As an academic scientist in the U.S., I’m learning to live with uncertainty - Violeta J. Rodriguez, Science

I reread the email I had drafted to my department chair one last time. Then I read it again, and finally clicked “send.” The message itself was short: I wanted to pursue tenure 3 years ahead of the usual timeline. A changing political and funding landscape had made the future of my health equity research feel increasingly vulnerable, and I hoped tenure would help protect the work I had spent years building. I had agonized over the decision for months. What if my record wasn’t strong enough yet, and I was shooting myself in the foot by applying early? But supportive mentors and continued news of funding shake-ups convinced me to go ahead, and my chair responded quickly and positively to my email. Yet I still found myself searching for reassurance that I had made the right decision.

https://www.science.org/content/article/academic-scientist-u-s-i-m-learning-live-uncertainty

Columbia and JED partner on teen mental health safeguards for AI - ETIH

Columbia University’s Technology & Democracy Initiative and The Jed Foundation have formed a partnership focused on how AI systems respond to teenagers experiencing emotional distress or suicidal thoughts. The project brings together AI safety specialists and mental health and suicide prevention experts, two groups the partners say increasingly work on the same problems but still lack a common framework for translating clinical knowledge into technical system design. Its first phase will include an expert roundtable followed by a jointly authored working paper. The partners intend the paper to provide a practical foundation for AI developers, mental health specialists, policymakers and platform safety teams working on youth mental health. The focus extends beyond the response a chatbot gives after a student or young person discloses distress. The project will examine how expert judgment can be incorporated throughout an AI system, including the policies governing it, how the technology recognizes that someone may be struggling and how it connects users with support.

https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/columbia-and-jed-partner-on-teen-mental-health-safeguards-for-ai

Post-Pandemic, Online Ed Has ‘Staying Power’ - Kathryn Palmer, Inside Higher Ed

New federal data shows that about 53 percent of college students have taken an online course since 2022, compared to 36 percent in 2019.  New federal data shows that about 53 percent of college students have taken an online course since 2022, compared to 36 percent in 2019. The surge in online enrollment forced by the pandemic is leveling out. And the modality is now far more popular than it ever was during the 2010s, according to newly released federal data.  The Education Department published fall 2024 online enrollment data last month, covering more 5,615 institutions. The data shows nearly 54 percent of college students were taking at least some distance education courses during the fall of 2024, compared to about 53 percent in 2022 and 2023. Although online enrollment in 2024 was nowhere near as high as it was during the height of the pandemic—73.4 percent of college students took classes online in 2020—it’s still much higher than pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, just 36 percent of students were enrolled in some online courses.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/teaching-learning/2026/09/08/post-pandemic-online-ed-has-staying-power

Online university draws students with flexibility and training programs - NISHINIPPON SHIMBUN, Japan Times

Distance-learning universities in Japan, once largely seen as places where working adults could pursue higher education and broaden their knowledge, are increasingly becoming an option for students fresh out of high school. A striking example is Zen University, an online university opened by nonprofit Nippon Foundation and education company Dwango in April 2025. Over 4,000 students enrolled in its inaugural year, with fresh high school graduates accounting for more than half of the intake. At Zen University, which is based in Kanagawa Prefecture, all classes are offered online, through which students can earn the required academic credits. As students can attend classes without being tied to a particular place or time, they can gain work experience or engage in other activities on weekdays.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/07/japan/japan-online-universities-high-school-sudents/

Penn State joins national initiative to strengthen manufacturing workforce - Penn State

 Penn State is among eight universities selected to join a national initiative focused on preparing the future generation of workers to advance American manufacturing. The program is a collaborative partnership between higher education, industry and government to prepare the workforce for the future of manufacturing President Neeli Bendapudi joined colleagues and government officials for the launch, where she participated in a panel discussion with Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University; Douglas Girod, chancellor of University of Kansas; and Ann Fairchild, president and CEO of Siemens USA, highlighting how higher education can be a catalyst for preparing the future workforce.

https://www.psu.edu/news/administration/story/penn-state-joins-national-initiative-strengthen-manufacturing-workforce

The power of purpose, culture, and grit: An interview with JoAnne Bass - McKinsey

The Air Force’s former top enlisted leader reflects on the value of lifelong learning, writing your own playbook, and preparing the next generation to serve. I often say that you’re never too young to lead and you’re never too old to learn. If you met folks who knew me way back when, they’d say, “No way. There is no way she’s the chief master of the Air Force.” When I was younger, learning how to lead required reps and sets so that I could continue becoming the leader that our Air Force was going to need. That’s the goodness of leadership. As a young leader, I thought I had to have all the right answers. But the reality is that as you grow and become a more mature leader, you realize that you don’t have to have all the answers. You create the atmosphere so that the folks around you can thrive.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/the-power-of-purpose-culture-and-grit-an-interview-with-joanne-bass

Workforce Pell is promising, but we still need to fix what’s broken - Bill Nance, University Business

While Workforce Pell is a meaningful policy victory, we should be careful not to mistake funding access for system reform. The skilled trades gap persists because of the three critical components of workforce development—employers, education providers and funding sources—operate largely independent of one another. Employers need skilled workers now and individuals need accessible pathways into stable, high-paying careers. While funding exists to support workforce development, it is often limited in which programs are covered, as well as difficult to navigate and disconnected from the actual workforce demand. The result is a broken triangle. Students accumulate debt they do not need, employers struggle to fill essential roles, and training providers strain to bridge the gaps that should not exist in the first place. Workforce Pell can help address one side of that challenge by expanding access to training, but real progress requires redesigning how all three sides connect.

https://universitybusiness.com/workforce-pell-is-promising-but-we-still-need-to-fix-whats-broken/

Texas becomes the latest player in the three-year degree movement - Alcino Donadel, University Business

The three-year bachelor’s degree is coming to Texas, marking an emphatic expansion of the growing accelerated-degree movement. Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to build a framework for a three-year bachelor’s degree to drive down college costs and boost completion in high-wage, high-demand fields. “Every semester adds to tuition, fees, housing, food, transportation, and other living expenses, and delays students’ ability to begin their careers,” Abbott wrote when announcing the directive. Accelerated bachelor’s degrees typically require only 90 to 96 credits to complete, rather than the typical 120 that have shaped the past century.

https://universitybusiness.com/texas-becomes-the-latest-player-in-the-three-year-degree-movement/oken/

Faster Technology Cycles Mean Faster Retraining Cycles - Hugo Villar, Evolllution

Ever-faster technological change is reshaping the labor market. The World Economic Forum reports that employers expect 39% of workers’ core skills to change by 2030, identifying technological change as the leading driver of that disruption. An analysis of U.S. job postings adds a sharper data point: The average job has seen 32% of its required skills change between 2021 and 2024, one in four jobs has seen 75% skill turnover, and the pace is accelerating, with the last three years being almost as disruptive as the previous fiveThe implication for higher education is that the interval between major retraining episodes is shrinking, as are the skills acquired. What used to look like periodic professional updating is becoming a pattern of recurring bursts of upskilling and reskilling. Artificial intelligence is the most visible driver, but it is only part of a broader wave that includes biotechnology, robotics, cybersecurity, digital platforms, advanced manufacturing, healthcare technologies and education itself.

https://evolllution.com/faster-technology-cycles-mean-faster-retraining-cycles

What employers are looking for in the age of AI — and four ways to provide it - Ben Deighton, Nature

Recruiters repeatedly told Nature that, rather than specific technical skills, they’re mostly looking for candidates who are curious to learn more about AI and are able to demonstrate that on their CVs. “It’s the willingness to just roll up your sleeves and get into it, whether it’s informal training, whether it’s just spending some hours on open-source educational content,” explains Vijay Shah, dean of research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, which had almost 30 open research positions in May. This is more important than specific skills, he says, because the field is moving so quickly. If you set a litmus test that requires people to be able to use AI tools such as OpenClaw or AlphaGenome, for instance, it will quickly be outdated, he adds.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01913-x

What to check before paying for online certifications, coaching or mentorships, BBB says - KOMO

Cameron Nakashima with the Better Business Bureau said BBB sees “hundreds of complaints and negative reviews involving education, training, and coaching programs each year,” and that the volume has remained fairly steady, making it “a persistent consumer issue.” Nakashima said many of the companies offering these programs are legitimate, but the concern is whether the training or credential carries the value suggested by the advertising. Costs can range widely, from a few hundred dollars to $3,000, $5,000 or even $10,000. In some cases, consumers finish a program only to find the credential is not widely recognized or the training did not build the promised skills.

https://komonews.com/news/local/online-coaching-and-certification-training-skills-buying-into-programs-what-to-know-before-better-business-bureau

The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make now are critical. - Bill Gates, linkedIn Pulse

We need a plan to ensure that the good outweighs the bad.

• The transition to the AI era will be one of the most turbulent times in human history.
• Right now, we are not preparing adequately for that transition.
• If the world takes the right steps, AI will be a force for good and leave everyone better off

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/turbulent-ai-era-here-choices-we-make-now-critical-bill-gates-kkmze/

How New Visa Limits Are Already Affecting Colleges - Johanna Alonso, Inside Higher Ed

International applicants dropped by over 25 percent at Illinois’s flagship university and several dozen international students withdrew from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, just weeks before the start of the semester. Those are just two of the ways colleges said, in court filings, that new limits on how long international students can stay in the U.S. are already having an effect, even before the rule officially kicks in next month. Under the rule, international students can stay for only four years before seeking an extension. Previously, they could remain in the country until their studies were completed.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2026/08/24/international-student-rule-already-spurring

Now Is the Time to Plan and Prepare Your Students and Colleagues on Workplace AI - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

If ever there was a most important era in which we must emphasize discourse with our students, it is today. We are in the midst of major changes in our culture and society as a whole. How, then, do we prepare our learners to enter a job market where the primary tools are making huge advances two or three times within the span of a single semester? First, we, ourselves, must become AI fluent. Through professional development either at our own institution or online via short courses, we need to master the foundations. Then, we must build regular update readings into our weekly schedules. There are scores of high-quality blogs, podcasts and YouTube series designed to keep readers and viewers up to speed. For example, I publish a free and open daily reading list on “AI in Higher Education by UPCEA.” There are several steps in the process that we should consider applying across our curricula to ensure our graduates and certificate holders are best prepared for job interviews and ensuing careers in the rapidly changing workplace.

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/online-trending-now/2026/09/02/time-plan-and-prepare-students-and-colleagues-ai

Report: Benchmarking Online Ed - Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed

Last year, the online and professional education association UPCEA urged institutions to close the gap between student expectations on institutional preparedness for online learning as part of its annual report on the Benchmarking Online Enterprises Survey. This year’s report, released Monday, warns that the story beneath the 2026 data isn’t one of a “rising tide lifting every online enterprise equally, but rather a sector beginning to sort itself into those pulling ahead and those bracing for contraction.”

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/08/18/report-benchmarking-online-ed