Education Writers Association: Higher Education Seminar Fall 2026

Upcoming Events September 9-10, 2026

Washington, D.C.

A Challenging Beat: Covering History, Pressure and Disruption on Campus

Covering postsecondary education continues to be a challenge on many fronts. Colleges face ongoing issues, such as enrollment declines and financial strain. Meanwhile, new issues have emerged – from the use of artificial intelligence to federal funding changes and political pressure – that journalists need to understand and report on in real time. How can reporters balance covering both emerging trends and breaking news with nuance and care?

The Education Writers Association will provide training to help reporters cover both urgent and undercovered issues in all higher education communities during its fall 2026 Higher Education Seminar at Howard University, Sept. 9-10. As a leading historically Black college and university with a distinguished history of educating Black scholars and advancing research that shapes national discourse, Howard offers a crucial setting for thoughtful and nuanced conversations about the history and the future of higher education. The theme of this year’s seminar is “A Challenging Beat: Covering History, Pressure and Disruption on Campus.”

Programming will include sessions on various topics, including:

The impact of federal funding changes on Minority-Serving Institutions
Artificial intelligence on college campuses
College preparedness for incoming students
The emergence of public university civic centers
College enrollment trends

The seminar will incorporate journalist-led sessions while highlighting the perspectives of students, faculty, administrators and experts.

Apply for a scholarship today! A full agenda will be available soon.

Photo credit: MonkeyBusinessImages/Bigstock

EWA is grateful to Lumina Foundation for providing the major funding that made this seminar possible. EWA would also like to thank Strada Education Foundation for providing funding for this event. We are also grateful to Howard University for its generosity in hosting the seminar.

EWA retains editorial control over all programming.

Journalists-Only Registration $350