Afternoon Update: Firing a faculty firebrand at Louisiana State U.-Shreveport: an investigation

Faculty race and gender at 3,300 colleges, a database; Columbia officials fired over antisemitic texts; just 36% are confident in higher ed; and more. ADVERTISEMENT [Afternoon Update Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. THE FINAL STRAW [Firing a Faculty Firebrand]( By Alex Walters [STORY IMAGE]( Louisiana State University at Shreveport revoked Brian Salvatore’s tenure and fired him. Hundreds of pages of documents, scores of emails, and hours of audio recordings reveal a strange, complex story. ADVERTISEMENT [Firing a Faculty Firebrand]( DATA [Race, Ethnicity, and Gender of Full-Time Faculty Members at 3,300 Institutions]( [STORY IMAGE]( This sortable table shows the percentages of full-time faculty members who were members of specific racial and ethnic groups at degree-granting colleges and universities in 2022. THE REVIEW [On Columbia Administrators’ Unfortunate Text Messages]( By Len Gutkin [STORY IMAGE]( More evidence of a campus double standard? MOCKING MESSAGES [Columbia U. Removes 3 Officials, Saying Their Texts Touched on ‘Antisemitic Tropes’]( The three student-affairs administrators sent [text messages to one another]( that “disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes” during a forum in May about Jewish life on campus, the university said on Monday. The texts mocked participants in the forum, which [followed]( a [tumultuous spring]( of [protest, at Columbia]( and [elsewhere]( over the [Israel-Hamas war](. (The New York Times, The Chronicle) WHAT THE PUBLIC THINKS [Is College Worth It? Only 36% of Americans Have Confidence in Higher Ed, Poll Finds]( That proportion has dropped from 57 percent in 2015, according to survey results out today from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation. Still, the poll found that [nearly half of respondents had confidence]( in two-year colleges, a reflection of their lower cost. For more on the issue, see [this continuing Chronicle series]( on higher ed’s [public-perception problem](. (Associated Press, Gallup) PHILANTHROPY [$1-Billion Gift to Make Johns Hopkins Medical School Free for Most Students]( The [donation]( from Michael R. Bloomberg, the businessman and former New York City mayor and presidential candidate, will also expand aid for students at the university’s nursing, public-health, and other graduate schools. Medical students whose families earn less than $175,000 a year will get a free ride. Bloomberg, an alumnus of Hopkins, has given it a total of $4.55 billion. (The Washington Post) CAMPUS SAFETY [U.S. Resolves Complaint Alleging Antisemitic and Anti-Muslim Bias at Brown U.]( The Education Department [said today]( that the university had signed a [resolution agreement]( on compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 over alleged harassment of students based on Jewish, Palestinian, Arab, and/or Muslim ancestry. The [resolution follows]( a surge in [discrimination complaints]( on [American campuses]( since [the Israel-Hamas war]( started. (Department statements, The Chronicle) COMPUTER SECURITY [‘Cyber Incident’ Hits Network at Southwest Tennessee Community College]( The college in Memphis said the problem is more serious than a server malfunction that was announced last week, so remote work and teaching will continue. (WREG) CLOSING TIME [Northwestern College, a For-Profit Institution in Illinois, Abruptly Shuts Down]( The 122-year-old college, in a Chicago suburb, closed on Saturday for what its officials said was financial reasons. (WLS) Upcoming Workshop [The Chronicle's Crash Course in Academic Leadership | August 2024] If you’re curious about becoming an academic administrator, we’re once again offering The Chronicle’s Academic Leadership Crash Course, a four-hour virtual workshop designed for faculty aspiring to administrative roles. Join us in August to gain essential insights, practical tips, and valuable resources that will help you pursue your next professional step. [Learn more and register!]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. 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