Weekly Briefing: What are you reading?

The Chronicle stories that readers spent lots of time on in January. [Weekly Briefing Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. The stories you read in January Hello from the past and the future. By the time this email lands in your inbox, I’ll be in Japan and almost a day ahead of you (if you’re in the United States). Instead of the usual summary of just one story from the past week, here are five articles that Chronicle readers couldn’t get enough of in January. ✉️ What do you think of this format? Do you have ideas for a different style for this newsletter? Let me know: fernanda@chronicle.com. 1. [Is Dan Ariely Telling the Truth?]( Dan Ariely, the star behavioral scientist and Duke University professor, [made headlines]( when the blog Data Colada published a [statistical examination]( of one of his experiments and found figures in the study may have been fabricated. The study was about dishonesty. Ariely told our Tom Bartlett he hasn’t done anything unethical, but does have regrets. 2. [Wisconsin’s Warning for Higher Ed](. Declining enrollments, changing demographics, and tight budgets prompted the University of Wisconsin system to close one of its two-year campuses and end in-person instruction at two others. The system’s response to its budgetary strains have others in higher education wondering if their institutions could see similar fates. 3. [How Harvard Tried to Save Its President](. Claudine Gay stepped down as president of Harvard in January following [plagiarism accusations]( [a lackluster performance]( during a congressional hearing on antisemitism, and a conservative activist’s crusade against her. Here’s the story of how Harvard tried — and failed — to safeguard its new president. 4. [Debate Follows Harvard President’s Resignation Amid Plagiarism Claims and Criticism Over House Hearing](. After Harvard’s president resigned, not everyone agreed about the gravity of her scholarly offenses. Some said her resignation signaled that academic freedom was in jeopardy, while others criticized the alleged plagiarism. 5.[Paul Trible Transformed the University He Led for 26 Years. Not Everyone Is Pleased](. From 1996 to 2022, Paul S. Trible was president of Christopher Newport University, in Newport News, Va. Though he built the institution from a commuter school to a residential campus and helped expand the university’s endowment from $300,000 to $64 million, his leadership also saw a decline in Black students and professors and the uprooting of [a nearby Black community](. A bonus from the archive The Chronicle’s archive is a treasure trove. It’s extensive, with decades of material, and many articles from the past can help explain our current moment. [This 2016 story by our Ian Wilhelm]( explains how a 1969 armed occupation by Black students at Cornell University shaped today’s influential scholars, conservative backlashes to academic values, and debates about free speech and racial inclusion. ADVERTISEMENT 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. Lagniappe - Read. Leave it to The New Yorker to report on [the latest international scam](. This time the scandal takes place in rural Vermont on a ski slope. - Watch. Next time you can’t decide what to watch, cue up the website [A Good Movie to Watch](. The site allows you to select different streaming services and does the hardest part for you — picking the movie. —Fernanda 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. Chronicle Top Reads ADVICE [The Disposable, Indispensable Faculty Member]( By Rebecca Schuman [STORY IMAGE]( If teaching is so easy, why do so many tenured professors take such great pains to avoid it? SPONSOR CONTENT | The University of Bath [Tackling Global Challenges]( Discover how researchers at the University of Bath use the latest technologies to track the evolution of bacterial infections to prevent escalation into pandemics. THE REVIEW | ESSAY [Why Americans Love to Hate Harvard]( By Derek Bok [STORY IMAGE]( A former president of the university explains how we got here. THE REVIEW | ESSAY [Everyone Talks About ‘Critical Theory.’ What Is It?]( By Peter E. Gordon [STORY IMAGE]( On the history of a contested concept. ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Athletics Advantage - The Chronicle Store]( [The Athletics Advantage]( For tuition-driven institutions, sports are often a key recruiting tool. [Order this report]( for insights on how small colleges are using athletics to drive student enrollment, engagement, and retention. 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