Weekly Briefing: Students aren't reading. Why?

An essay makes the case for college's worth; Israeli college presidents denounce U.S. protests; and more. ADVERTISEMENT [Weekly Briefing Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. Why aren’t your students reading? - Students are coming to college with limited reading skills. Why? A confluence of factors — pandemic learning loss, problematic reading instruction dating back to elementary school, the ubiquity of smartphones, and a general reduction in reading for pleasure — all contribute to the decline in college-level reading skills. Our Beth McMurtrie spoke with students, instructors, and teaching experts to understand the downward shift. Can professors can make changes to help students develop the reading skills of yesteryear? [Read Beth’s story to find out](. - How to quell the skepticism around college. There’s no avoiding people asking: “Is college worth it?” But that question is misguided, argues Phillip Levine and Luke Pardue [in this Review essay](. They write that college, like any investment, has benefits and costs. The wage difference between college-educated workers and their counterparts with only high-school diplomas may be the most obvious benefit. But that difference goes beyond the degrees. [Read more](. - Israeli college presidents speak out against U.S. campus protests. Pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses have drawn criticism from parents, politicians, and now the leaders of Israel’s top research universities. It’s rare for college leaders in one country to comment on the campus controversies in another, but last month the presidents called the demonstrations disturbing in a [joint statement](. Our Karin Fischer interviewed one of those presidents, Ron Robin of the University of Haifa, in [the Latitudes newsletter](. - Why tutoring hasn’t taken off as expected. A year ago, Miguel A. Cardona, secretary of education, [asked colleges]( increase the number of students who are employed as tutors, mentors, and other student-support workers in their work-study programs. The idea is that colleges will earn federal work-study funding and help schools recover from pandemic-related learning loss. But the tutoring program has gotten off to a slow start. [Kelly Field explains why](. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. ADVERTISEMENT Lagniappe - Learn. This newsletter and all your other internet communications — banking, scrolling, shopping — are powered by a network of cables in the bottom of the ocean. [Here’s how and who]( repairs those cables. (The Verge) - Read. Lately, contemporary fiction writers have published a handful of modern workplace novels — books that take place in offices and revolve around labor, like Severance by Ling Ma or The New Me by Halle Butler. The novel Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman is one of the[latest in the genre](. Her story takes place in a fictional big-box store in the Hudson Valley. To write the novel, Waldman’s research included [working at such a store](. (The New York Times, The Economist) - Listen. Climate change is coming for your [coffee]( [sea levels]( [chocolate]( and now, [home insurance](. (The New York Times) —Fernanda UPCOMING PROGRAM [The Chronicle's Strategic-Leadership Program for Department Chairs | June 2024] [Join us in June]( for a professional development program tailored to the needs of department chairs. Experienced academic leaders will provide insights on the the current trends in higher ed, effective ways to manage a department, strategic planning, and more. [Register today!]( Chronicle Top Reads WHAT MOTIVATES STUDENTS [Colleges Are Selling Themselves as Wage-Boosters. They Have Something Better to Offer.]( By Scott Carlson and Ned Laff [STORY IMAGE]( Many workers care more about finding purpose in their jobs than they do about pay. Why did colleges stop emphasizing their role in the search for meaning? SPONSOR CONTENT | St. Mary’s College of Maryland [Learning through Experiential and Applied Discovery at SMCM]( Find out how the Learning through Experiential and Applied Discovery (LEAD) program is preparing students for the future by integrating hands-on opportunities and interdisciplinary learning. ‘THOSE MISTAKES ADDED UP’ [The War in the Mideast Fuels a Crisis in the Midwest]( By Kate Hidalgo Bellows [STORY IMAGE]( Indiana University at Bloomington made a series of unpopular decisions. Then it called the police on protesters. LABOR [Union Will Strike at U. of California at Santa Cruz Over Protest Response and Divestment Demand]( By Adrienne Lu [STORY IMAGE]( Friday’s announcement marks the first in a possible series of strikes across the UC system. Administrators argue such walkouts are political and therefore illegal. ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Athletics Advantage - The Chronicle Store]( [The Athletics Advantage]( For tuition-driven institutions, sports are often a key recruiting tool. [Order this report]( for insights on how small colleges are using athletics to drive student enrollment, engagement, and retention. 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](. 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