Straws in the Wind - Part 68

From the Columbia Daily Spectator: Barnard laid off 77 full-time staff members as part of a one-time, collegewide “restructuring,” Barnard President Laura Rosenbury announced in a... community update. Faculty were not impacted by the layoffs, according to Rosenbury. The college notified staff members that they were being laid off..., Rosenbury wrote. Barnard announced the layoffs amid a debt crisis that climbed to a projected $252 million as of fiscal year 2025 against a $503 million endowment as of fiscal year 2024. Barnard’s deficit hit $26.1 million in 2024.

“This is a painful moment, as many of those leaving have helped shape the Barnard we know today,” Rosenbury wrote. “We are deeply grateful to all of our colleagues for their contributions to our community.” She emphasized that the college is not reducing “instructional services.”

Union employees who were laid off will receive the benefits outlined in their collective bargaining agreements, while nonunion employees will receive severance, two months of health insurance, and job search assistance, according to Rosenbury. She added that laid off employees will retain access to the employee assistance program, which provides short-term counseling to employees...

Full story at https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2025/07/31/barnard-lays-off-77-full-time-staff-members-in-collegewide-restructuring/.

From WKRN: Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee Knoxville have hired outside firms to investigate the status of their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs following leaked videos that reportedly show university staff admitting the programs haven’t changed despite state and federal law banning the practice. Vanderbilt University announced it had hired the firm Baker Donelson to conduct an independent investigation. The University released the following statement:

“Vanderbilt has hired the firm Baker Donelson to conduct an independent review of recent incidents involving covert recordings of university employees. Baker Donelson will be tasked with reviewing the specific circumstances related to the recordings and identifying steps the university can take to ensure all employees fully understand the university’s policies and consistently act in accordance. The university will review the findings and recommendations of the report and take any appropriate follow-up actions. As part of our protocol, staff involved will step back from regular responsibilities to allow the review to unfold. Vanderbilt is committed to being a destination for the most promising individuals from a broad range of perspectives and creating an environment where they can realize their full potential.” 

It comes after the conservative website, Townhall, obtained secret recordings of what some Republican lawmakers say are university staff at Belmont, Vanderbilt, and UT Knoxville saying the schools have not stopped their DEI programs...

Full story at https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/vanderbilt-ut-launch-investigations-into-dei-program-status/.