By Nannerl O. Keohane. The fate of the middle class in the United States is a topic frequently discussed by our political leaders, including President Obama. Given the growing wealth inequality, there is good reason for this emphasis. However, this should not distract us from also paying attention to the fate of people who are living in extreme poverty. Most of these individuals live in far-off countries. Others are our fellow citizens. Read more...

By Colleen Flaherty. For decades now, humanities scholars and advocates have been talking about the “crisis” in their disciplines. If the symptoms are arguably lower enrollments, funding cuts and slashed tenure-track lines, then diagnosing the root ailment has become a kind of Rorschach test for observers, with proponents of a great books-style approach often attributing the so-called decline of the humanities to the rise of critical theory. Supporters of theory, meanwhile, say critical approaches have revitalized the liberal arts for identity-hungry students, and that the humanities are battling a larger cultural devaluation of the field. Read more...

By Paige Taylor and Stefanie Balogh for The Australian. An Australian university's decision to forgo a federally financed research center because of its links to a controversial Danish researcher has prompted a firestorm of criticism and accusations that Australian academe supports “soft censorship” over academic freedom. Read more...

By Paul Fain. California is raking in a surprising amount of tax revenue. And on Thursday Jerry Brown, the state’s governor, said he wants to send some of that surplus to California’s public colleges. Read more...

By Ashley A. Smith. College enrollment numbers tend to be cyclical. A poor economy forces many adult learners into the classroom to retrain or hone their skills, but when it improves, enrollments decrease as they return to the workforce. Read more...

By Doug Lederman. Two community colleges roughly 75 miles apart in northwest Ohio are creating a new regional government agency smack-dab between them so they can consolidate many administrative functions and -- potentially -- academic and other programs, too. Read more...

By Kellie Woodhouse. Mills College has struggled with enrollment declines, persistent budget deficits and faculty unrest. Despite a nine-figure endowment and year-after-year budget reductions, the Oakland, Calif., women's college is just one step away from a junk bond rating by Moody’s. Read more...

By Michael Stratford. The U.S. Department of Education on Friday unveiled draft regulations on debit cards and other financial products offered on campuses. Consumer advocates have long sought the rules, which have drawn the ire of the financial services industry. Read more...

By Michael Stratford. After a concerted push over the past several months from liberals and progressive groups, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign appears to be on the cusp of embracing a debt-free college plan. Read more...

By Colleen Flaherty. Anyone who’s ever thumbed through an academic publication knows that what professors write, think or talk about doesn’t always translate to a wider audience. Ideas that are riveting to a group of scholars in the same field might elicit yawns from outsiders. Read more...