Weekly Briefing: What This Crazy Week Means for Higher Ed

The election has been full of uncertainty. Here are a few takeaways. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( [Advertisement]( [Advertisement]( [logo] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Please sign up to receive your own copy.]( You’ll support our journalism and ensure that you continue to receive our emails. [Read this newsletter on the web](. What we know. What we've learned. It's finally Saturday in a week that aged us at least 270 years. (See what I did there?) Though the week brought us heaps of uncertainty as we waited for the presidential-election results, there were a few takeaways. Here's what we've learned: - Trump spent the last four years fighting with higher ed. Academe [struggled to fight back](. Trump's presidency was filled with executive orders that challenged higher education. During his first days in office, [he banned travel]( from six majority-Muslim nations. Later, months into the coronavirus pandemic, he signed an [executive order]( to suspend temporary work visas through the end of the year. (Universities use the skilled-employment visas to hire top academics and researchers, regardless of nationality.) He also championed executive orders [on free speech]( and against [diversity training](. College leaders and industry groups sometimes challenged the orders. Other times, higher education sent news releases that opposed the president but stopped short of calling him by name. - The college degree is [still dividing America](. In 2016, white voters without college degrees embraced Trump. Based on what we know about the votes cast in the 2020 election, about 62 percent of white voters without college degrees cast their ballots for Trump, the Associated Press [reports](. For higher education, this divide is nothing new, but four years of President Trump's [undermining confidence in science]( and those with academic credentials may have encouraged the gap. There will be plenty more to learn from this election moving forward. If you have concerns or questions about how this election may affect higher education, write to me, at fernanda@chronicle.com. sponsored by Ascendium [What It Takes to Be a Student-Centered Institution Now]( How are higher ed institutions continuing to put students’ needs first during this time of uncertainty and constant change? Hear what changes college leaders are making at their institutions in order to best serve their communities today. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( [Advertisement]( [Advertisement]( Subscribe to The Chronicle Our mission, at a time of crisis and uncertainty, is to ensure you have the information you need to make the best decisions for your institution, your career, and your students. Please consider subscribing today to sustain our continuing coverage. [Subscribe Today]( Lagniappe. - Learn. If your students, friends, or family members ask why the United States picks the president with the Electoral College, you can point them to [this podcast](. (NPR) - Read. Here's one guy who has not slept all week: Steve Kornacki. How does the NBC News and MSNBC national political correspondent do it? [Diet Coke and adrenaline](. (GQ) - Listen. The ambient-music composer Ann Annie's album [wander into]( is perfect if you need to chill out. - Watch. I've overdosed on cable news this week. My screen time is through the roof. My thumb is sore from refreshing the New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's [Twitter profile](. If you can, don't watch anything this weekend. If you do watch something, I hope it's fun. Cheers, —Fernanda This Week‘s Top Reads TEACHING [The Pandemic Is Dragging On. Professors Are Burning Out.]( By Beth McMurtrie [image] Overwhelmed and undersupported, instructors see no end in sight. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( [Advertisement]( [Advertisement]( TEACHING [Teaching: Helping Students Make Sense of the Election]( By Beth McMurtrie The day after an uncertain presidential election, faculty members across the country led conversations about what it all means. ADMISSIONS [Failure of California’s Prop. 16 Underscores Complexity of Affirmative-Action Debate]( By Eric Hoover [image] The ballot measure would have once again allowed the consideration of race, gender, and ethnicity in college admissions as well as public employment and contracting. Job Announcement Director of Human Resources opening at American University of Iraq – Baghdad. [Visit jobs.chronicle.com]( for more details. sponsored by Ascendium [The Road Ahead for Rural Colleges]( As the pandemic upends enrollment numbers for years to come, learn how college leaders at rural institutions are being proactive to safeguard their futures and use their locations to their advantage. The Chronicle's Featured Report: The Post-Pandemic College [Leading experts examine how the pandemic will shape higher education]( in the years to come and what the college of the future may look like. To recover well, colleges must develop a more externally-focused business model, direct resources to expand professional development in online teaching, and continue to expand mental-health services. Job Opportunities [Search the Chronicle's jobs database]( to view the latest jobs in higher education. What did you think of today’s newsletter? [Strongly disliked]( // [It was OK]( // [Loved it](. [logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2020 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037