Writing recommendation letters is a courtesy, not an obligation If academics object to students’ intended destinations, they have a right not to write, says David Palumbo-Liu By David Palumbo-Liu 4 October
Free college plans enter US Democratic mainstream More Democrat candidates than ever running on some kind of free college plan, but there are splits within party By Andrew Kreighbaum for Inside Higher Ed 3 October
International postgraduate enrolment slips in US ‘Current policy climate’ may be a ‘contributing factor’, says Council of Graduate Schools By Ellie Bothwell 3 October
Physics Nobel winners include first female laureate for 55 years Alongside Donna Strickland, Arthur Ashkin breaks record for becoming oldest laureate at 96 By Rachael Pells 2 October
Facts are just the start of the debate Right-wing intellectuals who fetishise ‘facts’ frustrate rather than further intellectual debate, says Ryan Coogan By Ryan Coogan 1 October
US universities ‘using data tricks to hide lack of diversity’ Top US universities with low numbers of ethnic minority students are most likely to use questionable practices that overplay diversity, study claims By Jack Grove 28 September
Judy Genshaft: helping South Florida shed its 'commuter school stigma' The University of South Florida president talks about how her enterprising Ohio upbringing bred confidence and why college sports matter By John Morgan 27 September
World Academic Summit: universities share research stars with industry to avoid losing them Long-term benefits of research success – and of building industry relations – may be less direct but far more valuable than royalty payments, summit hears By Paul Basken 26 September
Re-engaging with the Stanford Prison Experiment After a year of heavy criticism threatened to see the landmark study written off for good, it has received support from an unlikely quarter By Matthew Reisz 26 September
Shortage of admissions advisers hampers US access drive Many counsellors opting to work overseas or move into private practice By Paul Basken 25 September
Having more female classmates ‘helps women complete PhDs’ Completion rates improve as number of women in a programme increases, US study finds By Paul Basken 21 September
In good faith: the role of religious institutions in US higher education Ellie Bothwell analyses how religious institutions shape up compared with secular institutions and how they are adapting to modern mores By Ellie Bothwell 20 September
