Afternoon Update: Will AI make college admissions and advising better — or worse?

Nicholas Lemann on making the SAT fairer; Black freshmen drop 40% at Brown U.; vast antitrust settlement in college sports is put on hold; 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](. HIGHER ED'S UNCANNY ASSISTANTS [Will AI Make College Admissions and Advising Better — or Worse?]( By Scott Carlson [STORY IMAGE]( Technology could help get beyond transactional interactions with students. Or it could lead to something bleaker. ADVERTISEMENT [ Will AI Make College Admissions and Advising Better — or Worse?]( THE REVIEW | ESSAY [Don’t Scrap Standardized Tests. Make Them Fairer.]( By Nicholas Lemann [STORY IMAGE]( Testing can do more than help elite colleges select a small handful of students. ADMISSIONS [Black Freshman Enrollment Drops 40% at Brown U. in Wake of Supreme Court Ruling]( Following some [other selective universities]( Brown’s newest class — the first since the court [struck down race-conscious admissions]( — also has 29 percent fewer Hispanic and 7 percent fewer white students than did last year’s freshman class. Asian American freshmen rose 14 percent, and students who did not disclose their race or ethnicity soared by 75 percent. (The Brown Daily Herald, The Chronicle) BRAIN DRAIN [Faculty Members in South Increasingly Worry About Political Climate, Survey Shows]( In the American Association of University Professors’ survey, conducted in August among 3,000 faculty members in 12 Southern states, 80 percent of respondents said the political climate around colleges and universities was poor or very poor. As with a [similar survey last year]( many respondents said they were looking for jobs outside the region. (Louisiana Illuminator, The Chronicle) ATHLETICS [Judge Puts Vast Antitrust Settlement in College Sports on Hold, and Urges Revisions]( Judge Claudia Wilken of the U.S. District Court in Oakland, Calif., refused on Thursday to approve the [multibillion-dollar settlement]( which had been [poised]( to [reshape college athletics](. She ordered lawyers involved in the deal to “go back to the drawing board” to resolve her concerns about, among other things, how sports boosters would be permitted to give athletes money. (ESPN, The Chronicle) UPCOMING WORKSHOP [The Chronicle's Women Leading Change Program | September 2024] Join The Chronicle’s Women Leading Change Program this September! This virtual leadership series will provide critical context, creative strategies, and guided exercises that target the professional development areas most important to women at different leadership levels across academe. [Learn more and register today.]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. Virtual Events: Tune In Live [Chronicle Festival: The Road Ahead to 2035]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: September 10-12, 2024 | Join us for our annual ideas summit, on how higher ed must plan for student demographic shifts, tech change, an uncertain labor market, and more. What can your institution do to adapt? With Support From Workday, University of South Florida, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Florida International University, Google, and Strada. [Register here.]( 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]( | [Weekly Briefing]( | [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