]( Joseph E. Nyre, who resigned last year as president of the Roman Catholic university in New Jersey, said in a lawsuit that a former board chair had harassed his wife. A law firm hired by Seton Hall to investigate said no witnesses had substantiated the claim. The university has moved to dismiss the suit, which also accuses the chair of intimidation, retaliation, and abuse of power. (The New York Times) CAMPUS CUTS I [Queens U. of Charlotte Says It Will Make Cuts After Missing Enrollment Goal]( The private university in North Carolina blamed its enrollment problem on the Education Department’s [disastrous rollout]( of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Queens will save money with staff layoffs, a partial hiring freeze, no raises, and other unspecified cuts. (The Charlotte Observer, The Chronicle) CAMPUS CUTS II [Bethel U., in Tennessee, Announces Several Job Cuts and Program Closures]( The private university said the “strategic realignment” was needed to deal with financial challenges posed by falling enrollment, the impending demographic cliff, and declining public faith in a college education. Among other steps, three athletic programs will be cut, there will be faculty and staff layoffs, and open positions will be left vacant. (WBBJ) Upcoming Workshop [The Chronicle's Crash Course in Academic Leadership | August 2024] If you’re curious about becoming an academic administrator, we’re once again offering The Chronicle’s Academic Leadership Crash Course, a four-hour virtual workshop designed for faculty aspiring to administrative roles. Join us in August to gain essential insights, practical tips, and valuable resources that will help you pursue your next professional step. 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