Conway, S.C. – September 20, 2026 -- The Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) Area Commission has selected Lori A. Heafner, Ph.D., as the college's next president, following a national search that concluded with a special-called meeting on Sept. 18. Heafner will take office Jan. 4, 2027.

PHOENIX – September 20, 2026 -- New peer-reviewed research from University of Phoenix found that non-traditional undergraduate students who used generative AI tools more frequently reported higher GPAs and greater confidence in technology skills, contradicting assumptions that GenAI is primarily a crutch for struggling or time-pressed learners.

Los Angeles – September 20, 2026 -- Kobold Press, the twenty-year-old independent tabletop game publisher behind Tales of the Valiant, will be profiled in an upcoming segment of "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia," a short-form documentary series distributed to Public Television stations nationwide.

Henderson, Tenn. – September 20, 2026 -- Freed-Hardeman University enrolled 2,296 students this fall, posting an all-time-high five-year graduation rate of 71% that exceeds nine of Tennessee's public four-year universities.

Retention rate reaches 89% as new student numbers climb 5%

FHU's 89% retention rate accompanied a 5% year-over-year increase in new students. Full-time undergraduate enrollment rose 3%, while on-campus residency grew 5%, adding to a total undergraduate population of 1,806 students.

Arlington, Va. – September 20, 2026 -- The American Institutes for Research (AIR) will present at more than 25 sessions during the 2026 Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) conference, running September 23-26 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore, Maryland.

Mexico City – September 20, 2026 -- The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) has awarded full accreditation to Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ), making it the first of Mexico's 13 National Institutes of Health under the Mexican Ministry of Health to reach this status.

Knoxville, Tenn. – September 20, 2026 -- The University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Haslam College of Business rose four places to No. 15 among U.S. public business schools in the Bloomberg Businessweek Best Business Schools Rankings 2026-27. Nationally, Haslam climbed to No. 39, also up four spots from 2025.

Tallahassee – September 19, 2026 -- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has released the state's initial list of short-term workforce training programs eligible for the new federal Workforce Pell Grant, a Trump Administration initiative extending federal financial aid to non-degree credentials tied directly to employment.

Pittsburgh -- September 17, 2026 -- Duquesne University formally inaugurated Dr. David J. Dausey as its 14th president on Sept. 17, drawing nearly 1,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni and guests to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse as the institution approaches its 150th anniversary in 2028.

St. Paul – September 19, 2026 -- Rasmussen University, part of American Public University System, will confer credentials on nearly 6,200 graduates during its 2026 Minnesota Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, marking the institution's third and final commencement of the year.