Behind closed doors, Mississippi State University’s leaders answer tough questions. This is how universities get better, say those on both sides.

For the second year in a row, applications to American graduate programs skyrocketed from India, by 32 percent, while those from China fell, by 1 percent.

Working to rebuild trust in the beleaguered unit, the new leader is seeking colleges’ cooperation in investigations and soliciting their feedback afterward.

The researchers are highly interdisciplinary: anthropologists, psychologists, sociologists, medievalists, even therapists. Some see that as a strength, others as incoherence.

The MOOC provider is turning its focus to offerings that include human interaction, project-based assignments, and tuition.

Community colleges will be able to compete for the grant money, to help prepare workers for in-demand positions.

The for-profit institution will let faculty members design their own courses and keep most of the revenue.