Weekly Briefing: When students can't work on their own

Plus, when colleges hire cost-cutting consultants, who really makes the decisions? ADVERTISEMENT [Weekly Briefing Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. Some students can’t seem to work on their own. Why? - Why students can’t or won’t work independently. We’ve reported on students’ spotty [classroom attendance]( and [overall disengagement](. Here’s another dilemma: students struggling to complete significant assignments on their own. No single factor explains the phenomenon, but [our Beckie Supiano]( reports on the elements at play and how some instructors are adjusting. - When cost-cutting colleges hire consultants, who really makes the decisions? The University of North Carolina at Greensboro was facing declining enrollments and financial pressures. So administrators hired rpk Group, a consulting firm, to conduct an academic-portfolio review and evaluate what parts of the university do and don’t make money. The process tends to be opaque. Even after combing through 600 pages of email correspondence, much remains murky. [Read more](. - Find out how much your public-college president makes. Check out [our data interactive]( that allows you to evaluate the base pay, bonuses, and benefits for 176 presidents at public colleges and universities. - Most clicked. Emma Pettit’s story about the [dysfunction of Pomona’s English department]( was last week’s favorite among Weekly Briefing readers. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. ADVERTISEMENT Lagniappe - Read. The former NFL player Michael Oher gained fame when Michael Lewis wrote The Blind Side about a wealthy couple taking the athlete in as a homeless teenager. The film adaptation was nominated for Best Picture in the 2010 Academy Awards. But Oher says the book and film misrepresented him. [This article]( at story from all sides, including Lewis’s reporting. (The New York Times Magazine) - Listen. To celebrate the late Alice Coltrane’s birthday (August 27) , here’s her track [Los Caballos](. (YouTube) —Fernanda Upcoming Workshop [The Chronicle's Early-Career Faculty Bootcamp | September 2024] Join us in September for a half-day virtual workshop that will offer early-career faculty the opportunity to build their skills, understand institutional and role-specific contexts, and gain access to the insights that experienced faculty wished they had known. [Learn more and register!]( Chronicle Top Reads A SPECTRUM OF WELLNESS [Fighting the Mental-Health Crisis NarrativeÂ]( By Alexander C. Kafka [STORY IMAGE]( Do young people misunderstand everyday stress? THE REVIEW | ESSAY [A Historian Crafts a Title IX Case Against Her Abuser]( By Joy Neumeyer [STORY IMAGE]( A survivor’s education. SHUTTERING A SANCTUARY [New College’s Book Dumping Went Viral. A Beloved Student-Led Center Was the Biggest Loss.]( By Amanda Friedman [STORY IMAGE]( You’ve seen the photos. There’s more to the story. ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Campus Housing for Tomorrow]( [Campus Housing for Tomorrow]( Student housing has undergone substantial shifts in recent years, due to inflation, the high cost of building, and drops in enrollment. [Order this report]( for insights on how to navigate these challenges and meet students’ evolving needs. 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](. READ OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERS [Latitudes]( | [Race on Campus]( | [The Review]( | [Teaching]( | [Your Career]( | [The Edge]( NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. [The Chronicle of Higher Education Logo]( 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