Insight Into Academia

05/29/2026

“We hear a lot about what students are lacking after COVID. But what if we paid more attention to what they’re searching for?”

In this clip from Beyond the Quadcast, Dr. Shannon B. Lundeen reflects on the questions students are asking right now about identity, purpose, community, artificial intelligence, and the kind of impact they want to have on the world.

While higher ed continues navigating the long-term effects of COVID, Dr. Lundeen offers a perspective that feels both honest and hopeful. Today’s students may be facing new challenges, but they’re also deeply engaged in questions that could reshape the future of education itself.

🎧 Watch the conversation:
https://insightintoacademia.com/beyond-the-quadcast-dr-shannon-b-lundeen-on-belonging-leadership-and-the-future-of-higher-education/

05/28/2026

Nearly 40% of Latine students receiving Pell Grants say their campus doesn’t feel inclusive.

Let that sit for a second.

In this clip from our webinar on Campus Climate and Intersectionality for Students and Employees of Color, the data reveals a gap that higher education can’t afford to ignore. While most student groups reported feeling included on campus, Latine students receiving Pell Grants stood out for all the wrong reasons.

The numbers raise a bigger question: Who is higher ed actually working for and who still feels left out of the conversation?

Watch the clip and hear what the data reveals.

05/28/2026

A $100,000 college education used to sound unimaginable.

Now, conversations around tuition, affordability, and the true cost of higher education are becoming harder to ignore.

As Swarthmore College’s tuition approaches a historic milestone, the moment is sparking bigger questions across higher ed: What does value look like in 2026? Who can realistically afford these institutions? And what happens when prestige and accessibility continue moving further apart?

For students and families, the numbers are no longer just shocking. They’re reshaping decisions about college altogether.

📖 Read more:

Swarthmore College is joining a growing list of elite institutions making a direct pitch to families who may have assumed a prestigious private education was out of reach: starting in the 2027-28 academic year, any student whose family earns $200,000 or less annually — with typical assets — will...

05/27/2026

UCLA isn’t staying quiet.

As pressure around higher education, funding, governance, and public scrutiny continues to grow, the university is pushing back and the conversation is getting bigger than one campus.

This moment taps into a deeper tension happening across higher ed right now: Who gets to shape the future of universities, and how far should institutions go when defending their values, policies, and autonomy?

The response from UCLA is already sparking debate across academic circles, leadership spaces, and beyond.

📖 Read more: https://insightintoacademia.com/ucla-pushes-back/

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the University of California, targeting UCLA over its response to a pro-Palestinian encampment that took over Dickson Plaza in spring 2024. The 53-page complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, a...

05/26/2026

What if higher education reached the people the system usually leaves behind?

Cornell’s prison education program is opening new pathways for incarcerated students, proving that access to learning can reshape lives, futures, and entire communities.

As conversations around equity and opportunity continue across higher ed, programs like this are challenging institutions to think bigger about who education is truly for and what second chances can look like in practice.

This isn’t just about coursework. It’s about dignity, opportunity, and the power of education to create real change.

🔗 Read more: https://insightintoacademia.com/cornell-prison-education/

A Cornell University initiative that brings college-level education into prisons has secured a $1.5 million grant to expand its reach far beyond New York State, creating a national infrastructure for research on higher education behind bars. The Cornell Prison Education Program announced it will use...

05/21/2026

A college degree is supposed to open doors. So why are so many students still struggling to find stable pathways after graduation?

Our latest piece explores the growing link between Pell Grants, workforce development, and the pressure on higher education to deliver more than access alone.

As institutions rethink affordability, career readiness, and long-term outcomes, one thing is becoming harder to ignore: getting students in the door is only part of the equation.

The real question is what happens next.

🔗 Read more here: https://insightintoacademia.com/pell-workforce/

05/20/2026

What happens when the world stops seeing the United States as a welcoming place to study?

Across higher education, colleges and universities are beginning to confront a growing fear: declining international enrollment could reshape campuses, research programs, and institutional finances for years to come.

Visa delays. Immigration policy shifts. Rising uncertainty.

For many institutions, international students are not just part of campus culture. They are essential to innovation, research, academic excellence, and long-term sustainability.

And now, leaders across higher education are asking whether enough is being done before the damage becomes irreversible.

📖 Read the full feature in our May issue:
https://insightintoacademia.com/wp-content/media/digitalissues/may2026/index.html

05/20/2026

What happens when the nation’s highest court weighs in on who deserves protection on campus?

A new Supreme Court case tied to Title IX could reshape how colleges and universities handle discrimination, accountability, and student rights for years to come.

For students, educators, and institutions alike, this is not just another legal headline scrolling past in the news cycle.
It could redefine the rules campuses are expected to follow and the protections students rely on.

Higher education is watching closely.
Because the ripple effects may reach every campus in America.

Read more:
https://insightintoacademia.com/title-ix-scotus/

05/19/2026

Some schools are talking about innovation.

Others are actually building it.

The 2026 Innovation Award winners are officially live, highlighting the colleges and universities making real moves across higher education right now.

From AI and accessibility to student engagement and groundbreaking academic programs, these campuses are setting the pace.

See the full list of winners:
https://insightintoacademia.com/innovation-award-winners/

05/19/2026

Behind every thriving campus is someone who rarely asks for recognition.

The advisor who stays late.
The mentor who checks in.
The faculty member who changes a student’s confidence, future, or entire direction in life.

That’s why we created Higher Ed Heroes.

Each month, selected nominees are featured in Insight Into Academia magazine and highlighted across our platforms, giving national recognition to the people quietly making a lasting impact in higher education.

These stories deserve more than a passing thank you.
They deserve to be seen.

Know someone who has made a difference on your campus?

Nominate them today and help us celebrate the people powering higher education from within.

📖 See this month’s Higher Ed Heroes featured in the magazine:
https://insightintoacademia.com/wp-content/media/digitalissues/may2026/index.html

🏆 Submit a nomination and help spotlight the next Higher Ed Hero.