Weekly Briefing: A college president calls it quits after prompting a mass resignation

Plus, the power of a donation. ADVERTISEMENT [Weekly Briefing Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. First there was mass resignation, then the president resigned - This college president sparked a mass resignation of nursing professors. Now he’s resigned. Stephen D. Easton stepped down from his position as president of Dickinson State University on Monday after his plans to cut costs and change workloads sparked backlash — and the resignation of the entire full-time nursing faculty. [Our Megan Zahneis has the story](. - A Jewish trustee pledges $25 million to his alma mater, in part, to “stand in contrast” with peers after October 7. After the Israel-Hamas war and subsequent campus incidents and anti-Zionist activism across the country, several major Jewish donors [stopped or withdrew their gifts]( to colleges that they thought were not responsive enough to antisemitism. But Dan Benton, a trustee and alumnus of Colgate University, did the opposite. [Our Goldie Blumenstyk reflects]( on the gift, belonging, and symbolic gestures. - The study of literature has evolved into a type of vague politics, and that spells trouble for the humanities. That’s the argument our Len Gutkin is making [in this essay](. And it leads to another question: Are the causes of this crisis external to the humanities or do they show that humanistic study has gone awry? - 📧 How is your work being affected by the movement against diversity, equity, and inclusion? With so many bills and new policies affecting higher ed across the country, it’s hard to keep track. Our new email alert will save you time in your efforts to stay up to date. [Sign up]( and we’ll update you only when new bills or laws drop. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. ADVERTISEMENT Lagniappe - Read. It took me a while to read the novel (blame the library’s hold list) The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family, by Joshua Cohen. The book was published in 2021 and won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. It follows a tenure-track historian who has to host Benzion Netanyahu, father of the current prime minister of Israel, for a campus visit. Hilarity ensues. [See what our Len Gutkin says about the book.]( (The Chronicle) - Listen. Rooftop solar panels promised to lower customers’ electricity bills and protect the planet. [But many customers are disappointed]( saying the panels are expensive and that they struggle to find specialists to fix the panels when they break. (Planet Money) —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 ADVICE [How to Get Your Students to Read]( By Kerry L. O’Grady [STORY IMAGE]( Four ways to hit the reset button and inspire students to read course texts. ADVICE [After a Tough Year for Classroom Innovation, It’s Time for a Reset]( By Sarah Rose Cavanagh [STORY IMAGE]( How to better support instructors in the face of a faculty backlash against the demands of student-centered teaching. 'GAMIFYING THE PAST' [How This Professor Made History Class Cool Again]( By Amelia Benavides-Colón [STORY IMAGE]( Tore Olsson used a wildly popular video game to get students talking about industrialization, racial integration, and other key themes of late-19th- and early-20th-century America. ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Future of Graduate Education - The Chronicle Store]( [The Future of Graduate Education]( Graduate education has enjoyed a jump in enrollment over the past five years, but it faces a host of challenges. [Order this report]( for insights on the opportunities and pitfalls that graduate-program administrators must navigate. 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](. NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2024 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037