In a recent report, a Yale committee calls on elite universities to revise their financial aid and admissions policies, among other measures, to restore Americans’ faith in higher education.

Happening off campus: A ten-member committee at Yale says that elite universities are to blame for Americans’ growing distrust of higher education. Among the committee’s greatest concerns, summarized in a 58-page report released on Wednesday, were high tuition costs, opaque admissions processes, and fears about free speech on campuses. They suggest that, in addition to revising their mission statements, academic institutions should expand financial aid, reduce admissions preferences, and uphold the rights of students and faculty engaging in peaceful protest, debate, and exchange (NYT).

Happening near campus: Mayor Zohran Mamdani is deploying 6,500 European ‘Empire Bins’ to replace the trash bag piles that’ve blocked city sidewalks for decades. The bins were first trialed in by former Mayor Eric Adams in a neighborhood in Harlem last year, where city officials say they led to a significant reduction in rat sightings. By 2027, they will become mandatory for residential buildings with 30 or more units across the rest of Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens (Gothamist).

Happening on-campus: Today, from 3 to 4 pm in Kent Hall, University Life invites students to a conversation about the mirage of progress: Why do some developmental efforts gain more traction than others? What can we learn from successful grassroots efforts? What can we learn from failed grassroots attempts? How can we map and aid ongoing grassroots endeavors? If these questions are of interest to you, register here.

Song of the Day: Blackbird by The Beatles

Yale via Bwarchives