Top Higher Education News for Thursday
Lumina

Lumina Foundation is committed to increasing the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees, certificates and other credentials to 60 percent by 2025.

January 16, 2025

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How Did Enrollment Researchers Get It So Wrong?

Liam Knox, Inside Higher Ed

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In October, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported that first-year enrollment fell by five percent. Now, citing a research error, the research center says it actually increased.

 

How did researchers get it so wrong, and what does it mean for postsecondary research moving forward? Higher education leaders, college access experts, and others weigh in.

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Anti-DEI Law Is Discriminatory, Violation of Free Speech, NAACP Alleges in Federal Court

Katherine Mangan, The Chronicle of Higher Education

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A group of Alabama students and educators on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit that takes aim at a new state law banning public funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at schools and colleges.

 

The plaintiffs contend that Senate Bill 129, which was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, impedes their ability to learn and teach about certain topics, including race, racism, sexism, structural inequality, and social justice. The lawsuit also alleges the censorship of teachings and discussions, as well as the closure of campus spaces previously serving Black and other marginalized students.

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Few of His Teachers Were Black Men. He Became a New Orleans Teacher to Change That.

Elyse Carmosino, The Advocate

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Limited diversity in the teaching profession is a national problem, but it's especially acute in Louisiana. Wilfred Wright is committed to changing that picture.

 

Wright, a first-generation Black college graduate who earned a degree in psychology and today is a fourth-grade teacher in New Orleans, says he hopes his presence in the classroom shows his students that they belong in any profession they choose—including education.

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New York Governor Pursues Free Community College Program for Adult Students

Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive

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Adult students in New York studying certain high-demand fields would be able to attend community college for free within the state under a new proposal from Gov. Kathy Hochul.

 

If passed, state residents ages 25 to 55 could pursue associate degrees in programs like healthcare and manufacturing without paying tuition. The state would also cover the cost of books, transportation, and other fees.

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Gen Z Students Are Optimistic About Higher Ed—Let’s Prove Them Right

Jamie Merisotis, Forbes

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Generation Z, the world’s largest generation, has been shaped by an unprecedented combination of challenges, from the aftermath of 9/11 to COVID-19 to political polarization to the increasing effects of climate change. Yet they haven’t lost their optimism.

 

Gen Z students and others are telling us they want post-high school educational options that are affordable, economically valuable, and flexible in their busy lives. We owe it to them to build a better system—or we risk our country slipping further behind until we get it right, writes Lumina Foundation's Jamie Merisotis in this perspective piece.

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Staff Shortfalls Diluting Promise of State’s Free Two-Year College Programs

The Lowell Sun

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The introduction of two novel programs—MassReconnect and MassEducate—into the community college system in Massachusetts, which virtually remove the financial barriers to attaining a two-year degree, is exceeding expectations.

 

At the same time, the rapid acceptance of a free associate degree by state residents appears to be catching high-education officials by surprise, with one unanticipated consequence being the lack of staff to meet the heightened demand.

HUMAN WORK AND LEARNING

Aligning Jobs Training to the Opportunities and Demands of the Green Economy

Maria Cormier, The Mixed Methods Blog

Teens Are Doing AI Research Now. Is That a Good Thing?

Stephanie M. Lee, The Chronicle of Higher Education

Going Corporate

Dennis Pierce, Community College Daily

How to Align Your College Goals With the Fastest-Growing Careers

Aviva Legatt, Forbes

EQUITY IN EDUCATION

Louisiana Colleges and Universities Spend Minimally on DEI, New Reports Show

Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator

Students Begin New Inclusive Postsecondary Education Program at N.C. State

Chantal Brown, EdNC

What Happened to Enrollment at Top Colleges After Affirmative Action Ended

Aatish Bhatia, Ben Blatt, Francesca Paris, Alicia Parlapiano, and Eve Washington, The Upshot

Gov. Greg Abbott Threatens Texas A&M President’s Job Over Claim That University Broke DEI Ban

Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune

Black Students, Poor Communities Are Hit Hard by Michigan’s Teacher Shortage, Report Says

Hannah Dellinger, Chalkbeat Detroit

Views: Leading From the Intersection

Julius O. Sokenu, Diverse Issues in Higher Education

STATE POLICY

Inside Utah Lawmakers’ Plan to Reform Higher Education in 2025

Brigham Tomco, Deseret News

Board of Regents Asked by Lawmakers to Reject University of Iowa's Proposed New School

Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch

Florida Bill Would Ban Students in US Without Legal Permission From Some Public Universities

The Associated Press

Blog: Ohio Could Bolster Its Teacher Pipeline by Supporting Student Teachers

Jessica Poiner, The Thomas B. Fordham Institute

COLLEGE COMPLETION

The Indicators of Timely Completers

Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed

Supporting Adult Learners and Boosting Degree Completion in Tennessee

Brittany Pearce and Joanna Dressel, Ithaka S+R

Kentucky Among Top States in College Completion Gains

Tom Latek, Kentucky Today 

1970 vs. Today: High School, College Attainment Rates in Every Michigan County

Julie Mack and Scott Levin, MLive

NEW REPORTS AND EVENTS

Webinar: Building a Stronger Future: Celebrating Progress in Education Attainment

Lumina Foundation

Increasing Enrollment: Successful Strategies From Three Community Colleges

New America

Closing the Opportunity Divide

The Education Trust-Midwest

Webinar: The Future of the U.S. Department of Education

Brookings Institution

AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking

Center for Strategic Corporate Foresight and Sustainability 

luminafoundation.org
Daily Lumina News is edited by Patricia Brennan.

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