Top stories in higher ed for Thursday
Lumina Foundation is committed to increasing the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees, certificates and other credentials to 60 percent by 2025.
August 3, 2017
Photo: Christian Science Monitor/Getty Images
What Happens When a College Accepts Too Many Students?
Suhauna Hussain, The Chronicle of Higher Education
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In May, the University of California at Irvine found itself in a tough spot: Some 7,100 incoming freshmen had accepted admission offers for the fall—850 more than the university had expected.

Admissions yield rates have become increasingly unpredictable over the past decade, experts say, and the issue of over or under­enroll­ment isn’t limited to Irvine.

The Complicated History of Affirmative Action: A Primer
Alia Wong and Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic
The Justice Department is poised to investigate and potentially sue universities over admissions policies that it believes practice race-based discrimination, according to an internal document obtained earlier this week by The New York Times. This article offers excerpts from seven stories that explore the complex past of affirmative action. 
Trump May Find No Easy Targets If He Attacks Race in Admissions
Peter Schmidt, The Chronicle of Higher Education
The nation’s long fight over affirmative action at colleges has flared back up with a report this week that the Trump administration’s Justice Department plans to go after race-conscious admissions policies. While colleges have good reason to be concerned about such news, the fears it has aroused in them may be exaggerated and somewhat misplaced.
Time to Reset Tuition?
Rick Seltzer, Inside Higher Ed
Deep cuts in tuition rates are a hot topic for private college administrators worried that their high sticker prices are scaring away students, but experts warn against gimmicky strategies. 
Report: Paper Thin? Why All High School Diplomas Are Not Created Equal
Alliance for Excellent Education
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Of the nearly 100 different types of high school diplomas that are awarded across all fifty states and the District of Columbia, less than half prepare students for success in college and career. And while the national high school graduation rate is at an all-time high, the rate at which students earn these college- and career-ready diplomas is substantially lower, especially among students from low-income families, students of color, and other traditionally underserved students.

Expert: U.S. Higher Ed a Key Resource for Global Outreach
Jamaal Abdul-Alim, Diverse Issues in Higher Education
American colleges and universities are an “essential part of our nation’s diplomatic outreach” and critical to building the cross-cultural relationships necessary to solve the world’s most pressing problems, a U.S. State Department official said at an international education forum Tuesday.
Preparing for Scrutiny
Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed
The University of Texas prevailed in an affirmative action case just over a year ago in large part because of its research. Will other colleges be able to match that analysis? And will legal and political battles change if focus is on rejected Asian-American applicants?
Analysis: Trump’s Justice Dept Moves to Protect Whites in College Admissions
The Hechinger Report
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Following news that the U.S. Justice Department is preparing to investigate and potentially sue colleges over their affirmative action policies, Hechinger reporters weigh in with history, case law, and research. 
What You Need to Know About Race-Conscious Admissions in 2017
Andy Thomason, The Chronicle of Higher Education
Blog: The Vision Thing
Matt Reed, Confessions of a Community College Dean
Stihl's Manufacturing Technology Summer Camp Helps to Address the Skills Gap
Sandra J. Pennecke, The Virginian-Pilot (Virginia)
The Economics of College Graduation
Katie Moritz, SDPB Radio
Promising Outcomes for Using Financial Aid On Prior Learning Assessment, Research Shows
Allie Bidwell, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
Viewpoint: Community Colleges Move the People and Can Move the State
Daisy Cocco De Filippis, CT Mirror (Connecticut)
A New Road Map: UNCG to Help GTCC, Alamance CC Students Get Four-Year Degrees
John Newsom, Greensboro News & Record (North Carolina)
Lumina Daily News is edited by Patricia Brennan.
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