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Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
After Harvard, these 60+ universities are now under Trump radar. Check the list
Billions Frozen, Freedoms Challenged Live Events Targeting DEI and Campus Protests A Growing List of Institutions Under Fire (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Trump administration is ramping up pressure on American higher education, launching over 100 federal investigations since May 2024. Prestigious institutions like Harvard and Columbia are now at risk of losing student visa privileges, research funding, or even accreditation as part of a sweeping campaign against what officials call 'ideological indoctrination' and rising antisemitism on has already been hit with a six-month freeze on foreign student visas, while Columbia faces possible loss of accreditation. These actions signal a broader push by the administration to confront diversity programs, gender identity policies, and responses to pro-Palestinian protests—issues officials say promote biased or unconstitutional than 60 universities are currently under active investigation. These include elite schools such as Yale, MIT , and Berkeley, as well as large public institutions like the University of Michigan and the University of Washington. The Department of Education has opened at least 104 inquiries, with 70 focused on colleges and universities—many of them nationally fallout has already begun. Federal research grants—particularly in fields like climate science, sociology, and public policy—are being delayed or frozen. At Harvard, the visa freeze has caused significant disruption for international students and are pushing back, accusing the administration of threatening not just funding, but the core values of academic freedom and institutional autonomy.'It's no longer just about student conduct or curriculum—it's about control,' said one Ivy League administrator who requested to Education Week, at least 52 universities are under scrutiny specifically for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. The administration claims such initiatives promote race-based programming and violate constitutional principles. Other investigations relate to antisemitism, gender identity policies, and responses to the Gaza Trump administration argues that the measures aim to protect Jewish students and dismantle 'leftist indoctrination machines.' But critics say the moves are ideologically driven, not universities that have tried to comply—such as Northwestern, which adopted anti-discrimination reforms—have been added to the list, raising concerns about the motives behind the list of targeted universities spans public flagships, Ivy League schools, STEM-focused institutions, and liberal arts colleges. Among them:MITUniversity of California, BerkeleyUniversity of MichiganUniversity of PennsylvaniaDuke UniversityCornell UniversityUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of WashingtonVanderbilt UniversityGeorgetown UniversityArizona State UniversityRutgers UniversityCarnegie Mellon UniversityRice UniversityUniversity of ChicagoNew York UniversityUniversity of Oregon Washington University in St. LouisNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham Western Carolina University(And many more...)Some schools are being investigated for minor compliance failures like incomplete foreign gift disclosures, while others are under scrutiny for allowing or failing to respond to student NextWith billions in federal funding on the line and political pressure mounting, American higher education is bracing for a prolonged ideological clash. University leaders warn that these investigations could reshape campus governance and stifle academic freedom, especially for international students, minority scholars, and those involved in activist the list of investigated institutions continues to grow, so does the uncertainty surrounding the future of higher education under a second Trump term.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Not just Harvard and Columbia—these 60 universities are now on the Trump administration's radar
In a sweeping move that could reshape the landscape of American higher education, the Trump administration has escalated its efforts to pressure universities, elite and public alike, by opening more than 100 investigations across the country and suspending key benefits like student visas and federal funds. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now At the center of this campaign are two of the nation's most prestigious institutions: Harvard and Columbia. But they're just the tip of the iceberg. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order enforcing a six-month ban on foreign student visas specifically for Harvard University, citing concerns over its alleged 'ideological indoctrination.' Columbia University, meanwhile, faces the threat of losing its accreditation entirely. These actions are part of a broader effort to challenge the academic and cultural practices in higher education institutions, especially around diversity initiatives, gender identity policies, and responses to last year's pro-Palestinian protests. And it's not just rhetoric. Billions in research funds have been frozen. Dozens of investigations have been launched. And more than 60 universities—including Yale, MIT, Berkeley, and the University of Michigan—are now officially under scrutiny. A campus culture war with national stakes What began as targeted criticisms of elite institutions has now ballooned into a full-blown federal offensive. The Department of Education has opened at least 104 active investigations, most since May 2024. Of these, 70 focus on universities and colleges, many of them nationally ranked. According to an Education Week report, 52 universities have been investigated specifically over their DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, which the Trump administration claims foster 'race-based programming' in violation of constitutional principles. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The remaining cases involve alleged antisemitism, nondisclosure of foreign funding, gender policies, and responses to student activism over the Gaza conflict. What's striking is the administration's dual rationale: protecting Jewish students from what it views as rising antisemitism on campuses, and dismantling what it calls 'leftist indoctrination machines.' The real-world costs: Funding, freedom, and foreign students This crackdown goes beyond symbolism. At Harvard, the visa freeze is already creating turmoil among international students and faculty. Other universities are reporting delays or cancellations in federal research grants, especially those involving climate science, sociology, and public policy—fields often at odds with the current administration's agenda. According to university leaders, the Trump administration is threatening not just funding but the very foundation of academic freedom. 'It's no longer just about student conduct or curriculum—it's about control,' one Ivy League administrator said under condition of anonymity. Northwestern University, which had preemptively implemented a series of anti-discrimination reforms similar to those demanded of Columbia, was still added to the list of targeted schools. Experts say that reflects a more ideological motive behind the selections rather than a measured response to campus-specific issues. A list that keeps growing Columbia University Northwestern University Portland State University University of California, Berkeley University of Minnesota, Twin Cities American University University of Massachusetts, Amherst Yale University Scripps College University of Washington Arizona State University Boise State University Cal Poly Humboldt California State University - San Bernardino Carnegie Mellon University Clemson University Cornell University Duke University Emory University George Mason University Georgetown University Grand Valley State University Ithaca College Massachusetts Institute of Technology Montana State University - Bozeman New England College of Optometry New York University Ohio State University Rice University Rutgers University Towson University Tulane University University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Arkansas - Fayetteville University of Chicago University of Cincinnati University of Colorado - Colorado Springs University of Delaware University of Kansas University of Michigan - Ann Arbor University of Nebraska at Omaha University of New Mexico University of North Dakota University of North Texas - Denton University of Notre Dame University of Nevada - Las Vegas University of Oklahoma, Tulsa School of Community Medicine University of Oregon University of Rhode Island University of South Florida University of Utah University of Washington - Seattle University of Wisconsin - Madison University of Wyoming Vanderbilt University Washington State University Washington University in St. Louis Harvard University San Jose State University University of Pennsylvania University of Maryland Wagner College Western Carolina University Harvard College The full list includes public institutions, private liberal arts colleges, and tech-heavy research centers. Some have been targeted for minor issues—such as unclear foreign gift disclosures—while others are under investigation for hosting or tolerating student protests.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Schools should ban student phone use, council says
RALEIGH — A state advisory council plans to recommend that all North Carolina public schools ban student phone use during the entire school day, including during non-instructional time such as breaks and lunch. The draft recommendation from the Governor's Advisory Council for Student Safety and Well-Being says eliminating use of those devices during the school day will help create 'healthy learning environments for students that contribute to increased academic achievement and improved student well-being.' 'We believe that North Carolina must blaze a trail in its efforts to improve student academic achievement and well-being by eliminating the use of personal communication devices in schools,' the council's co-chairs say in the introduction letter to the report. 'Let's give our students eight hours a day Monday through Friday where they can focus on being students, engaging actively with their friends and teachers in-person without the constant pressure of a device. Our students most certainly deserve it.' The report, which was to be published this week, will include guidance on how schools can implement student phone policies. Gov. Josh Stein signed an executive order in April creating the advisory council. Developing guidance on school phone policies was the first job given to the new council. The council was formed amid growing national concerns about how social media addiction is distracting students from learning. The council report cites statistics such as that students are on their phones for a median of 43 minutes during the school day. At least 22 states have laws or policies that ban or restrict students' use of cellphones in schools or recommend local districts enact their own bans or restrictive policies, according to an Education Week analysis. Both the state House and Senate have passed their own bills to restrict cellphone use in schools and included the language in their budget proposals. The Senate added its phone restrictions this week to a House bill on social media literacy. Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch, a council co-chair, told the members May 22 that the council probably will approve a formal recommendation, which in turn will help shape any final legislation. One of the questions facing school districts is how complete to make the ban. For instance, some districts ban students from using their phones while they're at school while others allow them to be used during non-instructional time. 'A district should consider student age and grade ranges for these considerations and may consider different policies for different grade levels, such as elementary, middle and high school,' the council said in its report. 'As outlined previously, it is important to note that it remains this Advisory Council's recommendation that personal communication devices are removed from student use from the beginning to the end of each school day.' The council recognized though that there will have to be some exemptions. Examples of 'legitimate exemptions' include emergencies, instructional, medical and accommodations for students with special needs. For instance, some students use their phones to monitor their glucose levels. Students with disabilities may need to use their phones as part of their individualized education programs. The report recognizes that it won't be easy getting parents out of the habit of calling or texting their children during the school day. 'Students, staff and families have become accustomed to having quick and easy access to communication throughout the day,' according to the council report. 'Public school units must consider what processes will be used and clearly detail how students and parents can communicate with one another during the school day if their personal communication devices are not permitted.' Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio continues to rank terribly among the states, from the economy to health care
The Ohio Statehouse. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) Ohio continues to rank terribly in nearly every way possible, according to the latest state rankings from the U.S. News & World Report. The Buckeye State slid two more spots in the report's latest rankings of the 50 states, moving from No. 36 in the 2023 report to No. 38 in the latest iteration. In addition to ranking No. 38 overall, Ohio also ranks No. 41 in natural environment, No. 41 in higher education, No. 39 in economy, No. 34 in health care, No. 30 in crime and corrections, No. 30 in education overall, No. 30 in infrastructure, and No. 25 in fiscal stability. On only one metric, opportunity, does Ohio crack the top half of states, at No. 17. The U.S. News & World Report has been ranking the states since 2017, and Ohio has bounced around the bottom states in America that entire time. In 2017, we were No. 35. In 2018, we dropped to No. 40. The year of 2019 saw us roaring back to No. 39. After no rankings in 2020, we came in at No. 36 in 2021 and climbed mightily to No. 34 by 2023 before dropping back down to No. 36 last year and now No. 38 this year. Before anyone starts howling with indignation about how horribly unfair and biased the U.S. News & World Report must be, I'll note that the No. 1 ranked state for three years running is Utah — not exactly a bastion of crunchy liberal thinking. So no, these aren't politicized rankings: Ohio's elected leaders fully earned this pathetic spot for our state via their poisonous politics and terrible policies and priorities. Ohio politicians don't need to worry though. Ohio voters seem determined to give them all endless free passes to do whatever they want no matter how atrocious the outcomes or rampant the corruption. I assume their cushy careers will all be fine no matter how terribly Ohio does by every available metric, as long as they put the right party label next to their name on the ballot given whatever their geographic location. Actions don't matter. Outcomes don't matter. Rampant corruption doesn't matter. Only partisan politics matters. Right? Let's take a look at some of those outcomes. On the issue of crime, for corrections outcomes, Ohio ranks No. 46. On public safety, No. 22. Our incarceration and juvenile incarceration rates are both above the national average, but the violent crime rate is below the national average. On the economy, we rank No. 30 for business environment, No. 43 for employment, and No. 36 for growth. Our venture capital investment, migration from other states, and job growth numbers all fall below the national average. In education, our pre-K-12 ranks No. 15, while higher education ranks No. 41. Our student debt at graduation is higher than the national average, but so is our high school graduation rate and math scores. Back in 2010, Ohio was ranked by Education Week as having the 5th best public school system in the nation. We've fallen far, and state lawmakers are looking at abandoning the Fair School Funding Plan, so who knows what that will do. School districts are already struggling mightily, with Akron for instance looking at $44 million worth of cuts. Being No. 15 in K-12 right now isn't a point of pride or reason for optimism. On fiscal stability, Ohio's long-term outlook ranks No. 16, most likely because we have around $3.7 billion sitting in our rainy day fund. The short-term outlook isn't so hot though, ranking No. 40 among the states, with our liquidity still well below the national average. Health care is all pretty terrible for Ohio. We rank No. 40 in public health, No. 36 in health care access, and No. 28 in health care quality. Access to health care is set to take an enormous tumble if President Trump and Republicans in Congress pass the enormous Medicaid cuts they want. More than 1 in 4 Ohioans rely on Medicaid – including 40% of children, 20% of working-age adults, and 10% of seniors. Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans stand to lose their health insurance under the Trump Republican cuts. Right now about 8.4% of Ohioans don't have health insurance. That number is poised to skyrocket under the Trump plan. Again though, please rest assured, in case you were worried, the wealthy and well-connected will continue to do fabulously well. In infrastructure, at No. 30 overall, Ohio ranks No. 15 in transportation, but comes in at No. 30 for internet access, and No. 32 for energy. On natural environment, we rank No. 24 on air and water quality, but No. 45 for pollution. As far as opportunity, Ohio is affordable, ranking No. 16. However, things get worse when it comes to equality, ranking No. 21. They fall off a cliff when it comes to economic opportunity, ranking at No. 38. These rankings don't capture some other things of note. For instance, 1.8 million Ohioans are food insecure. That's out of a population of 11.88 million, which means more than 15% of our population is regularly going hungry. Data from Feeding America shows 1 in 5 Ohio children live in homes that are food insecure. Ohio is also among the top eight states for worst infant mortality. Taken all-in-all, while there might not be much opportunity to improve your lot in Ohio, at least it's a vaguely affordable place to stagnate in poverty. We might have a lot of infant deaths, low incomes, hungry children and families, a lack of health care access, poor public health outcomes, horrible pollution, pathetic corrections, a bad employment situation, a bad energy situation, dim prospects for growth, worsening higher education, and disinvestment from public schools, but at least we have… middling prospects for long-term fiscal stability. Congratulations, Ohio. We're No. 38. We're No. 38. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
How Trump's new deepfake 'Take It Down Act' empowers US schools to safeguard students from digital abuse
Trump signs US deepfake law, giving schools new tools to safeguard students from digital abuse. (ANI Photo) President Donald Trump signed the " Take It Down Act " into law, a historic piece of legislation that addresses the growing threat of non-consensual intimate imagery and AI-generated deepfakes . The new law empowers schools across the US by providing them with stronger tools to combat digital harassment and protect students from online exploitation. The law's scope includes AI-generated "deepfakes," which have become a rising challenge, especially among young people. The legislation mandates that social media platforms remove such harmful content within 48 hours of being flagged. It also criminalizes the creation and sharing of these images, particularly those involving minors. This action is seen as an important step in helping schools address a crisis that has left many educators and parents struggling to keep up with rapidly evolving technology. A historic move to protect students The "Take It Down Act" marks the first federal law in the US to include criminal penalties for the creation of AI-generated deepfakes, as well as for threatening to post intimate images without consent. As reported by EducationWeek, the law's focus on empowering schools comes at a critical time. Teachers and administrators have voiced concerns over the ease with which students can create and distribute these harmful images. A 2024 survey by the EdWeek Research Center found that 35% of educators were "somewhat concerned" about the potential misuse of AI-generated content among students, with 16% expressing strong concern. Trump's signature on the law follows a bipartisan push, supported by Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar. The legislation passed both chambers of Congress with broad support. As quoted by EducationWeek, Melania Trump also emphasized the importance of the law in her remarks, stating, "This is a tool that will give schools the power to protect their students and prevent future harm." Empowering schools with new tools The law provides schools with the necessary framework to deal with deepfake-related incidents and ensures that platforms like Snapchat and Instagram are held accountable for promptly removing such content. School leaders, such as Jason Alleman, principal of Laguna Beach High School in California, have expressed optimism that the new law will help curb this issue. "We need to not only penalize offenders but also provide support and education to prevent these incidents from happening in the first place," Alleman told EducationWeek. A 2024 student survey by the Center for Democracy and Technology found that 1 in 4 students knew someone who had been depicted in non-consensual deepfake imagery. This highlights the importance of the law in ensuring that students have the support and resources they need to navigate such traumatic experiences. Moving forward with new responsibilities The "Take It Down Act" is not just a tool for penalizing offenders but also serves as a call for schools to rethink their policies. According to EducationWeek, schools across the nation are now re-evaluating their technology policies to include guidelines on the ethical use of AI. "The prevention, the education, it all has to start in schools," said Dorota Mani, a parent advocate whose daughter was targeted by deepfakes. Schools are now better equipped to handle these incidents, ensuring that victims receive the necessary support while also educating students on responsible technology use. As the law is implemented, its success will largely depend on how well schools integrate these new regulations into their existing frameworks, ensuring both prevention and protection. Invest in Their Tomorrow, Today: Equip your child with the essential AI skills for a future brimming with possibilities | Join Now
