Astronomers leave Hawaii with slim hope for big telescope Plans opposed by islanders who consider Mauna Kea to be sacred ground By Paul Basken 21 January
US regional diversity policies discriminate against students from big cities Apparently benign aspirations have their historical origins in concern about high levels of admission of certain minorities, says Kate Eichhorn By Kate Eichhorn 21 January
McGill asserts divestment commitment after academic quits University’s leader pledges effective climate response, not ‘symbolic’ actions By Paul Basken 20 January
Canada’s Arctic university ‘lets north solve northern problems’ Yukon University will offer its own degrees and combine Western and Indigenous approaches to science By Ellie Bothwell 19 January
Donation rows reignite debate over universities’ gift policies Academics say there has been a shift in guidelines on philanthropy but changes are likely to remain superficial By Ellie Bothwell 18 January
Berkeley ordered to compensate teaching assistants Arbitrator finds campus unfairly limited hours to avoid having to provide tuition fee benefits By Paul Basken 16 January
MIT blames Epstein scandal on lack of clear donor policy Institute vows corrective steps but limited sanctions after taking funds from sex abuser By Paul Basken 13 January
Legal defeats trigger fresh look at US sexual misconduct rules Data suggest US campuses pushed by 2011 policy into tougher line on accused in sex cases, potentially triggering Trump rethink By Paul Basken 11 January
Academics frustrated by delays in?releasing research data Stanford scholars hope common usage agreements might ease long hold-ups in obtaining corporate and government information By Paul Basken 10 January
US open access mandate seen as painful but needed Widely expected Plan S-style order hailed as ‘major boost’ to global movement By Paul Basken 7 January
US ‘cluster hiring’ failing to meet promise, says study Survey of 200 hires finds them often stuck in usual disciplinary confines rather than working across boundaries as intended By Paul Basken 6 January
Call for US R&D ‘surge’ through ‘heartland’ universities Universities have the right track record on place-making and innovation, argues Brookings Institution fellow and report co-author By John Morgan 3 January