Weekly Briefing: Why a Holocaust scholar's job offer was withdrawn

An "admissions dad" reveals his advice. Wisconsin's two-year public colleges are flailing, 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](. A Holocaust scholar was offered a position to run a center. Five days later, the offer was withdrawn. - A Holocaust scholar called Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide.” His job offer was withdrawn. Raz Segal, an associate professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Stockton University, was offered a job this month running the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Minnesota’s flagship campus. Five days later, the university withdrew the offer to Segal, an Israeli-Jewish scholar. One problem was [his article]( arguing that Israel’s attacks on the Gaza strip were a “textbook case of genocide.” The fallout led the university to pause its search for a new director. [Our Maggie Hicks reports](. - Nearly half of Wisconsin’s community colleges have closed in the last year. What happened? In 2017 the University of Wisconsin system announced mergers aimed at preserving its 13 two-year institutions. But since the mergers went through, most of the two-year colleges have continued to lose students and tuition dollars. The closures don’t affect just the colleges and students. Professors and locals residents are directing their frustration toward university leaders and state lawmakers. [Our Eric Kelderman explains.]( - The internet’s “admissions dad” is doling out college-admissions advice to thousands of strangers. Prashant Sehgal has a son and daughter. He’s also a virtual dad to Reddit users on the three forums he moderates, the most popular being ApplyingToCollege, which has 1.1 million users. Though his advice differs for each student or question, the gist is this: Focus on fit over prestige. [Our Francie Diep spoke with Sehgal](. - A new study found that half of peer reviewers mainly focused on proofreading and copy-edits. Can the system be fixed? Yes. This week’s Your Career newsletter directs readers to three solutions to help reform peer review. [Read it here](. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. ADVERTISEMENT Lagniappe - Read. Joy Milne, a 72-year-old woman, has always had a sensitive nose. When her husband, a surgeon, came home from work she could smell antiseptics and anesthetics. One day in 1982, his odor changed — an unpleasant must — and never returned to normal. Years later, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The symptoms started about a decade and a half before he was diagnosed. [Did she smell the onset]( (The New York Times Magazine) - Listen. What does it mean to travel at a time when tourism is surging? [This episode]( of The New Yorker’s Critics at Large podcast dives into the deeper questions about travel. —Fernanda UPCOMING PROGRAM [The Chronicle's Library and Institutional Success Program | July 2024] The Chronicle is partnering with Ithaka S+R to host a brand new [professional development program for librarians]( in July. This innovative two-week program will help library leaders understand the many roles they might take on, boost the success of the campus library, and better align with their institution’s goals. Learn more about our seminars and workshops, and [register today]( Chronicle Top Reads THE REVIEW | OPINION [A Harvard Dean’s Assault on Faculty Speech]( By Keith E. Whittington [STORY IMAGE]( This would set the university back a hundred years. 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