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 23, 2025

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Trump Has Issued a Blitz of Executive Orders. Some Could Affect Higher Ed.

Jasper Smith, The Chronicle of Higher Education

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Hours into his second term, President Donald J. Trump banned diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across the federal government, eliminated a number of programs related to race and gender, and declared that there were “two sexes.”

 

Higher education experts see the flurry of executive orders and policy revocations as a sign of the new Trump administration’s priorities—and a clear message about opposition to DEI that could prompt colleges to act preemptively.

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The National Student Clearinghouse CEO’s Chaotic Final Month

Liam Knox, Inside Higher Ed

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Ricardo Torres, CEO of the National Student Clearinghouse, is retiring next month after 17 years at the helm. His last few weeks on the job have not been quiet.

 

In this interview, Torres talks about the recent challenges, including a significant error in this research team's October enrollment report, how his organization has changed since its early days, and what comes next for the National Student Clearinghouse's research once he leaves.

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How Are Community Colleges Accessing WIOA Funding?

Morgan Polk, New America

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Public community colleges and the federal workforce system, governed by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, both aim to prepare people in this country for jobs and meet local employer needs. However, despite their similar goals, the two systems differ in structure, making it challenging to integrate work and strategically leverage resources.

 

Leaders from community colleges across the country share how they are using WIOA funds and the promising approaches that have come about as a result of their work.

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Credentials in Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities in Modern Education Recognition

Randy Bowman and Mike Veny, CET Talks

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In today's post-high school landscape, there are many different ways to award and recognize learning to learners. Short-term credentials are part of this equation. But what makes one credential better than another?

 

On this podcast, Lumina Foundation's Chris Mullin shares his insights on what's happening in the short-term credential space, the importance of inclusivity in credentialing, and the potential of microcredentials to reshape the future of learning.

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Adult DACA Recipients Reflect on Life in Nashville

Alejandro Ramirez, Nashville Scene

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As Donald J. Trump begins his presidency, many immigrants and immigration advocates are bracing for his promised mass deportations and border crackdowns.

 

One uncertainty is how Trump will handle a policy he once attempted to end: the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. In this interview, longtime Nashville residents share how DACA enabled them to pursue jobs and seek higher education without fear of deportation—and how their futures are now filled with questions and fear.

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You’re Hired: These Are the Skills That Every Employer Says They Want

Victoria Lim, WorkingNation

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Employers say they can’t find enough workers with the skills they want for the jobs they need to get done. They’re not always talking about tech skills. The most valued skills for the workforce aren’t specific to a degree, certification, or industry.

 

Commonly known as “soft skills,” LinkedIn’s Aneesh Raman calls them the “core human skills” that 72 percent of U.S. executives want.

HUMAN WORK AND LEARNING

What Is the Hidden Job Market?

Scott Carlson, The Edge

Creating a Purpose-Driven Strategy for Microcredential Partnerships

Erica Noll-Crawford, Laura Pedrick, and Melanie Booth, The EvoLLLution

Leaders Share Their Vision as 85% of Employers Plan to Prioritize Reskilling Their Workforce

Gurgen Tadevosyan and Neil Allison, World Economic Forum

Voices: At the U. and USU, General Education Classes Shape Utah’s Future Leaders

Mitzi Montoya and Laurens Smith, The Salt Lake Tribune

Blog: The Great Unbundling

Steven Mintz, Higher Ed Gamma

STUDENT SUPPORT

Study: Academic Alerts Slash Course Withdrawal Rates by 30%

Johanna Alonso, Inside Higher Ed

Video: 'Latinas in Progress' High School Program Preps Young Women for Higher Ed

KIII 3 News

Getting To and Through College: Jose Gonzalez

Gabriela Montell, The Education Trust

Chancellor Says MN State Will Support International, Undocumented Students

Samantha Davis, Marshall Independent

PRISON EDUCATION

North Texas College Students Participate in Prison Exchange Program

Freda Ross, Public News Service

ASU Professor, Arizona Inmate Work to Rehabilitate the 'Imprisoned Mind'

Mary Beth Faller, Arizona State University

Opinion: Formerly Incarcerated Students Are Humans First

Joshua Williams and Sara Goldrick-Rab, Diverse Issues in Higher Education

FEDERAL POLICY

Colleges No Longer Protected From Immigration Raids

Kara Arundel, Higher Ed Dive

Student Loans Under Trump: What Experts Say DC Should Expect

Jennifer Igbonoba, NBC4 Washington

‘Don’t Wait’ to Renew TPS or DACA Status, North Texas Advocacy Groups Say

Priscilla Rice, KERA

Opinion: The New Administration Could Be on the Verge of Destroying Public Education as We Know It

Stanley Litow, The Hechinger Report

NEW REPORTS AND EVENTS

Instructor Use of Academic Alerts and Its Impact on Student Outcomes: Controlling for Selection Bias

Studies in Higher Education

Webinar: Five Enrollment Trends You Need to Know for 2025

Ruffalo Noel Levitz

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

Lumina Foundation

Virtual Forum: The Upside of Upskilling

The Chronicle of Higher Education

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

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