Jasper Smith
@jasperjsmith.bsky.social
Staff reporter at @chronicle.com covering how race and politics shape college campuses. Reality TV enthusiast, cookbook collector, cat mom. She/her.
Reach me [email protected]
Reach me [email protected]
Reposted by Jasper Smith
"There are so many Jane Does out there."
@jasperjsmith.bsky.social, @brownepoints.bsky.social and I tried to make sense of the political and cultural context that's already turned the Cornell case into a national flashpoint. Give it a read @chronicle.com.
@jasperjsmith.bsky.social, @brownepoints.bsky.social and I tried to make sense of the political and cultural context that's already turned the Cornell case into a national flashpoint. Give it a read @chronicle.com.
At Cornell, a Rape Case Defines an Era
A new generation of college students has reason to be both fatalistic and fed up.
www.chronicle.com
October 3, 2026 at 6:28 PM
"There are so many Jane Does out there."
@jasperjsmith.bsky.social, @brownepoints.bsky.social and I tried to make sense of the political and cultural context that's already turned the Cornell case into a national flashpoint. Give it a read @chronicle.com.
@jasperjsmith.bsky.social, @brownepoints.bsky.social and I tried to make sense of the political and cultural context that's already turned the Cornell case into a national flashpoint. Give it a read @chronicle.com.
Reposted by Jasper Smith
NEW: U. Mich is pumping the brakes on its plan to pass/fail first-semester freshmen in one of its colleges. The president wrote to admins that "distorted" media coverage of the plan could hurt the reputations of the university and its students. For @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/u-of...
U. of Michigan Leaders Hit the Brakes on Pass/Fail
Citing “distorted narratives” about the university’s students in the news media, the president said more “input, analysis, and discussion” is needed before the pilot project begins.
www.chronicle.com
September 29, 2026 at 9:02 PM
NEW: U. Mich is pumping the brakes on its plan to pass/fail first-semester freshmen in one of its colleges. The president wrote to admins that "distorted" media coverage of the plan could hurt the reputations of the university and its students. For @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/u-of...
Reposted by Jasper Smith
It’s hard to discourage students from using AI. It’s harder when the provost does it in his published work, professors said.
A look inside Dartmouth’s campus firestorm over its chief academic officer’s AI use, with @garrettshanley.bsky.social for @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/dart...
A look inside Dartmouth’s campus firestorm over its chief academic officer’s AI use, with @garrettshanley.bsky.social for @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/dart...
Dartmouth’s Provost Quietly Used AI in His Published Work. It’s Touched Off a Campus Firestorm.
The incident adds fuel to a debate at the college over its embrace of AI.
www.chronicle.com
September 24, 2026 at 1:33 PM
It’s hard to discourage students from using AI. It’s harder when the provost does it in his published work, professors said.
A look inside Dartmouth’s campus firestorm over its chief academic officer’s AI use, with @garrettshanley.bsky.social for @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/dart...
A look inside Dartmouth’s campus firestorm over its chief academic officer’s AI use, with @garrettshanley.bsky.social for @chronicle.com: www.chronicle.com/article/dart...
Reposted by Jasper Smith
EXCLUSIVE: A book out next week from the Smithsonian claims to settle the debate about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. But at the eleventh hour, a Hemings relative who gave DNA to the study has dropped out. Her worry: the science in the book hasn't been vetted. www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
Sally Hemings’s Oldest Descendant Gave the Smithsonian Her DNA. She Says It Lost Her Trust.
On the eve of a new book that promises to settle the debate about Thomas Jefferson, a Sally Hemings relative is raising alarms that its science hasn’t been vetted.
www.chronicle.com
September 17, 2026 at 7:11 PM
EXCLUSIVE: A book out next week from the Smithsonian claims to settle the debate about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. But at the eleventh hour, a Hemings relative who gave DNA to the study has dropped out. Her worry: the science in the book hasn't been vetted. www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
Reposted by Jasper Smith
Black men's college enrollment has declined for nearly a decade. Now, several HBCUs are launching initiatives to try to reverse the trend. capitalbnews.org/black-men-co...
HBCUs Are Building New Support Systems for Black Male Students
The enrollment of Black men has declined for years, raising questions about what schools can do to turn the tide.
capitalbnews.org
September 14, 2026 at 9:38 PM
Black men's college enrollment has declined for nearly a decade. Now, several HBCUs are launching initiatives to try to reverse the trend. capitalbnews.org/black-men-co...
The debate over Ghent University’s handling of Nathan Cofnas has expanded beyond the merits of his accusations about Arday. It's become a proxy battle about whose viewpoint deserves protection.
www.chronicle.com/article/shou...
www.chronicle.com/article/shou...
Should Jason Arday’s Accuser Be Defended? American Scholars Disagree.
More than 200 signed an open letter protesting Ghent University’s suspension of Nathan Cofnas. But Cofnas’s views have left some scholars with misgivings about that campaign.
www.chronicle.com
August 27, 2026 at 12:36 PM
The debate over Ghent University’s handling of Nathan Cofnas has expanded beyond the merits of his accusations about Arday. It's become a proxy battle about whose viewpoint deserves protection.
www.chronicle.com/article/shou...
www.chronicle.com/article/shou...
Reposted by Jasper Smith
This is the best piece I have seen about Howard dropping 500 students from its incoming class due to not making sufficient payments. It's a complicated situation for students and the university alike, and Parent PLUS loan limits are a contributing factor.
Howard U. Disenrolled Hundreds of Students. Was It for Their Own Good?
Newly popular, Black colleges struggle to meet their mission and their bottom line.
www.chronicle.com
August 5, 2026 at 10:19 PM
This is the best piece I have seen about Howard dropping 500 students from its incoming class due to not making sufficient payments. It's a complicated situation for students and the university alike, and Parent PLUS loan limits are a contributing factor.
Reposted by Jasper Smith
I wrote about Texas A&M's fall course-review process @chronicle.com. Some top-line results:
Rhetoric and Film? OK, as long as discussion of critical race theory is removed.
Contemporary Sociological Theory? Don't advocate while teaching.
LGBTQ Literatures? Not allowed.
#HigherEd
Rhetoric and Film? OK, as long as discussion of critical race theory is removed.
Contemporary Sociological Theory? Don't advocate while teaching.
LGBTQ Literatures? Not allowed.
#HigherEd
What Texas A&M Will — and Won’t — Let You Teach
Newly obtained records reveal that two courses for the fall were canceled outright, while administrators demanded changes to others. Instructors say the deliberative process is a black box.
www.chronicle.com
July 17, 2026 at 6:54 PM
I wrote about Texas A&M's fall course-review process @chronicle.com. Some top-line results:
Rhetoric and Film? OK, as long as discussion of critical race theory is removed.
Contemporary Sociological Theory? Don't advocate while teaching.
LGBTQ Literatures? Not allowed.
#HigherEd
Rhetoric and Film? OK, as long as discussion of critical race theory is removed.
Contemporary Sociological Theory? Don't advocate while teaching.
LGBTQ Literatures? Not allowed.
#HigherEd
Reposted by Jasper Smith
@jasperjsmith.bsky.social has the deep dive on the U. of Florida's prospective new president and his track record of supporting DEI at Alabama — which one prominent conservative critic has cast as "aggressive," "illegal,"
and grounds for disqualification at UF.
www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
and grounds for disqualification at UF.
www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
The U. of Florida Rejected a Former DEI Champion. Will Stuart Bell Face the Same Fate?
At the university of Alabama, Bell doubled black enrollment after an aggressive diversity campaign to make the flagship reflect the state’s demographics.
www.chronicle.com
May 20, 2026 at 2:59 PM
@jasperjsmith.bsky.social has the deep dive on the U. of Florida's prospective new president and his track record of supporting DEI at Alabama — which one prominent conservative critic has cast as "aggressive," "illegal,"
and grounds for disqualification at UF.
www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
and grounds for disqualification at UF.
www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
Reposted by Jasper Smith
The University of Wisconsin system president, Jay Rothman, said in letters obtained by The Chronicle that the board would not tell him why they’d lost confidence in his leadership. https://chroni.cl/3O25JY4
A Board Asked Its President to Resign. He Won’t.
The University of Wisconsin system president, Jay Rothman, said in letters obtained by The Chronicle that the board would not tell him why they’d lost confidence in his leadership.
www.chronicle.com
April 3, 2026 at 4:28 PM
The University of Wisconsin system president, Jay Rothman, said in letters obtained by The Chronicle that the board would not tell him why they’d lost confidence in his leadership. https://chroni.cl/3O25JY4
Reposted by Jasper Smith
www.chronicle.com/article/bord...
Blockbuster report from @jasperjsmith.bsky.social and @katiemangan.bsky.social on how GMU's Board tried to sink its president
Blockbuster report from @jasperjsmith.bsky.social and @katiemangan.bsky.social on how GMU's Board tried to sink its president
‘Bordering on Insubordinate': How George Mason’s Conservative Board Chair Went After Its President
Text messages obtained by <i>The Chronicle</i> detail a monthslong campaign to get Gregory Washington to dismantle its DEI programs and fall in line with Trump’s demands.
www.chronicle.com
April 3, 2026 at 1:06 PM
www.chronicle.com/article/bord...
Blockbuster report from @jasperjsmith.bsky.social and @katiemangan.bsky.social on how GMU's Board tried to sink its president
Blockbuster report from @jasperjsmith.bsky.social and @katiemangan.bsky.social on how GMU's Board tried to sink its president
Reposted by Jasper Smith
Reposted by Jasper Smith
The University of Kentucky told the federal government that it has ties with over 1,200 organizations that are alleged to be discriminatory, including the Association for the Study of Higher Education and the Kentucky Maple Syrup Association (!).
Why One Campus Told the Government It Has Ties With 1,200 Groups That ‘May’ Discriminate
Thirty-one colleges agreed to send the Trump administration lists of potentially discriminatory partner groups. The University of Kentucky’s was quite long.
www.chronicle.com
March 12, 2026 at 8:58 PM
The University of Kentucky told the federal government that it has ties with over 1,200 organizations that are alleged to be discriminatory, including the Association for the Study of Higher Education and the Kentucky Maple Syrup Association (!).
To determine whether a group might racially discriminate, the University of Kentucky flagged organizations with identity-specific names, diversity statements, or race-specific DEI initiatives for possible membership cancellation. Is your organization on its list?
www.chronicle.com/article/why-...
www.chronicle.com/article/why-...
Why One Campus Told the Government It Has Ties With 1,200 Groups That ‘May’ Discriminate
Thirty-one colleges agreed to send the Trump administration lists of potentially discriminatory partner groups. The University of Kentucky’s was quite long.
www.chronicle.com
March 12, 2026 at 9:01 PM
To determine whether a group might racially discriminate, the University of Kentucky flagged organizations with identity-specific names, diversity statements, or race-specific DEI initiatives for possible membership cancellation. Is your organization on its list?
www.chronicle.com/article/why-...
www.chronicle.com/article/why-...
Reposted by Jasper Smith
Texas A&M is censoring "race and gender ideology" from the classroom. Our podcast w/ @jasperjsmith.bsky.social digs in. pod.link/1766357400/e...
March 12, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Texas A&M is censoring "race and gender ideology" from the classroom. Our podcast w/ @jasperjsmith.bsky.social digs in. pod.link/1766357400/e...
Reposted by Jasper Smith
can you teach something at Texas A&M? just follow this flowchart.
www.chronicle.com/article/insi... via @jasperjsmith.bsky.social and @mzahneis.bsky.social
www.chronicle.com/article/insi... via @jasperjsmith.bsky.social and @mzahneis.bsky.social
March 2, 2026 at 5:53 PM
can you teach something at Texas A&M? just follow this flowchart.
www.chronicle.com/article/insi... via @jasperjsmith.bsky.social and @mzahneis.bsky.social
www.chronicle.com/article/insi... via @jasperjsmith.bsky.social and @mzahneis.bsky.social
Reposted by Jasper Smith
The Texas A&M system reviewed 5,400 courses for ideological compliance. Only 6 were officially canceled. But faculty say hundreds more were quietly altered out of fear. https://chroni.cl/4u3Dto5
Inside Texas A&M’s Scramble to Censor Its Curriculum
Documents reveal widespread uncertainty, even among administrators, over what professors could teach.
chroni.cl
March 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM
The Texas A&M system reviewed 5,400 courses for ideological compliance. Only 6 were officially canceled. But faculty say hundreds more were quietly altered out of fear. https://chroni.cl/4u3Dto5
Administrators wanted a professor to pin-point when exactly he would talk about sexuality in a public policy class.
When he couldn't, and instead said it would be brought up throughout the semester, they canceled his course.
www.chronicle.com/article/this...
When he couldn't, and instead said it would be brought up throughout the semester, they canceled his course.
www.chronicle.com/article/this...
This Spat Shows Just How Messy Texas A&M’s New Course Reviews Are
Administrators wanted a professor to pin-point when he would talk about sexuality in a public policy class. When he couldn’t, they canceled his course.
www.chronicle.com
January 22, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Administrators wanted a professor to pin-point when exactly he would talk about sexuality in a public policy class.
When he couldn't, and instead said it would be brought up throughout the semester, they canceled his course.
www.chronicle.com/article/this...
When he couldn't, and instead said it would be brought up throughout the semester, they canceled his course.
www.chronicle.com/article/this...
Reposted by Jasper Smith
New year, new opportunities with @chronicle.com's reporting fellowship! Two days until our Zoom info session and just over a week until we begin reviewing applications - young journalists, we'd love to read yours.
January 5, 2026 at 5:47 PM
New year, new opportunities with @chronicle.com's reporting fellowship! Two days until our Zoom info session and just over a week until we begin reviewing applications - young journalists, we'd love to read yours.
Reposted by Jasper Smith
NEW! The Shakedown: How Trump's DOJ pressured lawyers to 'find' evidence that UCLA had illegally tolerated antisemitism. by me and @KatherineMangan w/ @chronicle.com
www.propublica.org/article/ucla...
www.propublica.org/article/ucla...
Trump’s DOJ Pressured Lawyers to “Find” Evidence that UCLA Had Illegally Tolerated Antisemitism
An investigation by ProPublica and The Chronicle of Higher Education reveals how the U.S. government ignored due process to gin up its attack on the University of California.
www.propublica.org
December 12, 2025 at 4:20 PM
NEW! The Shakedown: How Trump's DOJ pressured lawyers to 'find' evidence that UCLA had illegally tolerated antisemitism. by me and @KatherineMangan w/ @chronicle.com
www.propublica.org/article/ucla...
www.propublica.org/article/ucla...
Reposted by Jasper Smith
As the Trump administration seeks to overhaul higher ed, two Virginia universities have landed at the center of its war on diversity efforts
I talk with Jack Stripling on this week’s College Matters about why Virginia has become ground zero in that fight
www.chronicle.com/podcast/coll...
I talk with Jack Stripling on this week’s College Matters about why Virginia has become ground zero in that fight
www.chronicle.com/podcast/coll...
How Virginia Became Higher Ed’s Battlefield
With one university president felled and another imperiled, fights over DEI in the commonwealth are getting brutal.
www.chronicle.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:08 PM
As the Trump administration seeks to overhaul higher ed, two Virginia universities have landed at the center of its war on diversity efforts
I talk with Jack Stripling on this week’s College Matters about why Virginia has become ground zero in that fight
www.chronicle.com/podcast/coll...
I talk with Jack Stripling on this week’s College Matters about why Virginia has become ground zero in that fight
www.chronicle.com/podcast/coll...
Reposted by Jasper Smith
Trump, who said last year that he had “saved” historically Black colleges, has canceled $140 million in grants to them since March.
Agencies told HBCUs “to change the language in grant applications that explicitly focus on Black people — or lose federal funding.”
www.chronicle.com/article/hbcu...
Agencies told HBCUs “to change the language in grant applications that explicitly focus on Black people — or lose federal funding.”
www.chronicle.com/article/hbcu...
HBCUs Reel as Trump Cuts Black-Focused Grants: ‘This Is Our Existence’
HBCUs’ mission-driven effort to serve Black communities could now result in severe budget cuts under Trump’s crusade against DEI. It’s all a big misunderstanding, advocates say.
www.chronicle.com
June 26, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Trump, who said last year that he had “saved” historically Black colleges, has canceled $140 million in grants to them since March.
Agencies told HBCUs “to change the language in grant applications that explicitly focus on Black people — or lose federal funding.”
www.chronicle.com/article/hbcu...
Agencies told HBCUs “to change the language in grant applications that explicitly focus on Black people — or lose federal funding.”
www.chronicle.com/article/hbcu...
Reposted by Jasper Smith
It’s like telling a cancer institute to stop spending so much on cancer research.
Here are a few of the many cuts.
Via @jasperjsmith.bsky.social
Here are a few of the many cuts.
Via @jasperjsmith.bsky.social
June 26, 2025 at 12:32 PM
It’s like telling a cancer institute to stop spending so much on cancer research.
Here are a few of the many cuts.
Via @jasperjsmith.bsky.social
Here are a few of the many cuts.
Via @jasperjsmith.bsky.social
Reposted by Jasper Smith
In Clarksdale, there's limited transportation and no movie theater. The town inspired Sinners, but many can't travel to see it in theaters.
They created a petition to invite Ryan Coogler & team to host a public screening and experience the Delta.
MY LATEST: capitalbnews.org/clarksdale-r...
They created a petition to invite Ryan Coogler & team to host a public screening and experience the Delta.
MY LATEST: capitalbnews.org/clarksdale-r...
‘Sinners’ Is Set in Clarksdale, Where There’s No Theater. Locals Are Asking for a Screening.
The Mississippi Delta town launched a petition in hopes of bringing director Ryan Coogler and his team to the community that helped inspire the hit film.
capitalbnews.org
April 30, 2025 at 1:36 PM
In Clarksdale, there's limited transportation and no movie theater. The town inspired Sinners, but many can't travel to see it in theaters.
They created a petition to invite Ryan Coogler & team to host a public screening and experience the Delta.
MY LATEST: capitalbnews.org/clarksdale-r...
They created a petition to invite Ryan Coogler & team to host a public screening and experience the Delta.
MY LATEST: capitalbnews.org/clarksdale-r...