Straws in the Wind - Part 227

From Inside Higher Ed: Clemson University has agreed to rescind the termination of Joshua Bregy, an assistant professor in the department of environmental engineering and earth sciences, nearly four months after dismissing him for resharing a post on his personal Facebook page that criticized the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Bregy sued after he was terminated on Sept. 26, claiming that his firing violated his First Amendment rights. 

As part of the settlement, Bregy will receive pay and benefits “throughout the original term of his employment,” the ACLU of South Carolina, which represented Bregy, said in a news release. In addition, Clemson provost Robert Jones agreed to “provide positive letters of recommendation to potential employers based on Dr. Bregy’s classroom teaching.” For Bregy’s part, he agreed to drop his lawsuit and resign from his position at Clemson effective May 15, 2026. He will not have any teaching, research or other faculty obligations through the spring semester, according to the release...

Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/01/13/clemson-settles-professor-fired-kirk-comments.

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From the Brown Daily Herald: All [Brown] University owned and occupied buildings equipped with card readers will require Brown ID swipe access as the spring semester begins, Interim Vice President of Public Safety Hugh Clements and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Sarah Latham announced in a Friday email to the Brown community. Beginning Jan. 20, buildings with classrooms will require card swipe access between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., but “building-specific accessibility will vary beyond these hours to accommodate student organization activities, events, meetings and other programming,” the email reads. Buildings offering “shared campus services” will remain accessible to all community members with a Brown ID during standard business hours.

The University has already implemented security enhancements in Barus and Holley, the Engineering Research Center and the Lassonde Innovation and Design Hub, such as placing cameras at all entrances and exits and installing door alarms to signal propped doors. Brown public safety officers will continue to provide security in these spaces as classes begin, according to the email...

Full story at https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2026/01/brown-enforces-id-swipe-access-for-equipped-buildings-enhances-security-as-spring-semester-begins.

Straws in the Wind - Part 100

From Inside Higher Ed: Clemson University is scrapping a number of faculty and staff commissions that were set up to advise university leaders about how to support specific groups. The now-sunsetted groups included the Accessibility Commission, the Asian Pacific Islander DESI American Commission, the Commission on the Black Experience, the Commission on Latino Affairs, the LGBTQ Commission, the Veterans Commission and the Commission on Women, according to the Internet Archive. Clemson officials said in a news release Wednesday that “the commissions have successfully fulfilled their important charge, making a lasting impression on the value, strength and growth of the Clemson community and our campus.”

The right-wing think tank the Heritage Foundation, in a report released Tuesday, listed the Clemson commissions as an example of ways that universities and K–12 schools are continuing “DEI activities” following Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, officers and personnel... 

Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/09/04/clemson-ends-several-faculty-and-staff-affinity-commissions.

Things Change - Part 9 (the rumor mill)

From SFGATE: ...After the California schools' last-ditch campaign to join the ACC appeared to have stalled out earlier this month, a flurry of reports Wednesday evening suggested they could be headed to the Atlantic Coast after all. 

Twelve of the conference’s 15 schools have to approve new members. As of last week, there had been four reported holdouts: North Carolina, NC State, Clemson and Florida State. The rest of the conference and its leadership were apparently on board with adding the Bay Area duo (plus maybe SMU).

It’s not clear which of the four schools is flipping its vote, but all reporting Wednesday evening was pointing in the same direction. The Associated Press had the conference “making progress toward an expansion that could grab Stanford and California.” Yahoo Sports had the move as a “legitimate possibility” while also providing the clearest financial picture. Stanford and Cal, desperate for a major conference, offered to take shares that are just 30% of what existing members get, while SMU, which has deep-pocketed boosters, is offering to play for free, according to Yahoo.

If the ACC wants to add Stanford and Cal, it has all the leverage. After the collapse of the Pac-12, the Bay Area schools have frantically tried to find a major conference that would provide anything close to the tens of millions of dollars in football money both were accustomed to. Even at 30% shares, being in the ACC would be a better deal than reforming the Pac-12 with lesser powers or just swallowing their pride and joining the Mountain West or American...

Full story at https://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/cal-stanford-acc-football-reports-18328806.php.

Training Lessons and Lessons from Training

We noted in previous posts that the sexual assault policy recently adopted by the Regents could easily result in a "training" program that is a bonanza for some outside consulting firm.  As this item from Clemson suggests, other issues may also arise.

Clemson University has suspended its online Title IX training course after some students protested that it asked questions that were too personal, the Associated Press reports.  University officials will review the mandatory training, which deals with preventing sexual violence in the context of the federal gender-equity law known as Title IX. The course contained a survey that asked questions like “How many times have you had sex (including oral) in the last 3 months?”...

Full story at http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/clemson-suspends-sexual-violence-training-after-privacy-complaints/86331