Afternoon Update: One university makes study of climate change a graduation requirement

Applications rise 8%, Common App says; Michigan State U. board pledges not to interfere; adjunct strike ends at Columbia College Chicago; 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](. EXISTENTIAL EDUCATION [At This University, Studying Climate Change Is Now a Graduation Requirement]( By Calli McMurray [STORY IMAGE]( UC-San Diego is the latest campus seeking to broaden students’ understanding of the causes and consequences of earth’s rising temperature. THE REVIEW [Liz Magill’s Firing — and James Bennet’s]( By Len Gutkin [STORY IMAGE]( Plus: Our most-read stories of the year. ADMISSIONS [First-Year College Applicants Have Risen 8%, Suggests Early Data From Common App]( The admissions service found that prospective students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds have applied to college at rates surpassing their peers. (Higher Ed Dive) LEADERSHIP & GOVERNANCE [Michigan State U. Board Pledges Not to Interfere With New President’s Administration]( Kevin M. Guskiewicz, who this month agreed to leave the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to [take the MSU presidency]( had told its Board of Trustees he would do so only if it committed to [cease improperly involving itself]( in university operations. The [board]( whose [divisions]( have exacerbated [complaints of meddling]( by previous presidents, made such a promise. (The State News, The Chronicle) ACADEMIC LABOR [Columbia College Chicago in Tentative Deal to End Strike by Part-Time Faculty Members]( The agreement with the faculty union could resolve what’s been described as the longest strike by adjunct professors in American history. The deal faces a ratification vote this week by union members. The walkout, which began on October 30 and affected hundreds of classes, followed cost-cutting measures such as eliminating course sections. (The Columbia Chronicle) MEGA-UNIVERSITY [Purdue Global Owes $128 Million to Its For-Profit Partner. It May Not Be Able to Pay.]( Purdue Global, formerly the for-profit, largely online Kaplan University, [was acquired]( almost seven years ago by the public university in Indiana. According to recent financial reports, Purdue Global owes the company that sold Kaplan to Purdue University a huge amount that it is [unlikely]( to be able to repay — a [situation resembling]( that of [other such deals](. (Forbes, The Chronicle) STUDENT-LOAN DEBT [4 in 10 Borrowers of Federal Student Loans Missed First Payment Since Pandemic Pause]( According to [data released]( on Friday by the U.S. Education Department, only about 60 percent of the 22 million people who received loan-repayment bills in October paid them. Such payments resumed then for the first time in more than three years. (USA Today) 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. SPONSOR CONTENT | The University of Queensland [From Waste to Wonder: The Science of Mitigating Environmental Risks From Mining]( FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Unionized Campus - The Chronicle Store]( [The Unionized Campus]( The number of graduate-student unions has increased more than four-fold since 2019. [Order your copy]( to learn what’s at stake as union membership grows, and explore effective strategies for colleges to build relationships with new and existing unions. 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