Afternoon Update: Yes, DEI Can Erode Academic Freedom (Opinion)

Tennessee State marching band's Grammy wins make history; non-tenured union push at Harvard; Va. bills would direct college threat responses; and more ADVERTISEMENT [Afternoon Update Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now read The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. THE REVIEW | OPINION [Yes, DEI Can Erode Academic Freedom. Let’s Not Pretend Otherwise.]( By Amna Khalid and Jeffrey Aaron Snyder [STORY IMAGE]( We should admit that inclusion and other values are sometimes in tension. ADVERTISEMENT THE REVIEW [Ron DeSantis’s Culture War]( By Len Gutkin [STORY IMAGE]( How long has a conservative takeover of academe been in the works? ACCLAIM [Tennessee State U. Marching Band Makes History With Grammy Wins]( The “Aristocrat of Bands” won Grammy Awards on Sunday night in two categories: Best Roots Gospel Album, for The Urban Hymnal, and Best Spoken Word Poetry Album, for a collaboration with J. Ivy on The Poet Who Sat by the Door. It’s the first college marching band to win a Grammy. (WKRN) ACADEMIC LABOR [Harvard Researchers and Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Members Push for Union]( Amid a [surge in union activism]( since the pandemic began and a huge strike hit the University of California last fall, as many as 6,000 Harvard employees want to improve pay, benefits, job security, and working conditions. (The Boston Globe, The Chronicle) CAMPUS SAFETY [After UVA Shooting, Legislation Would Direct How Colleges Respond to Threats]( Three months after three students were [killed in a shooting]( on a University of Virginia bus, the state’s General Assembly is considering bills that would lay out how [colleges’ threat-assessment teams should respond]( when hearing about a threatening person on campus. (The Daily Progress, The Chronicle) INTERNATIONAL [Colorado State Apologizes for Fans’ ‘Russia’ Chant at Ukrainian Athlete]( Max Shulga, a Utah State basketball player from Kyiv, was shooting free throws when TV cameras picked up the chant from the student section during a game on Saturday in Fort Collins, Colo. Russia invaded Ukraine nearly a year ago. Utah State won the game, 88-79. (Associated Press) SEXUAL ASSAULT [LSU Closed Nearly 300 Reports of Sexual Assaults Without Discipline in One Year]( Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge’s response to sexual-assault accusations has been under a microscope since [a bombshell report]( two years ago by USA Today. (Fox News) ATHLETICS [Central Michigan U. Settles Former Gymnastics Coach’s Lawsuit for $350,000]( The university fired Jerry Reighard in 2019 after a 35-year career, accusing him of telling a gymnast to lie about concussion symptoms. He disputed that and filed an age-discrimination lawsuit. (WJRT) PROCUREMENT [Former Penn State Employee Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud]( According to the U.S. Justice Department, a onetime network and systems manager “fraudulently acquired equipment” by falsely stating it was needed, and later sold it for personal gain, from 2005 to 2017. He agreed to pay $267,000 in restitution, and faces prison time and a fine at sentencing. 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. NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Reimagining the Student Experience - The Chronicle Store]( [Reimagining the Student Experience]( Many colleges are rethinking and reshaping what has broadly become known as the student experience. [Order your copy today]( to explore the many forces affecting the student experience with the goal of making students’ time on campus more engaging. 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. © 2023 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037