Today, we take a deep dive into how colleges and universities are preparing students for the workforce. We also look at:

• Football as a recruiting tool for male students
• A new AI lab at Carnegie Mellon
• A new survey of provosts

Colleges across the US are implementing a wide variety of security measures in response to recent campus shootings and protests. While some campuses remain fully open, allowing unrestricted access to facilities like libraries and student centers, others have introduced strict access controls, such as requiring university identification or mandatory check-ins with security. Institutions like Columbia University now restrict entry to those with university IDs, reflecting a broader trend toward heightened security. These evolving measures are driven by concerns about student safety and the recognition that open campuses also create unique vulnerabilities.

The US will face a shortfall of 5.3 million workers with postsecondary education by 2032, primarily in fields such as nursing, teaching and engineering, according to a report from Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. The report highlights the need for colleges to adapt to demographic shifts and for increased investment in education and training to address this gap, and suggests that expanding visa programs could help mitigate the shortage of skilled workers.

Provosts are optimistic about the quality of undergraduate education at their institutions, according to a survey by Inside Higher Ed with Hanover Research. 99% of provosts believe their institutions provide quality education, although only 9% think the current federal policy environment benefits colleges. 56% report decreased federal funding, mostly less than 5%, and 74% are very concerned about potential changes to federal student aid. 22% say that federal policies have impacted academic freedom, while 57% support tenure, and 69% anticipate continued reliance on adjunct faculty.