Weekly Briefing: How to tell if your college is about to close

Plus, a tenured professor says she was fired, prompting questions about academic freedom. ADVERTISEMENT [Weekly Briefing Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. Signs that your college is in financial hot water - Here’s what to look for if your college is on the verge of closure. Consistently losing money, low or declining enrollment, and drawing heavily from the endowment: Those are some of the bigger signs that your institution is in serious financial distress, writes Robert Kelchen, a professor and head of the department of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. What else should you look for? [Read more](. - Curious about reaching into the endowment?[This lawsuit is a warning sign]( for colleges tempted to pull from restricted funds. - A tenured professor at Muhlenberg College says she was fired. Her case tests whether professors’ extramural speech is protected by academic freedom. Last week, news broke that Muhlenberg, a small, private institution in Pennsylvania, fired Maura Finkelstein, an associate professor of anthropology. Several organizations that monitor academic freedom called Finkelstein the first tenured faculty member to be let go for either pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli speech. [Documents]( from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights show that the department was investigating “repeated reports in a single semester regarding a professor’s classroom statements and social-media posts that created a potential hostile environment for Jewish students.” [Our Megan Zahneis has the story](. - This week on College Matters from The Chronicle: Pomona’s Dirty Laundry. Jack Stripling interviews our [Emma Pettit on her story]( about how a feud among three professors prompted a debate about self-censorship and woke politics in higher education. [Listen here](. - What you’re reading. Last week, newsletter readers avidly read [this review essay]( asking whether the surge in disability accommodations is hurting or helping students. Subscribe to The Chronicle Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. Lagniappe - Learn. Minivan sales reached their peak in 2000. As of last year the peak number is down by 80 percent. What happened to the functional but [arguably uncool car]( (The Atlantic) - Read. The novel [Bad Animals]( Sarah Braunstein is about a middle-aged librarian who loses her job and, generally, her way. After being laid off, she is recruited to help her favorite writer with a project that has questionable moral footing. (The New York Times) - Listen. [The album]( by Swedish musician Golden Ivy is a great electronic ambient album to accompany reading, writing, or grading. (Discogs) —Fernanda Upcoming Workshop [The Chronicle's Administrative Leadership Institute | October 2024] Join us in October for a two-day virtual workshop that will offer administrative staff leaders the opportunity to build their capacity for collaboration, understand their role in shared governance, and gain insights on how to more effectively lead their teams. [Learn more and register!]( Chronicle Top Reads ADVICE [Want Your Students to Write Better? Assign Video Essays.]( By Michael Blancato and Natalie Kopp [STORY IMAGE]( Video composition makes sense to students. The genre excites them. Why not harness that interest in class? THE REVIEW | OPINION [How Free Speech Failed at Harvard — and How to Rescue It]( By Ryan D. Enos [STORY IMAGE]( Last year at Harvard, the defense of free speech was tested. And the defense of free speech failed. LEADERSHIP & GOVERNANCE [Trustees Urged Students to Call This Faculty Leader a Racist, a Report Found. Now He’s Suing.]( By David Jesse [STORY IMAGE]( The former chair of Michigan State University’s Faculty Senate says the board violated his First Amendment rights when two trustees encouraged students to criticize him. From the Chronicle Store [Campus Housing for Tomorrow]( [Campus Housing for Tomorrow]( Student housing has undergone substantial shifts in recent years, due to inflation, the high cost of building, and drops in enrollment. [Order this report]( for insights on how to navigate these challenges and meet students’ evolving needs. 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](. Read Our Other Newsletters [Latitudes]( | [Race on Campus]( | [The Review]( | [Teaching]( | [Your Career]( | [The Edge]( Newsletter Feedback [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. [The Chronicle of Higher Education Logo]( 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