On college campuses across the United States and the United Kingdom, the start of the 2025 academic year has brought a flurry of new initiatives, pressing challenges, and a wave of student activism—each revealing how universities are adapting to a rapidly changing world. From the lawns of Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), where yard signs dot the landscape to promote campus events, to the banks of Massachusetts rivers where rowers are rallying for cleaner water, and the bustling libraries of Birmingham Newman University, where librarians are leading the charge on artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, higher education is at the crossroads of tradition and transformation.
Let’s begin at Case Western Reserve University, where the simple act of placing a yard sign is anything but casual. According to CWRU’s official guidelines, yard signs are a vital way to promote campus events, programs, initiatives, and announcements. Yet, in a bid to keep campus spaces orderly and ensure fair access, the university has put in place a detailed reservation and approval process. Students and staff must log in to the Spartan Reservation System with their CWRU network ID, set specific dates and times—starting at midnight and ending at 11:30 p.m.—and select the exact outdoor location for their signs. The process includes entering the number of signs, choosing the 'Outdoor' setup type, and providing comprehensive event information, from the event name to the organization details and a brief description of the event’s purpose.
But it doesn’t stop there. Once a reservation is submitted, a copy of the yard sign must be emailed to Karen Cohen, the Campus Planning and Facilities Management events manager, for approval. University Marketing and Communications also reviews the sign before it’s allowed to go up. There’s even a rule that all signs must be removed by the reservation holder at the end of the reservation period, ensuring that campus spaces remain uncluttered and accessible for everyone. As the university reminds its community, "Outdoor sign space is shared—please do not remove other signs. Place yours in between or in the same general area." For those needing help, Karen Cohen remains the go-to contact for questions or assistance with the process. These meticulous steps, as outlined in the university’s October 21, 2025 announcement, reflect a broader commitment to both organization and community engagement—a theme echoed on campuses nationwide.
Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, the relationship between students and their environment has taken on new urgency. Rowers and other water athletes, whose sports put them in direct contact with rivers, bays, and lakes, are now at the forefront of a national campaign for cleaner water. The summer of 2024 saw multiple beach closures and advisories across Massachusetts due to water pollution, with the Environment Massachusetts Research & Policy Center documenting widespread fecal contamination at Bay State beaches. The impact was felt not just by rowers, but by entire communities who rely on these waters for recreation and health.
At the Head of the Charles Regatta—a storied event that draws rowers from across the country—Environment Massachusetts rallied support from more than a hundred rowers and water athletes representing 26 states. They signed a letter urging Congress to make a historic investment in the nation’s water infrastructure, aiming to stop sewage overflows and runoff pollution that can make people sick. Nyiri Hajian, Clean Water Associate for Environment Massachusetts, who coordinated the outreach, put it simply: "America’s rivers should be safe for swimming." The message is clear: the fight for clean water is not just about environmental stewardship, but about protecting the health and passions of student-athletes and the broader public.
While some students are raising their voices for environmental action, others are navigating the uncharted waters of technological change. Nowhere is this more evident than at Birmingham Newman University, where the library team has emerged as a guiding force in the age of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). The release of ChatGPT in November 2022, as reported by Times Higher Education on October 22, 2025, sent shockwaves through higher education, sparking both excitement and anxiety among students and staff. Predictions ranged from utopian visions of AI-enhanced learning to dire warnings of academic misconduct and social upheaval.
The response at Birmingham Newman was refreshingly pragmatic. The library adopted a bottom-up approach, starting with open discussions and a dedicated Teams site for debate and information sharing. As Chris Porter, director of library and learning services, explained, "Within the library, however, we began to feel the lack of a policy framework to contain or direct these stimulating debates." Recognizing the confusion and fear among students—many of whom worried about inadvertently breaking academic rules—the library staff worked with the university’s AI team to create a series of guides and workshops on the appropriate use of GenAI tools.
These workshops, grounded in a traffic-light system, helped students distinguish between good uses of AI (like narrowing down a topic or summarizing complex ideas), uses that require caution (such as initial data analysis or considering study design), and outright prohibited uses (like writing entire essays or failing to verify AI-generated results). For those unable to attend in person, the library provided a comprehensive website with video tutorials on topics ranging from "What do we mean by AI" to "AI and misinformation." Students could also access a curated selection of books on GenAI in the library’s collection.
The need for such guidance was underscored by the HEPI 2025 AI Survey, which found that "the proportion of students using GenAI tools such as ChatGPT for assessments has jumped from 53 per cent last year to 88 per cent this year." Only 12 percent of students surveyed did not use AI in this way, highlighting just how quickly the technology has become embedded in academic life. The library’s early support and clear frameworks helped reduce the so-called "fear factor," giving students the confidence to engage with new tools responsibly while the university worked to develop more comprehensive policies.
This proactive approach hasn’t gone unnoticed. Birmingham Newman University’s library team has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Library Team of the Year category in the THE Awards 2025, with winners to be announced on November 13. The recognition speaks to the vital role libraries play in not just supporting students, but in shaping the very policies and practices that define modern higher education.
Across these diverse stories—whether it’s reserving a patch of grass for a campus announcement, fighting for cleaner rivers, or demystifying artificial intelligence—one thing is clear: universities are more than just places of learning. They are microcosms of the challenges and opportunities facing society at large. As students, staff, and faculty navigate new rules, new risks, and new technologies, the lessons learned on campus are sure to ripple far beyond university walls.
