Larry Ladd
@larryladd.bsky.social
Helping colleges, universities, and other not-for-profit organizations become more successful.
My favorite in #5, the “change yourself first” quote:
emaxklein.medium.com/7-powerful-q...
emaxklein.medium.com/7-powerful-q...
7 Powerful Quotes to Improve Your Leadership
Tasty bits of wisdom from proven leaders
emaxklein.medium.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:59 PM
My favorite in #5, the “change yourself first” quote:
emaxklein.medium.com/7-powerful-q...
emaxklein.medium.com/7-powerful-q...
Poor policy decisions, coupled with lax oversight of the for-profit higher ed industry, has created a huge problem, not only for the many relatively poor people who have delinquent loans (they are way over-represented) but also for the economy as a whole as spending by these debtors diminishes.
Millions of student loan borrowers aren't repaying their loans — and defaults are up
New data offers further confirmation of a crisis in the U.S. student loan portfolio, in which too many borrowers are not repaying their student loans.
www.npr.org
February 11, 2026 at 10:57 PM
Poor policy decisions, coupled with lax oversight of the for-profit higher ed industry, has created a huge problem, not only for the many relatively poor people who have delinquent loans (they are way over-represented) but also for the economy as a whole as spending by these debtors diminishes.
“There is nothing sacred about four years — why is it four?" said Larry Ladd, a former budget officer at Harvard University, now with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. “Nobody knows.”
A bachelor’s degree in three years? Massachusetts takes a step in that direction. - The Boston Globe
The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education on Tuesday voted to allow colleges and universities to offer bachelor’s degree programs requiring fewer than the standard 120 credits.
www.bostonglobe.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:34 PM
“There is nothing sacred about four years — why is it four?" said Larry Ladd, a former budget officer at Harvard University, now with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. “Nobody knows.”
Remembering Jarena Lee, born today in 1783. She was the first woman authorized to preach in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. "If the man may preach, because the Savior died for him, why not the woman, seeing he died for her also?"
Jarena Lee - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
February 11, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Remembering Jarena Lee, born today in 1783. She was the first woman authorized to preach in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. "If the man may preach, because the Savior died for him, why not the woman, seeing he died for her also?"
The word "secretly" should send a chill into the academy.
UNC Admin Can Now, Officially, Secretly Record Faculty
The new policy prohibits students from recording class without permission but explicitly allows administrators to surveil professors for any “lawful purpose.”
www.insidehighered.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:21 PM
The word "secretly" should send a chill into the academy.
"Curriculum was just a wedge issue to open the door and hijack governance, freedom, and democracy."
Censorship and Governance: The Modern Assault on Higher Education
For the nation to thrive and for higher education to continue to serve as a vehicle for democracy, it’s essential colleges and universities have the freedom to foster the exchange of ideas without cen...
www.theeduledger.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:13 PM
"Curriculum was just a wedge issue to open the door and hijack governance, freedom, and democracy."
"This dearly beloved institution is sputtering and dying,” said Larry Ladd, a former budget officer at Harvard University, now with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. “It hopes to live, and it may live,” he added, but “I’m prepared to be in mourning.”
Hampshire College ‘hopes to live.’ Can it survive? - The Boston Globe
Supporters of the beloved, iconoclastic school are hoping for the best while bracing for the worst.
www.bostonglobe.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:05 AM
"This dearly beloved institution is sputtering and dying,” said Larry Ladd, a former budget officer at Harvard University, now with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. “It hopes to live, and it may live,” he added, but “I’m prepared to be in mourning.”
It’s highly likely that your board is susceptible to one or more of these “four behavioral factors undermining board effectiveness. Read and reflect on whether that’s the case!
corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2024/02/11/w...
corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2024/02/11/w...
Why good boards make bad decisions
Introduction A widely accepted notion is that corporate boards function like well-oiled machines. And why shouldn’t they? At their core, boards are ...
corpgov.law.harvard.edu
February 10, 2026 at 9:40 PM
It’s highly likely that your board is susceptible to one or more of these “four behavioral factors undermining board effectiveness. Read and reflect on whether that’s the case!
corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2024/02/11/w...
corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2024/02/11/w...
Music is a powerful messenger.
‘Which Side Are You On?’: American protest songs have emboldened social movements for generations, from coal country to Minneapolis
Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ within days of Alex Pretti’s killing, continuing a long tradition of songs as protest against violence and repression.
theconversation.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Music is a powerful messenger.
Congratulations to California Indian Nations College, the only tribal college in California, on receiving full accreditation!
UPDATE: California Indian Nations College earns full accreditation
The latest education news updates from EdSource.
edsource.org
February 10, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Congratulations to California Indian Nations College, the only tribal college in California, on receiving full accreditation!
The Federal government is inventing its own law, creating extraordinary demands on the court system. It is finding that courts also want evidence. It is also having a hard time finding attorneys willing and able to defend its reinventions in court.
Tracking Key Lawsuits Against the Trump Administration
Trump administration doesn’t plan to appeal court order blocking UCLA payout demand. More on key legal challenges here.
www.insidehighered.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:28 PM
The Federal government is inventing its own law, creating extraordinary demands on the court system. It is finding that courts also want evidence. It is also having a hard time finding attorneys willing and able to defend its reinventions in court.
It's rare for universities with strong brand identities to hold their official tuition rate constant. Stanford University has just done it.
University decides against increasing undergraduate tuition for upcoming year
Stanford's Board of Trustees decided to hold university tuition constant for undergraduate students in the 2026-2027 academic year.
stanforddaily.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:09 PM
It's rare for universities with strong brand identities to hold their official tuition rate constant. Stanford University has just done it.
A year of kidnapping, displacement and legal limbo for writing an op-ed in the student newspaper.
Immigration Court Drops Case Against Tufts Student Rumeysa Ozturk
The Turkish national had been arrested by plainclothes federal officers outside her apartment.
www.wsj.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:31 PM
A year of kidnapping, displacement and legal limbo for writing an op-ed in the student newspaper.
“People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole.”
― Clayton M. Christensen, The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth
― Clayton M. Christensen, The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth
February 10, 2026 at 11:56 AM
“People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole.”
― Clayton M. Christensen, The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth
― Clayton M. Christensen, The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth
My favorite: “Purpose before organization: prioritizing the organization's purpose, versus the organization itself.”
ssir.org/articles/ent...
ssir.org/articles/ent...
The Four Principles of Purpose-Driven Board Leadership (SSIR)
In the face of increasingly pressing systemic inequities, nonprofit boards must change the traditional ways they have worked and instead prioritize an organization's purpose, show respect for the ecos...
ssir.org
February 9, 2026 at 10:08 PM
My favorite: “Purpose before organization: prioritizing the organization's purpose, versus the organization itself.”
ssir.org/articles/ent...
ssir.org/articles/ent...
Today in 1950 Senator Joseph McCarthy said he had a list of Communists in the State Department. He had no such list. But he learned that the list didn’t matter, because he was able to keep making new charges that got headlines while “corrections” to his previous charges got little attention.
McCarthyism - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
February 9, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Today in 1950 Senator Joseph McCarthy said he had a list of Communists in the State Department. He had no such list. But he learned that the list didn’t matter, because he was able to keep making new charges that got headlines while “corrections” to his previous charges got little attention.
"Universities should embrace a principle long understood by NATO: An attack on one is an attack on all."
Opinion | Universities are sending Trump a dangerous message
Higher education is under attack. Drop the appeasement.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:52 PM
"Universities should embrace a principle long understood by NATO: An attack on one is an attack on all."
“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.” Happy 82nd birthday to Alice Walker. Among her books: The Color Purple, The Temple of My Familiar, Possessing the Secret of Joy, Meridian.
Alice Walker - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
February 9, 2026 at 6:01 PM
“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.” Happy 82nd birthday to Alice Walker. Among her books: The Color Purple, The Temple of My Familiar, Possessing the Secret of Joy, Meridian.
This cat has way more than nine lives.
HBCU says it is on the road to financial recovery
Saint Augustine's University discusses the future of the HBCU amid financial planning and governance changes for renewal.
hbcugameday.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:08 PM
This cat has way more than nine lives.
The government's clumsy effort to "cap" indirect costs for research may, in the end, produce a result that will pay more of the full cost of research and clear up much of the inconsistency and confusion around how direct cost rates are determined.
Congress, Courts Stymie Trump’s Effort to Cap Research Costs
One year after the Trump administration tried to cap reimbursements for indirect research costs, federal agencies have halted their plans.
www.insidehighered.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:53 PM
The government's clumsy effort to "cap" indirect costs for research may, in the end, produce a result that will pay more of the full cost of research and clear up much of the inconsistency and confusion around how direct cost rates are determined.
Students likely to enroll in a bachelors degree program at a community colleges don't have the choice of attending a private college: that college is too far away and, often, is more expensive. Bachelors degrees by community colleges expands opportunity more than it hurts private institutions.
The Fight Over Community College Bachelor’s Degrees
Earning a four-year degree at a two-year institution is now possible in nearly half of all states—and others are exploring the option. But many universities are not happy about it.
www.insidehighered.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Students likely to enroll in a bachelors degree program at a community colleges don't have the choice of attending a private college: that college is too far away and, often, is more expensive. Bachelors degrees by community colleges expands opportunity more than it hurts private institutions.
What's most important about gifts or grants from other nations is whether there are any strings attached that might compromise independence or research integrity. Universities shouldn't take the money under those circumstances.
Columbia has received over $1.2 billion in foreign funding, with China and England as its biggest funding sources
Columbia is among the nation’s top 10 universities in receiving foreign funding, totaling $1.2 billion largely from China and England as of Jan. 31, 2025, according to a new <a href="https://www.forei...
www.columbiaspectator.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:35 PM
What's most important about gifts or grants from other nations is whether there are any strings attached that might compromise independence or research integrity. Universities shouldn't take the money under those circumstances.
We've learned in recent years that if an untruth is repeated often enough, many will believe it.
New research dismantles the narrative that college isn't worth the cost
A college degree or short-term credential can students 15% or more than high school graduates. Here's what leaders need to know.
universitybusiness.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:12 PM
We've learned in recent years that if an untruth is repeated often enough, many will believe it.
“Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.” Happy birthday to Thomas Paine, born on this day in 1737.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_...
Thomas Paine - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
February 9, 2026 at 11:55 AM
“Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.” Happy birthday to Thomas Paine, born on this day in 1737.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_...
The pledge could seem benign, even worthy, until you consider how "indoctrinate" can be so widely interpreted. A faculty expert's conclusion about their subject matter, if not consistent with someone's political or religious belief, is too likely to be seen as "indoctrination."
Houston Faculty Must Pledge Not to “Indoctrinate” Students
Faculty members in the University of Houston’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Science were asked to sign a three-page memo pledging not to “indoctrinate” their students, the Houston Chronicle repo...
www.insidehighered.com
February 8, 2026 at 10:06 PM
The pledge could seem benign, even worthy, until you consider how "indoctrinate" can be so widely interpreted. A faculty expert's conclusion about their subject matter, if not consistent with someone's political or religious belief, is too likely to be seen as "indoctrination."