Afternoon Update: Can a president have friends on campus? (opinion)

Updates of our DEI Legislation Tracker; what the public thinks about higher ed; cuts announced at UNC-Greensboro and {NAME} Wallace U.; 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](. ADVICE [Can a President Have Friends on the Campus?]( By Melody Rose and Patrick Sharry [STORY IMAGE]( Newcomers to a top leadership post aren’t prepared for the loneliness of the role. ADVERTISEMENT JUST UPDATED [DEI Legislation Tracker]( By Chronicle Staff [STORY IMAGE]( We’ve updated the tracker with bills from Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wisconsin that seek to dismantle colleges’ diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. [We’re Tracking This Year’s Legislative Attack on DEI. Ask Us Anything.]( [STORY IMAGE]( State lawmakers are trying to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on campus. Have questions about the legislation? Join our senior editor Daarel Burnette II and our senior writer Katherine Mangan on Tuesday at noon ET on [Reddit’s r/politics]( as they answer your questions live. QUIZ [Do You Know What the Public Really Thinks of College?]( By Jacquelyn Elias [STORY IMAGE]( Last summer The Chronicle polled the population about how colleges serve students and society, and more than 1,000 American adults answered. In this quiz, see if you can guess what they said. CAMPUS CUTS I [Final Program Cuts Are Announced at U. of North Carolina at Greensboro]( The final list closely follows the original list of 20 programs that the university said its deans and provost had recommended for elimination. Among the cuts are undergraduate majors in anthropology, physics, religious studies, and K-12 teaching. The [Faculty Senate censured]( the controversial program-cutting process. (NC Newsline) CAMPUS CUTS II [{NAME} Wallace U. Announces Layoffs and Program Cuts Amid Budget Deficit]( The private university in Ohio said it would eliminate 13 programs, lay off 23 faculty and staff members, freeze hiring, and offer retirement incentives. Students in the affected programs will be able to complete their degrees, the university said. (WKYC) CLOSING TIME [Jamestown Business College, in New York, Will Close in February 2025]( The for-profit college said it would cease new enrollments but would continue to provide courses so all current students can graduate. The small college blamed its troubles on its size and on government regulations. (Your Daily Local) FINANCES [Webster U. Seeks to Use Endowment Funds to Cover Loan, as Financial Troubles Deepen]( The board chair of the private university in Missouri said it planned to ask a court to lift restrictions on the funds so it could use them to fulfill the requirements of a loan. Webster has faced millions of dollars in losses over the last decade as well as recent leadership turnover. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) FACULTY [Former Criminal-Justice Lecturer Pleads Guilty to Setting Wildfires in California]( The onetime faculty member taught at Santa Clara and Sonoma State Universities, according to the Associated Press. He admitted on Thursday that he set blazes during a 2021 wildfire that eventually burned nearly a million acres, destroyed more than 1,000 buildings, and killed a person. He faces up to 20 years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. (Redding Record Searchlight) 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. SPECIAL OFFER FOR NEW SUBSCRIBERS Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for less than $20 and get unlimited access to essential reporting, data, and analysis. And as a special bonus, you'll get the 2024 Trends Report, our annual issue on the major trends shaping higher education — coming in March. Virtual Events: Tune In Live CYBERSECURITY IN HIGHER ED [The Rise of the CISO in Higher Ed]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: February 8, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET. In this forum, experts will discuss how the role of the chief information-security officer is changing and how smaller colleges, with smaller budgets, are handling it. With Support From HP. [Register here.]( STUDENT SUCCESS [Creating Summer-Bridge Programs]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: February 13, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET. The summer before starting college is an ideal time to lay foundations for student success. Many colleges have programs to help. Join us to explore how they work best. With Support From Mongoose. [Register here.]( HIGHER-ED WORK FORCE [Managing the Hybrid Work Force]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: February 15, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET. Leaders face challenges in a hybrid workplace, including communicating with staffs as tasks shift under AI and other tech change. Join us to learn more from a Chronicle survey. With Support From HP. [Register here.]( ADVERTISEMENT 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. JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Search jobs on The Chronicle job board]( [Find Your Next Role Today]( Whether you are actively or passively searching for your next career opportunity, The Chronicle is here to support you throughout your job search. Get started now by [exploring 30,000+ openings]( or [signing up for job alerts](. 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. © 2024 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037