HEat Index, Issue 94 – Shifting Admissions and the Fight Over Bachelor’s Degrees

by Allen Taylor | Feb 13, 2026 | HEat Index

Regular readers know I often push back against media portrayals that focus on a handful of elite institutions as if their practices represent the entire country. That’s why The Hechinger Report’s coverage this week on rising acceptance rates at most...

HEat Index, Issue 93 – AI Adoption, Noncredit Goals, and Earning a Degree

by Allen Taylor | Feb 6, 2026 | HEat Index

In my past life working at institutions, whenever we were adopting new software, I always spent a few minutes during information or training sessions giving people space to mentally and emotionally process this change. They were free to say whatever they wanted about...

HEat Index, Issue 92 – Higher Education Value and Accreditation Reform

by Allen Taylor | Jan 30, 2026 | HEat Index

For those impacted, I hope you made it through last week’s weather intact and have found somewhere warm to hunker down if your area is currently in the grips of the latest arctic blast. This week’s issue is a bit shorter, but both pieces are worth lingering on. First,...

HEat Index, Issue 91 – Graduate School Enrollments, Higher Ed’s Value, and Faculty Thoughts About AI

by Allen Taylor | Jan 26, 2026 | HEat Index

Since it seems much of the country is under some sort of weather advisory this weekend, it might be a good time to slow down and dig into one of the links in this week’s issue a bit more deeply, and maybe even talk it through with your colleagues next week. They don’t...

HEat Index, Issue 90 – AI Impacts on Work, AI’s Hidden Tax, and Fall 2025 Enrollment

by Allen Taylor | Jan 15, 2026 | HEat Index

Two weeks into 2026 and AI is already dominating this newsletter. While I personally have mixed feelings about AI, we can’t ignore the impact it is having on our sector, from staff using AI to support their day-to-day work to the hidden costs of AI subscriptions...

HEat Index, Issue 89 – Trends for 2026, Bad Data & AI, and Boosting Graduation Rates

by Allen Taylor | Jan 8, 2026 | HEat Index

Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that your new year has started off on a bright note. Let’s dive right in. First, we look at some trends that will likely impact higher education this year. From there, we discuss the importance of data...