Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
UIC and WordPress Foundation Launch Workforce-focused AI Literacy Course
CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 4 -- The University of Illinois Chicago campus issued the following news release:
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UIC and WordPress Foundation launch workforce-focused AI literacy course
The University of Illinois Chicago and the WordPress Foundation have launched the UIC Tech Solutions Open Source Fund, an initiative to accelerate open-source systems. Made possible by a donation from tech firm Automattic, the fund will support the country's first workforce-focused AI literacy course, AI Leaders, empowering learners to get jobs that require AI skills.
The online class starts in March and comes
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CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 4 -- The University of Illinois Chicago campus issued the following news release:
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UIC and WordPress Foundation launch workforce-focused AI literacy course
The University of Illinois Chicago and the WordPress Foundation have launched the UIC Tech Solutions Open Source Fund, an initiative to accelerate open-source systems. Made possible by a donation from tech firm Automattic, the fund will support the country's first workforce-focused AI literacy course, AI Leaders, empowering learners to get jobs that require AI skills.
The online class starts in March and comeswith access to physical workspaces at, among other locations, UIC, Louisiana Tech University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, all of which are partner schools in the effort. The first cohort is limited to 80 students from Illinois and Louisiana; UIC students will receive priority to apply for the course before enrollment is expanded to the public. Enrollees start with an orientation covering generative AI tools and AI literacy. From there, 40 are selected for a class that leads to the AI Leader WordPress Micro-Credential and an opportunity to secure a living-wage job. Students who complete the course earn $1,000.
"Open source is the fastest path to shared progress in accessibility and AI literacy," said Jason Maslanka, UIC assistant vice chancellor for innovation and chief technology officer. "This fund is designed to deliver tools and training that are practical, auditable and scalable, advancing UIC's mission to provide the broadest access possible."
The Open Source Fund aims to advance workforce-ready learning models and ensure the work of IT serves the greater mission of an academic institution. Open-source platforms like WordPress have source code publicly available under a license that lets anyone run, study, modify and redistribute the code. Blake Bertuccelli-Booth, UIC assistant director of digital accessibility engineering, will administer the fund and teach the AI Leaders course.
"Every project we fund must have measurable value for the UIC community, as well as open and reusable resources the public can adopt, improve and scale," said Bertuccelli-Booth.
"WordPress was built to expand access to publishing and participation on the open web," said Mary Hubbard, executive director of WordPress. "With support from Automattic and UIC, this work extends the WordPress project's mission into AI literacy, bringing together open-source tools, curriculum and hands-on training that students and institutions can adopt, improve and scale."
To apply for the course, visit the AI Leaders webpage, where strong candidates are immediately invited to participate in an orientation. To support the fund through partnership and follow the work, visit the Open Source Fund webpage (https://osf.it.uic.edu/).
WordPress is an open-source publishing platform that powers a significant share of the global web and supports developers, educators and creators worldwide. The nonprofit WordPress Foundation manages WordPress trademarks.
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Original text here: https://today.uic.edu/uic-and-wordpress-foundation-launch-workforce-focused-ai-literacy-course/
S.D. State University: Making Their Mark - How Jackrabbits are Helping Build Community in Milbank
BROOKINGS, South Dakota, Feb. 4 -- South Dakota State University issued the following news:
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Making their mark: How Jackrabbits are helping build community in Milbank
Seventy miles separate Brookings, home of South Dakota State University, and Milbank, a community of 3,500 people to the north.
The miles melt away, however, when looking at the impact the school has had on the town and the town has had on the school.
Milbank residents who are proud SDSU graduates often travel down Interstate 29 to support Jackrabbits graduates. And Milbank's Main Street and primary industry is populated
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BROOKINGS, South Dakota, Feb. 4 -- South Dakota State University issued the following news:
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Making their mark: How Jackrabbits are helping build community in Milbank
Seventy miles separate Brookings, home of South Dakota State University, and Milbank, a community of 3,500 people to the north.
The miles melt away, however, when looking at the impact the school has had on the town and the town has had on the school.
Milbank residents who are proud SDSU graduates often travel down Interstate 29 to support Jackrabbits graduates. And Milbank's Main Street and primary industry is populatedwith current SDSU students and alumni determined to see the town prosper.
"We just feel, you know, that desire to give back to the community and do what we can to make it a better place," said Mark Leddy, who received a master's degree in economics from SDSU in 1987. "The dollars we've invested on Main Street, I can see the impact of those, and I would encourage others to do it."
Susan Leddy also graduated in 1987 along with her husband, Mark, but from SDSU's College of Nursing. She returned to SDSU several years later. The Leddys had returned to Milbank after living in the Twin Cities and in Connecticut for several years.
She thought there was something more she could do to help her hometown, Susan Leddy said, so she enrolled in SDSU's new Master of Science in Nursing program. The program has a particular focus on rural health care, but it also meets nurses and potential students wherever their interests lie, from emergency-room care to working in large teaching institutions, she said.
Susan Leddy retired after working as a nurse practitioner for 27 years.
Well, not exactly retired. Intrigued by an empty building on Milbank's Main Street that just needed what she called "a little lipstick," Susan Leddy and a health-care coworker who also is an outstanding baker opened The Bank coffee house in 2021. The Bank is one of 10 storefronts that Mark Leddy has restored on Milbank's Main Street.
About a block away from that business is a gift shop and independent bookstore that two SDSU graduates opened in 2015 at another location. Sisters Sara Snaza and Amy Thue attended a seminar where the local economic development corporation sought input on possible Milbank improvements. An ice-skating rink was opened because of that meeting, and Snaza and Thue received an economic development grant for two months' rent.
After remodeling a century-old building, their shop Whimsy on Main opened in 2017, completing the transition from a pop-up shop to a storefront.
Thue, a 1999 SDSU graduate who majored in advertising, said she has moved full circle and now uses the marketing skills she learned at college.
"It gives us a lot of joy and happiness. Our mission statement is to foster creativity literacy and community, and we can do all of that just with our little store," said Snaza, who graduated in 1996 with a degree in sociology.
Returning to their hometown was always a goal for Snaza and her husband, who would come back to Milbank every summer during their years at SDSU. They returned permanently 22 years ago.
Thue also sampled other cities before her return to Milbank. It's an ideal location for a small business, she said, since any big-box store is at least 45 miles away.
"A big part of why we do what we do (is) because we want Milbank to just thrive," she said.
Perhaps the deepest SDSU-Milbank connection is apparent at Valley Queen Cheese, which was founded in 1929 by two Swiss immigrants named Alfred -- Alfred Nef and Alfred Gonzenbach. Mark Leddy served as Valley Queen's chief executive officer for many years before focusing on development projects that would ensure Milbank's vibrancy and future growth.
Economic development efforts established the GrandStay Hotel and Suites Milbank in 2018. Mark Leddy's current focus is spearheading the construction of a day care center. Its target construction date is 2027.
Nathan Bass said Valley Queen makes an impact on Milbank not only as an employer but through the foundation it established to contribute to the community. Programs the foundation has supported range from educational tools to recreational activities that will draw people to Milbank, he said.
Bass, now Valley Queen's vice president of operations, graduated from SDSU in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering. While he left that field for management, his education at SDSU prepared him with analytical skills and the ability to think outside the box.
"It's a great university to grow and get yourself set up to be successful in the future," said Bass, one of four siblings to graduate from SDSU.
Valley Queen and SDSU share a long history, Bass said. The cheese plant offered significant financial support when SDSU needed a new dairy plant. Valley Queen can use that plant when new product development is in the trial stages.
SDSU also has supplied Valley Queen with numerous interns over the years, some of whom have stayed to become leaders at the company.
"I think it's going to continue for a lot of years, too," Bass said.
Raul Berrones is currently an SDSU student majoring in dairy manufacturing with a microbiology specialization. His internship offers him the opportunity to apply what he has learned and put it into what he calls "a real job."
"With the knowledge and skills I'm getting at SDSU, I can make a difference, whether it's saving water or making a new product," said Berrones, who said he was "born an inner-city kid." That could be one reason SDSU's small-community feel appealed to him, as does Milbank's actual small-town size.
"It's important for me to show kids it doesn't matter who you are, anybody and everybody can be involved in agriculture," he said. "For me, post graduating at SDSU, I'd love to work at Valley Queen, on the cheese side or any place."
Lance Johnson understands Berrones' enthusiasm. He has spent almost 30 years of his working life at Valley Queen, but despite a degree in dairy manufacturing, he graduated in 1984 thinking he was going to enter the insurance field. When he realized within weeks that it wasn't what he wanted, he called his former adviser at SDSU and within 30 minutes had two interviews lined up.
By 1985, he was at Valley Queen. He had inspected the plant while working for the United States Department of Agriculture, and an impressed Johnson knew that's where he wanted to work.
"Milbank wouldn't be what it is today without Valley Queen," Johnson said. "I'm blessed to have worked here."
In addition to work skills, Valley Queen taught him the meaning of philanthropy and the importance of giving back to a community with no need for recognition, he said.
SDSU taught Johnson and the other alumni who work at Valley Queen the importance of taking chances, he said. The business' willingness to invest in research and development comes from what its employees learned at the Brookings university.
At SDSU, Johnson said, he had a professor who told his students not to memorize their textbooks but to understand the lessons.
"I still use some of the old formulas I learned back in the day," he said.
To Milbank's good fortune, it has other industries, a thriving health-care system and a school district that is an ideal size, Thue said. It offers many professional opportunities while retaining its small-town assets.
"It's amazing the young families that have moved back in the last year," she said. "A lot of them have been in Sioux Falls, and they've realized they want to raise their families here."
Mark Leddy's family moved to Grant County in 1881 when great-grandparents bought land and started a farm. His wife's grandfather, Valley Queen founder Alfred Nef, moved to Milbank in 1929. Both Leddys graduated from Milbank High School and appreciate the deep roots they have in the community.
They also appreciate that the chance to advance their education was just down the road.
"I can honestly say we need SDSU," Susan Leddy said. "The Board of Regents has made wise decisions on the programs they will allow SDSU to award and how to attract students into those fields."
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Original text here: https://www.sdstate.edu/news/2026/02/making-their-mark-how-jackrabbits-are-helping-build-community-milbank
Middlebury Institute of International Studies: Seeds of Extremism - Ecofascism and Militant Accelerationism in a Warming World
MONTEREY, California, Feb. 4 (TNSrpt) -- The Middlebury Institute of International Studies issued the following news:
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Seeds of Extremism: Ecofascism and Militant Accelerationism in a Warming World
By Isabela Bernardo
Climate change and violent extremism represent two of the most significant challenges confronting contemporary global security. Yet their intersection, and particularly the specific mechanisms through which extremist ideologies exploit environmental crises for recruitment, mobilization, and justification of violence, has received insufficient integrated analysis connecting
... Show Full Article
MONTEREY, California, Feb. 4 (TNSrpt) -- The Middlebury Institute of International Studies issued the following news:
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Seeds of Extremism: Ecofascism and Militant Accelerationism in a Warming World
By Isabela Bernardo
Climate change and violent extremism represent two of the most significant challenges confronting contemporary global security. Yet their intersection, and particularly the specific mechanisms through which extremist ideologies exploit environmental crises for recruitment, mobilization, and justification of violence, has received insufficient integrated analysis connectingideological, tactical, and structural dimensions.
This gap carries significant consequences: as climate impacts accelerate and environmental anxieties intensify, movements positioned to exploit these dynamics gain expanded opportunities for radicalization, while counterterrorism and conflict transformation efforts operate without an adequate understanding of the ideological architectures they confront.
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REPORT: https://www.middlebury.edu/institute/sites/default/files/2026-02/FINAL DRAFT_ Seeds of Extremism FOR PUBLICATION.pdf?fv=0ClZVcEv
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Original text here: https://www.middlebury.edu/institute/academics/centers-initiatives/ctec/ctec-publications/seeds-extremism-ecofascism-and-militant
In All Honesty: Study From BGSU Researcher Finds That Telling the Truth is Correlated With Better Criminal Justice Outcomes
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio, Feb. 4 -- Bowling Green State University issued the following news:
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In all honesty: Study from BGSU researcher finds that telling the truth is correlated with better criminal justice outcomes
Associate sociology professor Thomas Mowen, Ph.D., found that lying behaviors proved to be an ineffective strategy in criminal justice contexts
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Research from a Bowling Green State University faculty member found that one of the best strategies in the context of the criminal justice system was an old-fashioned virtue: telling the truth.
Thomas Mowen, Ph.D., an associate professor
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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio, Feb. 4 -- Bowling Green State University issued the following news:
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In all honesty: Study from BGSU researcher finds that telling the truth is correlated with better criminal justice outcomes
Associate sociology professor Thomas Mowen, Ph.D., found that lying behaviors proved to be an ineffective strategy in criminal justice contexts
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Research from a Bowling Green State University faculty member found that one of the best strategies in the context of the criminal justice system was an old-fashioned virtue: telling the truth.
Thomas Mowen, Ph.D., an associate professorof sociology at BGSU, published a study in the journal Deviant Behavior that examined whether lying behaviors - purposely being deceitful in an attempt to gain an advantage - actually worked in the criminal justice system.
Using a sample of emerging adults, Mowen and co-authors Amanda Heitkamp, Ph.D., and Kyle Bares, Ph.D., found that people who said they regularly participate in lying behaviors also believed they were effective at influencing others by lying.
But Mowen found a gap in previous research.
"Lying to gain an advantage sounds really straightforward, but there's a critical question: Does it actually work?" Mowen said. "There has not been a lot of literature about whether lying is really a good strategy."
Mowen said he hoped the research would provide a key data point about the criminal justice system, in which many stakeholders are influenced by the prospect of lying behaviors.
Given the high stakes of being charged with a crime and possibly incarcerated, Mowen said many stakeholders believe lying is at play in most criminal justice settings
"We say that a person is innocent until proven guilty, but in the context of the criminal justice system, if someone is on trial, there often is the perception that they are guilty," Mowen said. "Almost everyone who is on trial says they are innocent, so there is a widespread presumption that a lot of them are lying, but we don't often talk about it that way."
To quantify the behavior, the research team used a sample in which participants were asked big-picture questions about what role certain behaviors played in their lives. The team then isolated questions about how frequently they lie, how much it's part of their lifestyle and whether they lie simply for the sake of lying.
Mowen said the group originally hypothesized that lying was similar to a skill, in which consistent repetition would lead to improvement.
After reviewing data from their sample, however, Mowen said the research team was stunned to find the opposite was true. In the case of lying behaviors, experience did not prove advantageous in the criminal justice system.
The people who said they were skilled in the art of lying actually were far more likely to go to prison than those who were generally truthful.
"My co-authors and I thought that the more practice you had, you would be better at it: you ought to be able to convince a judge or a jury that you're innocent more effectively than a person who is truthful," Mowen said. "What I found was that those folks were way more likely to go back to prison than the people who said they tended to be more honest in their interactions. That was really shocking."
When compared to the rest of the sample size, Mowen said the data showed a strong correlation between lying behaviors and incarceration.
In the end, researchers found something of a paradox: the self-described "good liars" were in fact more likely to face negative criminal justice outcomes.
"People who think they're better at lying - they tell more lies, and they know it - say they use lies to try to get others to do what they want them to do," he said. "These people not only tell lies, but they believe they're good at it.
"Really, lying doesn't help you at all in the criminal justice system; in fact, lying really puts you at greater risk of incarceration."
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Original text here: https://www.bgsu.edu/news/2026/02/in-all-honesty-study-from-bgsu-researcher-finds-that-telling-the-truth-is-correlated-with-better-criminal-justice-outcomes.html
FIU's First Affiliated Off-campus Housing Facility to Add 820 Beds Near Modesto A. Maidique Campus
MIAMI, Florida, Feb. 4 -- Florida International University, a component of the public university system in Florida, issued the following news:
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FIU's first affiliated off-campus housing facility to add 820 beds near Modesto A. Maidique campus
By Lauren Cuellar
A new high-rise student housing facility planned just steps from Florida International University's Modesto A. Maidique Campus will significantly expand living options for students seeking a campus-connected residential experience.
The 21-story building, planned for a site directly across from campus on 107 Avenue in Sweetwater,
... Show Full Article
MIAMI, Florida, Feb. 4 -- Florida International University, a component of the public university system in Florida, issued the following news:
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FIU's first affiliated off-campus housing facility to add 820 beds near Modesto A. Maidique campus
By Lauren Cuellar
A new high-rise student housing facility planned just steps from Florida International University's Modesto A. Maidique Campus will significantly expand living options for students seeking a campus-connected residential experience.
The 21-story building, planned for a site directly across from campus on 107 Avenue in Sweetwater,will offer 820 beds in apartment-style units designed specifically for students. Construction is expected to be completed in 2028, with students moving in for the Fall 2028 semester.
The facility will become FIU's first affiliated off-campus student housing development, created through a long-term housing agreement that integrates the building into the university's residential life ecosystem. While privately owned, developed and operated, the building will include an FIU residence director living on site, coordinating student programming, engagement activities, and support services--extending the campus residential experience beyond university-owned housing.
"FIU's student success agenda requires housing solutions that are convenient, high quality, and closely aligned with the campus experience," said FIU President Jeanette M. Nunez. "This project expands options for our students within minutes of the Modesto A. Maidique Campus, strengthens the residential experience through FIU supported programming, and reflects the kind of mission aligned collaboration that delivers real value for our students and our community."
Demand for student housing near FIU continues to outpace supply. FIU currently has a new on-campus residence hall under construction, yet demand remains strong, with a continued waitlist for university-owned housing.
"Even as we add significant new housing on campus, the demand from students for a residential experience close to FIU remains exceptionally high," said Andrew Naylor, senior director of housing and residential experience at FIU. "This affiliated facility allows us to respond to that demand thoughtfully--by expanding capacity while ensuring students still benefit from the programming, support, and sense of belonging that define FIU housing."
Today, approximately 10,000 FIU students live on campus or within walking distance of the Modesto A. Maidique Campus, creating one of the most vibrant university-adjacent residential communities in South Florida. University leaders say expanding housing options near campus is critical to student success, supporting retention, engagement, and timely degree completion.
The project also reflects FIU's continued upward trajectory as a leading public research university. As FIU expands its research enterprise, earns national recognition, and advances toward its goal of becoming a Top 30 public university by 2030, student interest and enrollment demand have grown in parallel. University leaders say that momentum--combined with FIU's academic strength, research profile, and student success outcomes--is driving sustained demand for housing near campus, making strategic, campus-connected residential options a core part of FIU's long-term planning.
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Original text here: https://news.fiu.edu/2026/fius-first-affiliated-off-campus-housing-facility-to-add-820-beds-near-modesto-a-maidique-campus
Dartmouth Recognized for Fostering International Studies
HANOVER, New Hampshire, Feb. 4 -- Dartmouth College issued the following news:
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Dartmouth Recognized for Fostering International Studies
The university ranks fifth nationally as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution.
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For the fourth year running, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational Affairs has recognized Dartmouth as a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students.
It's a designation Dartmouth has earned a total of seven times since the Fulbright Program--the U.S. government's flagship program for international academic exchange--began in 1946.
Dartmouth ranks fifth in the
... Show Full Article
HANOVER, New Hampshire, Feb. 4 -- Dartmouth College issued the following news:
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Dartmouth Recognized for Fostering International Studies
The university ranks fifth nationally as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution.
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For the fourth year running, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational Affairs has recognized Dartmouth as a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students.
It's a designation Dartmouth has earned a total of seven times since the Fulbright Program--the U.S. government's flagship program for international academic exchange--began in 1946.
Dartmouth ranks fifth in thenation as a Fulbright producer.
A record 32 Dartmouth students and alumni were offered Fulbright awards for scholarship or teaching last year in countries including El Salvador, Kosovo, Greece, China, and Mozambique. Twenty-six of these awardees accepted the grants, and at least 20 are currently overseas in the Fulbright program.
Christie Harner, associate dean of undergraduate education for fellowships and scholars programs, says receiving the top producer designation four times in a row is "an honor."
"We have Fulbright recipients on five continents, teaching English and studying and researching everything from AI and medical advances to disability politics and the history of classical mathematics--a true mark of Dartmouth's expansive liberal arts education," Harner says.
Since its inception, the Fulbright Program has provided students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals--including more than 305 Dartmouth graduates--opportunities to live, study, teach, and research in more than 160 countries.
More information about Fulbright awards through Dartmouth is available from the Fellowships Office (https://students.dartmouth.edu/fellowship-advising/).
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Original text here: https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2026/02/dartmouth-recognized-fostering-international-studies
Boston University Ranks 41st in Time's Inaugural Ranking of World's Top Universities
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Feb. 4 -- Boston University issued the following news:
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Boston University Ranks 41st in Time's Inaugural Ranking of World's Top Universities
With emphasis on global engagement, economic impact, and research innovation, BU outpaces several Ivy League schools
By Rich Barlow
Time has ranked Boston University 41st in its list of the World's Top Universities of 2026, the publication's first such ranking. BU's global footprint--measured by both its economic impact and its community of international students and scholars--drove the impressive showing in Time's and consumer
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Feb. 4 -- Boston University issued the following news:
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Boston University Ranks 41st in Time's Inaugural Ranking of World's Top Universities
With emphasis on global engagement, economic impact, and research innovation, BU outpaces several Ivy League schools
By Rich Barlow
Time has ranked Boston University 41st in its list of the World's Top Universities of 2026, the publication's first such ranking. BU's global footprint--measured by both its economic impact and its community of international students and scholars--drove the impressive showing in Time's and consumerdata company Statista R's compilation of the 100 top universities.
The rankings were compiled and calculated based on three key metrics:
* "Academic capacity & performance," including per-student spending, per-faculty member research income, faculty-to-student and staff-to-student ratios, and a university's overall financial resources
* "Innovation and economic impact" globally, measured by things such as the number and value of technological developments generated by a school, its massive open online courses (MOOCs), and the number of alumni in top executive positions at major companies worldwide, and
* "Global engagement," measured by the number of international students (especially undergraduates) and faculty, as well as international visitors to a university's website.
"The ranking places emphasis on the extent to which students achieve extraordinary success, for instance in patenting new inventions or rising to leadership roles in business," Time writes.
To qualify for consideration, schools had to be older than three years, offer bachelor's degrees, and enroll more than 2,000 students.
The metrics Time used to rank schools align with many of the priorities that BU President Melissa Gilliam highlighted in her first Presidential Address January 28. In that speech, Gilliam laid out her "North Star" vision statement for BU: "Boston University will be the global destination of discovery, education, and human connection--an epicenter where disciplines, communities, and realities merge and visionary thinkers unite to create transformative experiences and solutions for the world's greatest challenges."
The Time ranking links to "inspiring and impactful" ideas and technologies from BU researchers, including a BU-developed device that speeds up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, a robotic exosuit that can help ease a person's back pain, and the University's world-leading research on head trauma and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).
Time also used its inaugural ranking to advocate that universities eliminate "legacy" admission preferences for children of alumni--a preference BU does not give. By contrast, the University has become a national model for admitting and supporting low-income and first-generation college students, through such initiatives as its Newbury Center, which supports first generation undergrad, grad, and professional students, and the Menino Scholarships and Community Service Awards.
Time placed Oxford University in the United Kingdom as the world's best university, with US schools rounding out the top six: Yale, Stanford, MIT, the University of Chicago, and Harvard. BU placed ahead of Ivy League Universities Brown (42), Dartmouth (43), and Columbia (54), as well as New York University (83) and Northwestern (96).
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Original text here: https://www.bu.edu/articles/2026/times-ranking-top-world-universities/
