Afternoon Update: Time to End Pandemic Accommodations?

Why diversity statements are still in legal peril; colleges push students to waive Title IX rights; DeSantis planned assault on colleges; and more. ADVERTISEMENT [Afternoon Update Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. TEACHING [Some Professors Say It’s Time to End Pandemic Accommodations]( By Beth McMurtrie [STORY IMAGE]( Faculty members explain why additional flexibility in their courses did more harm than good. ADVERTISEMENT THE REVIEW | OPINION [Diversity Statements Are Still in Legal Peril]( By Brian Leiter [STORY IMAGE]( Most are administratively imposed, and academic freedom thus affords them little protection. ADVICE [I Wrote a Book in 30 Days. And You Can, Too.]( By Rachel Toor [STORY IMAGE]( There is no easy street when it comes to writing, but this strategy may help you finish. SEXUAL ASSAULT [Colleges Bully Young Accusers Into Waiving Rights in Title IX Cases, Lawyers Say]( The federal gender-equity law is supposed to protect students who allege sexual assault, but some colleges are forcing them to sign what look like nondisclosure agreements before opening investigations. The colleges say they’re trying to protect people’s privacy. (USA Today) ACADEMIC FREEDOM [Gov. Ron DeSantis Plotted an All-Out Assault on Florida’s Public Universities]( Documents obtained through public-records requests show the Republican governor drafted plans to strip autonomy from the colleges, centralize power in Tallahassee, and impose more restrictions on what students are taught. (Seeking Rents, a newsletter) STUDENT HEALTH [Jed Foundation and United Educators Team Up to Support Student Mental Health]( The insurance company will offer discounts on premiums to colleges that start programs, designed by the foundation, to help students with issues of mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention. (News release) EVENTS [Browse Upcoming and On-Demand Virtual Events]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join a discussion with national experts and leading practitioners on how to navigate an uncertain future and what new ideas your institution can pursue. UPCOMING EVENT [Join us June 7-24]( for a virtual professional development program on overcoming the challenges of the department chair role and creating a strategic vision for individual and departmental growth. [Reserve your spot now](. Space is limited. SPONSOR CONTENT | University of South Florida [Higher Influence: How a free certificate program connected 135,000 people to one university]( ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Library of the Future]( [The Library of the Future]( Academic libraries occupy a central position on campus, literally and figuratively. Explore the challenges libraries and librarians have endured in recent years, how this transformation is affecting institutions, and the ways they’ve adapted to it. [Order your copy today.]( NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. 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. © 2022 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037