AI disruption and financial stress are forcing colleges to move faster without sacrificing academic democracy.

Public universities move to cut costs with layoffs, paused hiring and program changes as deficits tied to enrollment and funding trouble deepen.

Educators are looking for full transparency into which words are a student's own work and which are likely AI-generated.

Iowa State University, Sonoma State University in California and a flurry of other colleges appointed new leaders in November.