Afternoon Update: Why it can be so difficult to gauge a college’s financial health

Legacy preferences banned at Virginia’s public colleges; New Mexico guarantees tuition-free college; UT-Austin to again require test scores; 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](. SURVIVAL ODDS [Why It Can Be So Difficult to Gauge a College’s Financial Health]( By Scott Carlson [STORY IMAGE]( Nonetheless several key quantitative and qualitative factors can be gleaned from public documents. ADVERTISEMENT THE REVIEW [The Hate-Speech Problem in Campus Protest]( By Len Gutkin [STORY IMAGE]( Are some kinds of vitriol too much? FROM 2023 [Meet the Real-Life Scientists Who Got to Play Scientists in ‘Oppenheimer’]( By Stephanie M. Lee [STORY IMAGE]( As extras in the biopic, which was named best picture in last night’s Academy Awards, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory shot scenes with the movie’s stars — and taught them a few things, too. ADMISSIONS [UT-Austin Will Once Again Require Test Scores for Undergraduate Admission]( The University of Texas flagship followed similar decisions by several highly selective private universities, which also reversed test-optional policies that they had [adopted during the pandemic](. The universities have cited the [value of the SAT and ACT]( in helping identify students who can succeed on their campuses. (Houston Chronicle, The Chronicle) NO EDGE [Virginia Governor Signs Bills Banning Legacy Preferences at State’s Public Colleges]( Applicants whose parents are alumni of or donors to the colleges will no longer get an [admissions advantage]( under bipartisan legislation signed on Friday by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican. Virginia thus becomes the second state, after Colorado, to [prohibit the preferences](. [Similar bills are pending]( in Connecticut and Massachusetts. (The Washington Post, The Chronicle) COST OF COLLEGE [New Mexico’s Governor Signs Legislation Guaranteeing Tuition-Free College]( Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, last week signed a bill that creates a $959-million trust fund. The measure, which state lawmakers approved by large votes, gives New Mexico what it says is the nation’s largest higher-education trust fund. (KSFR) ENROLLMENT [South Dakota Clarifies End of Longstanding College-Tuition Agreement With Minnesota]( The reciprocity agreement had given tuition discounts to students from one state who attended college in the other. South Dakota, [like North Dakota]( expressed concern about the impact of a new program in Minnesota that will make its public colleges free to tens of thousands of Minnesotans, reducing the number who might cross borders for higher education. (Pioneer Press, InForum) CLOSING TIME [Fontbonne U., in Missouri, to Shut Down in 2025 Amid Financial Turmoil]( The century-old Roman Catholic university had [cut academic programs]( and faculty positions to deal with plunging enrollment and revenue, but those steps were not enough. Washington University in St. Louis has agreed to purchase its 16-acre campus. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) THE NAME GAME [Rochester U., in Michigan, Is Forced to Change Name to Rochester Christian U.]( The move follows the settlement of a trademark-infringement lawsuit filed by the University of Rochester, a 13,000-student institution in New York. Rochester Christian University, a 1,000-student institution in Rochester Hills, Mich., was founded as North Central Christian College, later changed to Michigan Christian College and Rochester College. (The Oakland Press) NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. 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