Underlining what matters in higher ed and ed tech: news, vendor updates, and commentary from across the field, in one place.https://theunderline.netlify.app/source/ithaka/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/the-skill-of-not-using-ai/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/the-skill-of-not-using-ai/In a recent national survey, we asked college instructors to share the AI-related skills they prioritize and teach in their classes and compared their responses to employers’, using an AI skills Framework originally developed by researchers at the multi-national human resources technology company HiBob. Asking…Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:19:11 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/evaluating-the-petrie-foundations-student-emergency-grant-fund-at-cuny/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/evaluating-the-petrie-foundations-student-emergency-grant-fund-at-cuny/There are growing concerns about the affordability of earning a college degree, yet most discussions focus on tuition and fees. While sticker prices, or published tuition and fees, have increased significantly over the past two decades, the amount students actually pay, known as net price, is lower today than it was…Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:38:16 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/assessing-open-education-in-higher-education-in-prison-programs/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/assessing-open-education-in-higher-education-in-prison-programs/Today, Ithaka S+R released exploratory research findings on the benefits, constraints, and risks of using open education resources (OER) in higher education in prison settings. This report is intended primarily for open education practitioners and advocates interested in understanding how OER is currently used in…Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:02:30 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/announcing-a-national-cohort-exploring-students-perspectives-on-basic-needs-insecurity/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/announcing-a-national-cohort-exploring-students-perspectives-on-basic-needs-insecurity/We’re excited to announce that 15 colleges and universities are participating in Understanding Postsecondary Students’ Perspectives on Basic Needs Insecurity, a three-year research initiative led by Ithaka S+R with support from ECMC Foundation. By centering students’ perspectives, this project helps institutions…Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:21:39 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/its-not-just-about-ai-skills/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/its-not-just-about-ai-skills/Much of the AI conversation in higher education focuses on the value of AI literacy and AI-related skills for students’ future prospects in the job market. Far less attention, however, has been paid to how students can communicate what they have learned with potential employers. As part of a recent national survey on…Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:01:51 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/developing-and-sustaining-partnerships-for-reentry-and-the-transition-to-campus/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/developing-and-sustaining-partnerships-for-reentry-and-the-transition-to-campus/In 2023, Ithaka S+R embarked on a project to make higher education after reentry more accessible by fostering partnerships between college-based programs and community organizations that serve incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, or system-impacted students. For a full year, we worked directly with a cohort of 10…Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:27:35 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/supporting-international-students/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/supporting-international-students/Amid growing geopolitical tensions, shifting federal policies, and expanded research security and compliance requirements, universities across the country are facing challenging questions: what do changing policies mean for international scholarly exchange? How can institutions continue to foster academic openness in…Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:44:55 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/evaluating-the-promise-and-value-of-90-credit-bachelors-degrees/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/evaluating-the-promise-and-value-of-90-credit-bachelors-degrees/Earning a bachelor’s degree is still one of the surest routes to economic mobility. But affordability concerns, changing student needs, and a shifting labor market are raising the pressure on states and colleges to demonstrate that a degree is really worth it. In response, an increasing number of states are…Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:24:55 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/ithaka-srs-environmental-ai-literacy-framework/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/ithaka-srs-environmental-ai-literacy-framework/As campuses introduce trainings and resources to promote AI literacy, how can they also ensure that students, faculty, and staff understand the environmental impacts of the technology? This question is at the core of the Incorporating Environmental Perspectives into AI Literacy project. Through it, we published a…Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:43:31 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/where-instructors-turn-to-learn-about-ai/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/where-instructors-turn-to-learn-about-ai/Acknowledging that some instructors reject AI outright and see no place for it in higher education, there are increasing numbers of faculty members seeking to better understand, utilize, and integrate AI into their own practice as teachers and researchers. While institutional centers for teaching and learning,…Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:08:00 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/ai-skills-for-the-workforce/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/ai-skills-for-the-workforce/As generative AI becomes ever more pervasive in society, business, and in higher education, there are increasing calls for colleges and universities to ensure that students are AI-ready when they enter the workforce. But organizations have different visions of what AI readiness actually entails. These frameworks…Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:25:23 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/panelpicker-is-open-for-sxsw-edu-2027/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/panelpicker-is-open-for-sxsw-edu-2027/Each year, we look forward to bringing innovative projects and research to SXSW EDU 2026, where we connect, learn, and collaborate with an active and engaged community. This year, we’re proposing three sessions—a panel, a presentation, and an interactive workshop—that explore timely topics across higher education,…Wed, 05 Aug 2026 18:18:14 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/how-ai-is-reshaping-the-value-of-higher-education/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/how-ai-is-reshaping-the-value-of-higher-education/AI touches all of the basic assumptions that underlie how we think about the value of postsecondary education and academic research: what students need to learn, how they learn, how institutions operate, and how universities contribute to the production and dissemination of knowledge. The immediate questions it raises…Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:59:14 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/building-the-state-case-for-asap-replication/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/building-the-state-case-for-asap-replication/The City University of New York’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) model offers one of the most rigorously tested initiatives available, proven to double graduation rates at CUNY and replication sites across the country. With support from ECMC Foundation, Ithaka S+R has worked with the CUNY ASAP…Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:56:05 GMTOrgs & Researchhttps://sr.ithaka.org/blog/strategies-for-improving-outcomes-for-part-time-learners/https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/strategies-for-improving-outcomes-for-part-time-learners/Our new report, Part Time, Full Potential: Strategies for Improving Outcomes for Part-time Learners, supported by Arnold Ventures, examines who part-time learners are, the barriers they face, and where targeted research and reform could have the greatest impact on improving their outcomes. The post Strategies for…Tue, 14 Jul 2026 19:27:34 GMTOrgs & Research