Academe Today: Why do some new presidents get the bad financial news only after starting work?

Afghan refugees enroll at U. of Delaware and Bard College; female professors sue Vassar over gender pay gap; teaching climate action; and more. ADVERTISEMENT [Academe Today Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. HIDDEN WARNING SIGNS [Why Do Some Incoming Presidents Get the Bad Financial News Only After Starting Work?]( By Erin Gretzinger [STORY IMAGE]( A lack of candor during the executive-search process threatens the viability of new executives and the colleges that hire them. BACKGROUNDER [The College That Mortgaged Everything]( By David Jesse [STORY IMAGE]( Loans were a lifeline for Finlandia University. Until they weren’t. 'TOMORROW CAN BE BETTER' [Far From Home, Afghan Students Try to Put Down Roots on an American Campus]( By Karin Fischer [STORY IMAGE]( Two years after they escaped Afghanistan, students found themselves between worlds. [Undaunted: In the Aftermath of War, an Afghan Student Pursues His Education in the United States]( [STORY IMAGE]( After fleeing Afghanistan, in 2021, Edris Tajik earned a scholarship to Bard College. His life is proof of the power of education to transform lives. THE WORKPLACE [Vassar Professors Sue Over Gender Pay Gap, Claiming Discrimination Against Women on the Faculty]( By Megan Zahneis [STORY IMAGE]( Female professors at the college have been underpaid for two decades, and the disparity between them and male colleagues has only widened over time, a new lawsuit claims. Back to Campus: The Courseware Conundrum IN CASE YOU MISSED IT [Millions of Students a Year Are Required to Buy Courseware. Often, It Replaces the Professor.]( By Taylor Swaak [STORY IMAGE]( Full of features that can substitute for teaching and largely unregulated, the technology is ripe for misuse. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT [Courseware Can Be Integral to a Course. Why, Then, Are Students Footing the Bill for It?]( By Taylor Swaak [STORY IMAGE]( Advocates argue that learners shouldn’t have to pay extra for products so they can complete and submit their homework. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT [Bots Are Grabbing Students’ Personal Data When They Complete Assignments]( By Taylor Swaak [STORY IMAGE]( Using courseware has become unavoidable. So has giving up information. NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. Virtual Events: Tune In Live [Chronicle Festival: The Ideas Shaping Higher Ed]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: August 31 | 12:30 p.m. ET: How can colleges embrace new partnerships and approaches, put students at the center, and deliver on the value of a degree? Join this year’s festival and hear from top thinkers and leaders about ideas that will reshape colleges. [Register here.]( TRANSFER CREDITS [Solving the Stranded-Credits Problem]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: September 12, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET: Today, 1.6-million students have credits that can’t be transferred. In this virtual forum, experts will explore how colleges can manage those stranded credits. With Support From Ascendium. [Register here.]( Upcoming Workshop [The Chronicle's Strategic Leadership Program for Department Chairs] [Join us this October]( for a virtual professional development program on overcoming the challenges and seizing the opportunities of the department chair role while creating a strategic vision for your department. [Reserve your spot today!]( Views ADVICE [5 Steps to Integrate Climate Action Into Your Courses This Fall]( By Karen Costa [STORY IMAGE]( The wildfires, heat waves, and floods that increasingly appear on our news feeds are real. Small actions can be an antidote to despair. ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Restructuring a University - The Chronicle Store]( [Restructuring a University]( In 2022, Henderson State University declared financial exigency after realizing it could no longer avoid hard choices. This case study of the university’s path to near-ruin highlights lessons for any college leader contemplating a restructuring to keep an institution viable. [Order your copy]( to learn about key factors to consider in a restructuring process. 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