Afternoon Update: Colleges reined in their police, but then they backtracked

ChatGPT as a plagiarism machine; how a default could affect higher ed; "U.S. News" changes rankings methodology; "Bama Rush" film debuts; 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](. CAMPUS SAFETY [Colleges Acted on Demands to Rein In Their Police. Then They Backtracked.]( By Kate Hidalgo Bellows [STORY IMAGE]( Three years after George Floyd’s murder, campus safety hasn’t changed much. ADVERTISEMENT THE REVIEW | OPINION [ChatGPT Is a Plagiarism Machine]( By Joseph M. Keegin [STORY IMAGE]( So why do administrators have their heads in the sand? RACE ON CAMPUS [What Does a Majority-White University Owe the Majority-Black City It Calls Home?]( By Katherine Mangan [STORY IMAGE]( How we reported a story about Tulane’s $135-million effort to revitalize a behemoth building in downtown New Orleans. FINANCES [How Defaulting on the National Debt Could Affect Higher Education]( The American Council on Education says [colleges should start considering]( how they can support students if a default occurs, such as providing increased institutional aid and offering greater flexibility on payment deadlines. A default could impede federal student aid, institutional support, and research grants, and its impact on the overall economy could exacerbate problems for colleges. (ACE) THE PECKING ORDER [‘U.S. News’ Changes Undergraduate Rankings Methodology Amid Upheaval]( The [new approach]( which follows a [boycott]( of the [rankings]( by [law]( and [medical schools]( will emphasize colleges’ success in graduating students from different backgrounds and will remove metrics like alumni giving. Colleges will no longer be ranked by class size, how many students led their high-school classes, and how many faculty members have terminal degrees. (Higher Ed Dive, The Chronicle) FACULTY HIRING [Scholar Rejects Job Offer at U. of Texas’ Free-Enterprise Institute Over Tenure Fight]( Keith Schnakenberg, a tenured political scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, said no to Austin, citing among other factors the Texas Legislature’s [efforts]( to [ban tenure]( and other steps that he said may be [politicizing the university](. The faculty post came with an appointment at the Civitas Institute, which was created by conservative lawmakers and donors. (The Texas Tribune, The Chronicle) ATHLETICS [U. of South Florida Faculty Is Not Sold on Plan for $340-Million Football Stadium]( The Faculty Senate is wondering how the university will service the $200 million in debt the plan would require, and whether the campus could make better use of the $140 million it plans to spend on the 35,000-seat arena. One critic called it “a vanity project for the Board of Trustees.” (Tampa Bay Times) STUDENT LIFE [‘Bama Rush’ Documentary Chronicles Sorority Recruiting at U. of Alabama]( The HBO film, released today, explores the Tuscaloosa campus’s status as a haven for Greek-letter organizations, the hierarchies within the sororities, the anxieties of the recruitment process, racial disparities on campus, and the secretive group behind it all, known as the Machine. (AL.com) LEADERSHIP [La Roche U.’s President Is Remembered as a Leader and a Friend]( Sister Candace Introcaso, the Pittsburgh university’s leader since 2004, died on Monday. She was 69. The provost, Howard Ishiyama, is now acting president. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) 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 PROGRAM [The Chronicle's Strategic-Leadership Program for Department Chairs] [Join us in June]( for a virtual professional development program which will provide the space, time, and tools to help department chairs take on the challenges and opportunities of the role. Through workshops, high-level seminars, and individual development plans, chairs will think strategically about their departmental and institutional impact. [Register today!]( ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Restructuring a University - The Chronicle Store]( [Restructuring a University]( In 2022, Henderson State University declared financial exigency after realizing it could no longer avoid hard choices. This case study of the university’s path to near-ruin highlights lessons for any college leader contemplating a restructuring to keep an institution viable. [Order your copy]( to learn about key factors to consider in a restructuring process. 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