Weekly Briefing: Michigan State's new president has a big job ahead

A student organization tries to get peers to talk about the Israel-Hamas war; a chancellor who made porn wants to go back to the classroom; 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](. Can Michigan State’s new president change the narrative on campus? - Michigan State University’s new president has support on campus. Will it last? Kevin Guskiewicz, Michigan State University’s new president, is used to waking up to a new emergency nearly every day. When he was chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, many conflicts took on a partisan tone with a publicly elected governing board. Now Guskiewicz must maintain and boost Michigan State’s reputation as a booming land-grant university while changing the narrative that its leadership is dysfunctional. [Our David Jesse has the story](. - These Arab and Jewish students want to talk about the war. But their peers are in their way. The student organization, Atidna International, has a simple mission: foster understanding between Jewish and Arab college students. Carrying out that mission, however, is anything but simple. Peer pressure, like virtue-signaling on social media or the fear of being ostracized, has made students hesitant to speak out. Can students get their peers to talk to each other, even when they disagree? [Our Erin Gretzinger reports](. - From the chancellor who made porn: I should be able to return to the classroom. Last year [we ran this story]( about Joe Gow, then the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, who was fired from his job for making porn with his wife. [In this essay]( for The Chronicle Review, Gow writes that he and his wife made adult videos on vacation and later uploaded them online. The videos caused a stir, but Gow argues that they shouldn’t cost him his tenured position. He writes that he should be protected under the Board of Regents’ [Commitment to Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression]( his essay](. - Predominately white institutions have dominated headlines about protests against the war in Gaza. HBCU students are activists too. President Joe Biden gave the commencement speech at Morehouse College last month. Some students turned their chairs or lowered their heads when Biden spoke. Though no one disrupted his speech or the ceremony, the activists’ presence was felt. Read more in the [latest Race on Campus newsletter](. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. ADVERTISEMENT Lagniappe - Read. Last weekend I did something that felt illegal. I borrowed my friend’s library book. The book was worth every second of rule breaking: A Man of Two Faces, by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist’s memoir tells the story of colonization, family history, and parenthood with humor and sadness. (NPR) - Listen. Reclaim your attention after you listen to [this episode]( of The Ezra Klein Show. (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 current trends in higher ed, effective ways to manage a department, strategic planning, and more. [Register today!]( Chronicle Top Reads PARTNER PROBLEMS [‘Not How You Treat Long-Term Partners’: Internal Email Reveals Colleges’ Frustrations With 2U]( By Taylor Swaak [STORY IMAGE]( The snapshot provides a glimpse of the challenges such partnerships face. 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