Afternoon Update: Michigan State faces fresh questions after suspending football coach

Arkansas Tech president is fired while on medical leave; the abandonment of Betty Friedan; New College of Fla. faces civil-rights inquiry; and more. ADVERTISEMENT [Afternoon Update Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. 'UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR' [After Suspending Its Football Coach, Michigan State Faces Fresh Questions About Its Culture]( By David Jesse Mel Tucker was accused of sexual misconduct by a prominent sexual-assault survivor. The news brought to mind the university’s history of scandals. ADVERTISEMENT THE REVIEW | ESSAY [The Abandonment of Betty Friedan]( By Rachel Shteir What does the academy have against the mother of second-wave feminism? THE REVIEW [Has a Ticking Time Bomb for Academic Freedom Finally Exploded?]( By Len Gutkin On intramural speech and the First Amendment. LEADERSHIP [Arkansas Tech President Is Fired by Board While She Is Out on Medical Leave]( Robin E. Bowen, who had led the university for nine years, was dismissed without cause, meaning she will receive severance payment. The Board of Trustees’ vote to dismiss was unanimous, but its reasoning was not disclosed. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) ADMISSIONS [Florida Students Can Use Classic Learning Test in Applications to State Universities]( The [little-known examination]( which seeks to compete with the SAT and ACT, is used mostly by home-schooled students and accepted mostly by Christian colleges. Friday’s vote by the State University System’s board, which is dominated by appointees of Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, makes Florida’s 12 public universities the first state system to accept the test. (Orlando Sentinel, The Chronicle) FRESH SCRUTINY [After Conservative Overhaul, New College of Florida Faces Civil-Rights Investigation]( The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights said it would examine whether the public college is discriminating against people with disabilities and other “protected groups,” such as LGBTQ students. Since the college’s board was [taken over]( by [appointees]( of Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, its [faculty]( [students]( and [trustees]( have been bitterly [divided](. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, The Chronicle) ACCOUNTABILITY [Survivors of Larry Nassar’s Sexual Abuse Sue Michigan State’s Board Over Documents]( The victims of the university’s onetime sports doctor, who is serving a life term in prison, said the trustees should release 6,000 documents related to the [vast scandal](. The board has cited attorney-client privilege in refusing to do so, but critics say that decision is more likely to stem from the board’s fear that the material will show the university’s negligence. (The Detroit News, The Chronicle) CONTROVERSIAL RESEARCH [Amid Reading Wars, Columbia U.’s Teachers College Will Close Star Professor’s Shop]( Lucy Calkins, a curriculum entrepreneur, will retain her tenured post, but the college is dissolving her Reading and Writing Project, a leading exponent of the balanced-literacy approach to reading. The move reflects controversy over the validity of that widely used approach as well as entanglements between the college and businesses set up to further the project’s work. (The New York Times) TROUBLED COLLEGE [University in Cincinnati Cancels Fall Semester Amid Legal and Financial Turmoil]( The Union Institute and University’s decision reverses an announcement in late August that the semester’s start would be postponed by two weeks. The small institution is facing financial, legal, and accreditation problems. (Cincinnati Business Courier) 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. REGISTER NOW [The Chronicle's Women Leading Change Program] [Join us in September]( for a groundbreaking virtual leadership series that will provide critical context, creative strategies, and guided exercises for women in leadership roles across higher ed. [Reserve your spot today!]( Virtual Events: Tune In Live TRANSFER STUDENTS [Solving the Stranded-Credits Problem]( UPCOMING: September 12, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET: Today, 1.6-million students have credits that can’t be transferred. In this virtual forum, experts will explore how colleges can manage those stranded credits. With Support From Ascendium. 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