Afternoon Update: 2U, once a giant in online education, files for bankruptcy

Instructure, the company behind Canvas, goes private; the politicization of science funding; Arizona State uses YouTube to attract students; 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](. TEACHING TECHNOLOGY [2U, Once a Giant in Online Education, Files for Bankruptcy]( The company, which had deals to [manage online courses]( at a number of universities, will cut its $945-million debt by more than half and emerge as a private company backed by lenders. In recent years, as 2U’s [woes worsened]( and its [longtime leader]( departed, several of those [universities]( and [advocacy groups]( expressed [frustration]( over its [business practices](. (The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle) ADVERTISEMENT [2U, Once a Giant in Online Education, Files for Bankruptcy]( EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY [Instructure, the Company Behind Canvas, to Be Taken Private for $4.8 Billion]( KKR, an investment firm, said it would lead the acquisition of all outstanding shares in the publicly traded company, whose leadership and operations would not be affected. KKR said it would invest in technology and innovation in the widely used Canvas learning-management system and other products, with the goal of $1 billion in revenue by 2028. (News release) THE REVIEW | OPINION [The Ruthless Politicization of Science Funding]( By Robert P. George and Anna I. Krylov [STORY IMAGE]( Ideological DEI mandates risk corrupting knowledge production at the root. SCREEN TIME [Arizona State U. Takes to YouTube to Offer a Low-Risk Taste of College]( By Luna Laliberte [STORY IMAGE]( Is it a viable path toward enrolling? TEACHING [A Different Kind of Faculty Fellowship]( By Beckie Supiano [STORY IMAGE]( A teaching-center director shares his plans for supporting professors who want to learn something new — unconnected to their work. LEADERSHIP [Longtime Head of California 2-Year College, Already on Leave, Announces Retirement]( Dianne G. Van Hook’s 36 years as chancellor of the College of the Canyons made her the longest-serving leader in the state system. She was put on leave two weeks ago by the Santa Clarita Community College District’s board for unspecified reasons. David Andrus, a professor and former president of the college’s Academic Senate, was named interim chancellor. (Los Angeles Daily News) THE ADVOCATE [Michigan State U. Law Professor’s Involvement in Project 2025 Is Turning Heads]( The document offers a conservative plan for Donald J. Trump’s return to power, and one chapter was written by Adam Candeub, a former Justice Department official under Trump. It calls for the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on businesses that prioritize [diversity, equity, and inclusion]( among other causes, over profits. Candeub declined to comment. (The State News, The Chronicle) UPCOMING WORKSHOP [The Chronicle's Leadership Transformation Collaborative | Starting in August 2024] Join The Chronicle’s Leadership Transformation Collaborative this fall to not only learn a new set of leadership skills, but to gain a structure for implementing them into your day-to-day work. This 15-week virtual program is designed to help current and aspiring higher-ed leaders instill new practices across the fall semester and beyond through practical tools, community building, and flexible learning. [Learn more and register today!]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. 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