Topic · 3 reports

Higher education

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MS NOW panel pushes back on Sean Duffy's Harvard warning to daughter

Aug 20, 2026

The segment examines Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's comments on his YouTube reality series The Great American Road Trip, where he tells his daughter Paloma that Harvard has "professionalized" taking "good young girls" and corrupting their minds by lacking viewpoint balance. Two conservative Ivy League alumni guests—Mona Charen (Columbia) and another who attended a conservative Christian school then liberal law school and now teaches at Lipscomb University—push back, arguing indoctrination is overstated, students aren't easily swayed, and exposure to opposing views strengthens convictions. They highlight intolerance for disagreement as the real issue, cite Harvard's poor free-speech ranking, and encourage conservative students to attend elite schools with an open mind rather than fear.

▶ Source: MS NOW

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Arizona State University launches content creation bachelor's degree

Aug 18, 2026

The segment reports on Arizona State University's new Bachelor of Arts in Content Creation, offered through the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. It covers curriculum elements like video and social media production alongside traditional media courses, student motivations for avoiding traditional jobs, and the broader creator economy context. Other universities are noted as offering similar classes or degrees to attract students amid enrollment pressures. Sourcing draws on expert commentary, an AP-NORC study, and general industry observations about earnings and transferable skills.

▶ Source: Associated Press

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Hundreds of private U.S. colleges face closure risk as enrollment declines

Aug 13, 2026

USA TODAY's The Excerpt interviews Jon Marcus of the Hechinger Report about the impending closure of Sterling College, a small experiential liberal arts school in rural Vermont that ended degree programs in spring 2026. The segment explores why small private colleges are struggling, the emotional and practical toll on students who value intimate learning environments, low transfer and completion rates after closures, and the loss of economic and demographic pipelines in rural communities. Marcus discusses broader trends including the demographic cliff from lower birth rates during the Great Recession and questions about the return on investment in higher education.

▶ Source: USA TODAY