Legend Labs

This week, Legend Labs is featuring some of the most compelling owned content we’ve seen from college leaders during the Fall Semester. Canary will be back in the new year, starting with a look at the most important higher education stories of the winter break. Happy Holidays, and see you in 2025!

The Fall 2024 semester has been relatively quieter for administrators and communicators compared to the previous two. Nevertheless, reputation-related challenges have persisted. This week’s special Canary report highlights the key topics that have continued to shape conversations and offers insights into what's likely to gain prominence in 2025.

The word ‘provost’ is getting attention—from its definition in the New York Times’ ‘word of the day’ to the critical role these chief academic officers play in campus decision-making and communications. This week’s Canary report examines how provosts are perceived and the internal and external messaging challenges they face. Also covered this week: - BDS on campus and new legislation targeting universities that divest from Israeli interests - How foreign students are preparing for shifting immigration policies - Universities revising or removing mandatory diversity statements for faculty - Presidential search criteria debates, including dropping college degree requirements

This week's Canary report offers a post-Thanksgiving look at the University of Austin and the rise of civics centers on campus. #HigherEducation #HigherEd #HigherEdLeadership

An uptick in both the number and intensity of student protests is feeding media interest in what a second term for President-elect Donald Trump will look like for the pro-Palestinian movement on campus — as well as higher education more widely. In this week's Canary, we examine new developments and how universities are shifting policies in multiple directions. Also covered this week: - Admissions accessibility - DEI and over-compliance - Campus safety technology

Two weeks on from the election, universities continue to grapple with the ramifications of a second Trump administration. In terms of what's next, some leaders have called for resistance, while others urge reflection and recalibration. Also covered in this week's report: - State governments double down on cuts, freezes, and cultural shifts in academia. - College football's image takes a hit as incidents bring fines and arrests in the SEC and Big 12. - Controversial events on campus on and around Veteran's Day. - A surge in interest from U.S. students looking to study abroad after the election. #HigherEd #HigherEducation #HigherEducationLeadership #HigherEdCommunications

The week of the 2024 Presidential Election was relatively quiet on college campuses—at least in comparison to the height of protests universities experienced in the Spring of this year. However, university leaders are closely evaluating the road ahead, with President-Elect Trump and Vice President-Elect Vance signaling potential changes in higher education policy. Also covered in this week’s report: - CSU’s innovative graduation initiative focuses on career readiness. - Law schools see an influx of applications — up nearly 40% early on. - Ticket prices on the rise as athletic departments pass revenue-sharing costs to fans. - National security concerns prompt a push to re-evaluate foreign partnerships in academia. #HigherEd #HigherEducation #HigherEducationLeadership #Communications

In this week’s Canary report, the admissions debate is back in focus. 16 months out from SCOTUS’s ruling on affirmative action, recent trends in online conversation reveal that legacy, wealth, and politics still play a powerful and contentious role. This week’s edition also covers: - MBA programs bouncing back - Emory’s endowment investment in Bitcoin - Student voter priorities - AGs back Columbia’s resistance to divestment pressure - Connecticut Governor calls for an audit of the state university system following reports of “lavish” spending

The question is when, not if, a crisis will hit your company. Will be you be prepared? This panel for the Director-Executive Summit with Texas McCombs School of Business will help: Cunningham William Jeff Hunt John T. Montford and Yvonne Puig. INFO: tiny.cc/de-summit Baker Botts Gibson Dunn Jackson Walker LLP Latham & Watkins Norton Rose Fulbright PwC Sullivan & Cromwell LLP NACD Texas TriCities Chapter

In this week’s Canary report, we analyzed the controversy surrounding San Jose State University and how recent forfeitures have reignited the national debate on transgender participation in collegiate athletics. Other stories we are watching this week: - New research reveals a significant drop in academics engaging on X. - Freshman enrollment declines, particularly at four-year colleges. - Universities increasingly relying on video footage for student conduct. - The latest survey by Westat shows concerning statistics on sexual misconduct on campus. #HigherEd #HigherEducation #HigherEdLeadership #HigherEducationLeadership #crisismanagement