Afternoon Update: Meet the Stanford Professor at the Center of the Math Wars

FAFSA redesign is delayed; GOP congressman issues sweeping requests to three universities; Fla. college cancels film's showing over climate; 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 FUTURE OF STEM [Meet the Stanford Professor at the Center of the Knock-Down, Drag-Out Math Wars]( By Stephanie M. Lee [STORY IMAGE]( Jo Boaler is leading the math-instruction revolution. Critics say her claims don’t always add up. ADVERTISEMENT LATITUDES [For Students With Disabilities, Opportunities for International Study]( By Karin Fischer [STORY IMAGE]( How one college created a program to get neurodivergent students abroad, and a new survey of international students with disabilities. STUDENT AID [FAFSA Redesign Is Delayed by 2 Months, Education Dept. Says]( [The department said]( on Tuesday it would release the redesigned Free Application for Federal Student Aid in December, and cited the complexity of the task to simplify the document. That schedule would miss the annual October 1 release of the form, which millions of students use to determine their eligibility for grants and loans. (The Washington Post) SPEAKING OUT [Republican Congressman Issues Sweeping Requests to Universities on Disinformation]( In letters to Clemson and Stanford Universities and the University of Washington, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, chair of the Judiciary Committee, asserted that they may have contributed to the Biden administration’s “censorship regime by advising on so-called misinformation.” The letters are part of an effort to show that conservative voices have been silenced. (ProPublica) BLOCKED [Fla. University Cancels a Documentary’s Screening Amid Concerns Over Political Climate]( The film, The Poison Garden, tells of a 1935 lynching of a Black man in Fort Lauderdale and other episodes of racial injustice. Nova Southeastern University, a private institution in that city, canceled the showing over concerns it could be politically provocative, [amid fears]( at a time when the state’s [governor]( and [legislature]( are [attacking]( what [they call “woke”]( public colleges. (WUSF, The Chronicle) GOVERNANCE [Trustee Is Removed From Gardner-Webb U.’s Board for ‘Malicious’ Conduct]( O. Max Gardner III was kicked off the board of the Baptist institution in North Carolina for, among other things, threatening to shoot a university contractor and a university tenant, and making threats against the president and other employees. (Queen City News) FINANCING PRIORITIES [Marshall U. Is Said to Get $10 Million in Covid-Relief Funds for Baseball Stadium]( According to a [letter]( from the chair of the West Virginia Senate’s Finance Committee, Gov. Jim Justice put $28.375 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act money in a state discretionary fund, and directed $10 million of it to the stadium project. (University Business) STUDENT LIFE [Graduate Drops West Texas A&M U. From His Will After President Cancels Drag Show]( Nathan Russell described the [actions by the president]( Walter Wendler, as “incendiary, racist, homophobic, transphobic, and an egregious affront to me as a clergy person who is unapologetically gay.” The will had included a $100,000 bequest to the university. (KVII, The Chronicle) CAMPUS HONORS [Bryn Mawr College to Remove Former President’s Name From Library Over Racist History]( M. Carey Thomas was a leader in the women’s-suffrage movement who led the women’s college in Pennsylvania in the early 20th century. She also preached white supremacy, embraced eugenics, blocked Black students from enrolling, and refused to hire Jewish faculty members. (Philly Voice) LEADERSHIP [Students and Alumni of Princeton Theological Seminary Seek Ouster of Board Chair]( A letter citing the seminary’s “antislavery theological commitments” assails the role of Michael Fisch, a founder of a private-equity company that owns a large prison telecommunications company. Such companies, the letter says, “charge as much as $15 per 15-minute phone call, essentially monopolizing commissions extracted from impoverished families and captive consumers.” (Religion News Service) 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. Upcoming Workshop [Join us this spring]( for a virtual professional development program on overcoming the challenges women leaders in academe face and creating a strategic vision for transformational change. [Reserve your spot today!]( 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](. 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