Christa Dutton

Washington, D.C., United States, Winston-Salem

Reporting Fellow at The Chronicle of Higher Education

Reporting Fellow @chronicle. Raised by @wfuogb. [email protected]

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Articles

Utah Lawmakers Mandate a Utah State University Refocus Gen-Ed Courses on Civics and Viewpoint Diversity

4 weeks ago | chronicle.com | Christa Dutton

Utah lawmakers are forcing a public university to overhaul its general-education curriculum — by refocusing it on the Western canon and civil discourse. Under a new law, signed by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox on Monday, Utah State University will create an independent academic unit called the “Center for Civic Excellence” that will serve as a new general-education hub.
‘I Want to Stand Up for Higher Ed’: Protesters Rally Against Education Dept. Cuts

1 month ago | chronicle.com | Christa Dutton

Dozens of people raised signs and rang cow bells along Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C., on Friday morning as commuters drove by and honked in support. Behind them stood the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Education, which fired half its employees this week. Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for less than $10/month.
In Trump’s First Weeks, Dozens of Colleges Have Shut Down DEI Efforts

1 month ago | chronicle.com | Christa Dutton

The dismantling of diversity efforts has sped up since President Trump took office six weeks ago and quickly released two executive orders aiming to eliminate “discriminatory and illegal” diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. The Chronicle has tracked changes at 41 campuses since Inauguration Day. They vary widely. Several colleges shuttered offices and canceled events. Many removed DEI-related language from university communications. Websites related to DEI resources are disappearing.
How One State’s ‘Intellectual Diversity’ Law Has Changed Professors’ Teaching

1 month ago | chronicle.com | Christa Dutton

David McDonald sees his classroom differently now. Since last summer, he’s stopped viewing students as collaborators, but rather as “potential police officers” of his teaching. His anxiety has multiplied, and he finds himself thinking: “If I say the wrong thing in class, I could lose my job.”Last spring, Indiana passed Public Law 113, referred to more commonly as Senate Enrolled Act 202.
Tracking Higher Ed’s Dismantling of DEI

2 months ago | chronicle.com | Erin Gretzinger |Maggie Hicks |Christa Dutton |Jasper Smith

Updated on February 21, 2025: Columbia University, Des Moines Area Community College, Gateway Technical College, Iowa State University, Lawrence Tech, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, University of Arizona, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa, United States Naval Academy, Vanderbilt University, Xavier UniversityThe Chronicle is tracking higher ed’s dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Higher-Ed Employees Talk About How Trump’s Actions Have Changed Their Lives

2 months ago | chronicle.com | Christa Dutton |Karin Fischer |Megan Zahneis

The first several weeks of the second Trump White House have given higher education a severe case of vertigo. Executive orders and policy announcements have come at a breathtaking pace: freezing federal grants, drastically reducing support for research, targeting a vast swath of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and threatening federal investigations. Often, judges have blocked them, but it is not clear that the administration is always complying.
These Colleges Banned DEI Even Though It Wasn’t Required by Law

2 months ago | tiny.cc | Christa Dutton |Jasper Smith

Mario Pile arrived early at his new office at the University of Idaho on the first day of the spring semester. But it wasn’t out of excitement. Pile didn’t want anyone to see him cry as he moved boxes of personal items from the now shuttered Black and African American Cultural Center on campus, where he served as director for three years.
These Colleges Banned DEI Even Though It Wasn’t Required by Law

2 months ago | chronicle.com | Christa Dutton |Jasper Smith

Mario Pile arrived early at his new office at the University of Idaho on the first day of the spring semester. But it wasn’t out of excitement. Pile didn’t want anyone to see him cry as he moved boxes of personal items from the now shuttered Black and African American Cultural Center on campus, where he served as director for three years.
After Trump’s Order, the NCAA Bars Transgender Women From Competing in Women’s Sports

2 months ago | chronicle.com | Christa Dutton

What’s NewCollege athletes who were male at birth may practice but no longer compete on women’s sports teams at colleges governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the organization announced Thursday. The new rules were approved one day after President Trump signed an executive order pushing the Department of Education to rescind funding from educational programs that allow transgender women to compete in women’s sports.
Writing in the age of AI

2 months ago | chronicle.com | Christa Dutton |Emma Pettit |Stephanie Lee |Scott Carlson

I’m Scott Carlson, a senior writer at The Chronicle covering higher ed and where it’s going. This week, I interview John Warner about his new book, and what it says about writing, teaching, education, and the workplace, and how they’re all responding to the influence of AI. In a world with ChatGPT, why bother writing? John Warner is a writer who has made a career out of teaching and encouraging other people to write.