Weekly Briefing: Biden Won. What's Next?

Though this transfer of presidential power is not typical, change is coming. Here's what higher ed could look like under the former vice president. 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](. Biden won. What's that mean for colleges? [image] Drew Angerer, Getty Images You most likely read this email last week clouded by the fog of election uncertainy. But on Saturday, Joseph R. Biden Jr. crossed the threshold of 270 electoral votes, and barring a successful legal challenge, the former vice president will become the country's 46th president on January 20. Though this transfer of presidential power is shaping up to be [anything but typical]( and there are a few months to go until January, we can read the tea leaves to figure out [what higher education could look like]( under the Biden administration. Here are three areas to look out for: - Campus sexual assault. During the Obama administration, Biden released federal guidelines for how colleges should handle reports of sexual assault — [the]( Colleague" letter]( as it came to be known. The guidance pushed colleges to take responsibility for doing all they could to prevent sexual assault and to punish perpetrators. Under President Trump, colleges were pushed to [protect the rights of the accused](. The move was a departure from years of Education Department policy. - Coronavirus cash. Congress remains under pressure to pass another stimulus bill to bolster an economy made frail by Covid-19. Many colleges are desperate for more federal assistance while the pandemic rages. Biden is expected in January to urge lawmakers to craft a stimulus measure, and higher-education funding could be part of that legislation. Here's the catch: Higher education is now a partisan issue, and if Democrats don't have 50 Senate seats, Biden will struggle to provide more federal funds to ailing colleges. - International students. Trump kicked off his administration by imposing a series of policies, including a travel ban, that discouraged foreign students from coming to this country. That could have [a lasting effect]( on American higher education. In the 2018-19 academic year, the number of international students rose only 0.05 percent, according to the annual Open Doors survey. By comparison, in the 2014-15 academic year, that number grew by 10 percent. Biden will probably move in the opposite direction of the Trump administration and make policies that are more welcoming of foreign students. For a full rundown of what you can expect from the Biden administration, [read our Michael Vasquez's story here](. Sign up for our new newsletter, Race on Campus. This year laid bare our country’s stark racial inequalities. Almost everyone in higher education — and at your institution — feels the impact of race, but they feel it from different vantages. That’s why The Chronicle is starting a new newsletter: Race on Campus. Once a week, I’ll join a team of Chronicle reporters to try to make sense of how the national reckoning on race is unfolding at colleges across the country. We’ll report on the different perspectives of people advocating for change, and explore what colleges can do to become more equitable, inclusive places. [Sign up for the newsletter here](. 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]( 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. Coronavirus-case numbers are going up in nearly every state. [Here's what health experts are advising for Thanksgiving](. (The New York Times) - Read. It may be impossible to [read the first line of this story]( and not finish it: "Around 3 a.m., I woke up to my friend Leah screaming." (Outside) - Listen. This is [the fascinating story]( of an insurance scam in 1932, and a man who wouldn't die. (Criminal podcast) - Watch. For fans of the Netflix series The Crown, the streaming service [will drop Season 4]( this weekend. Get ready for Margaret Thatcher and Diana, Princess of Wales. (YouTube) Cheers, —Fernanda This Week‘s Top Reads FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS [Meet Covid-19’s Freshman Class]( By Sarah Brown [image] They’re lonely, they’re struggling. But they’re fighting to make it through. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( ACADEMIC WORKPLACE [Colleges Ask Professors to Return to the Classroom. Their Answer? That’s ‘Reckless.’]( By Emma Pettit [image] On-campus learning is critical to student success, leaders say. And in some cases, college budgets may hinge on it. ADVICE [Ready to Be an Ally for Black Academics? Here’s a Start]( By Ebony O. McGee [image] Twelve ways that white faculty members can better support Black academics in their department and across the campus. 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}. 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