Most Students Aren’t Radical—They’re Just Scared To Speak
“The secret is: you’re not alone.” That line hit hard in this conversation between Don Lemon and BridgeUSA’s Manu Meel. Students today aren’t more radical than they used to be—they’re just more afraid: of being graded down, of being socially exiled, of saying the “wrong” thing in the wrong room. Manu’s story is a reminder […]
From Protest to Possibility: A Hopeful Look at Gen Z
“Gen Z has been a lot less stuck in some of these identity differences… and my hope is that that openness remains with this generation and gets carried forward.” That’s Paul Haridakis, Director of Communication Studies at Kent State. He doesn’t believe polarization is worse than in the past—it’s just more visible now, amplified by […]
The Reading Crisis
Even students at Columbia are saying they can’t read a book in a week. One told her professor she’d never been assigned a full book in school. This isn’t just a student issue—it’s the result of education reforms that prioritized standardized testing over reading comprehension and stamina. As Jared Henderson points out, students were taught […]
USD’s Model: A College Experience Built on Character, Competency, and Citizenship
James T. Harris III, President of the University of San Diego, says college isn’t just about academics—it’s about developing “character, competency, and citizenship.” Those values used to define higher ed. Today, they’re often missing. At USD, students don’t rush into a major. They’re given room to reflect, explore, and make good decisions. “Employers want critical […]
Bill Ackman Warns: Our Future Leaders Deserve Diverse Ideas
Bill Ackman on the crisis of viewpoint diversity at elite universities: “How can you explore how to think when you’re only shared a certain point of view?” He reminds us that places like Harvard shape the next generation of leaders in government, law, and business. If these students are taught only one side of the […]
ASU Professor’s Lawsuit Challenges Mandatory DEI Training as Ideological Coercion
ASU professor Owen Anderson is suing over mandatory DEI training that labeled the U.S. “structurally racist from its very beginning” and addressed “the problems of whiteness.” He calls it ideological coercion for state employees. “That I haven’t yet faced consequences doesn’t mean the training is consistent with the law.” The lawsuit, backed by Goldwater Institute, […]
Can Trump Force Harvard to Improve?
Three outcomes are possible in Donald Trump’s war with Harvard: Scenario one is that the nation’s top private universities remain delusional about the dozen reasons a large and growing share of the public distrusts them. The “plan” is to avoid institutional course-correction and seek protection from the courts and ultimate rescue from the Democratic Party […]
Jewish students storm out of MIT commencement after class president accuses university of aiding Israel’s ‘genocide’
Jewish students stormed out of their graduation ceremony Thursday after a Massachusetts Institute of Technology commencement speaker accused the prestigious institution of supporting the erasure of “Palestine from the face of the Earth.” Megha M. Vemuri, president of the Class of 2025, sparked a mixture of boos and cheers as she started her controversial speech […]
America’s DEI colleges get an ‘F’ on free expression
Another chaotic school year has ended at universities, and the graduates have danced across the stage waving diplomas that are shrinking in significance. Here’s hoping college administrators find time during their leisurely summer breaks to recognize their roles in diminishing the academy, largely because they have lost a commitment to rigorous truth-seeking that can only […]
AFSA Member Profile: Michigan State
AFSA is here to support our member groups in any way that we can. I have a particularly rewarding win for one of our key board members, where our support played a big part that I want to share with you. Most of you are aware that Michigan State professor and AFSA group founding member […]
