Top Higher Education News for Wednesday
Lumina

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

December 11, 2024

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A Long Way Down

Liam Knox, Inside Higher Ed

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For years, projected declines in American high school graduates have loomed over the future of higher education. The metaphorical demographic cliff, as it’s been described, undergirds sectorwide fears of massive program cuts, college closures, and inadequate workforce capacity.

 

Next year, that cliff will become more than a metaphor, according to a new report from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Is higher education ready for a new normal?

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CHIPS and Higher Ed: What the Federal Investment Means for Colleges

Michael Horn and Jeff Selingo, Future U

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The CHIPS and Science Act—the federal spending package designed to reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign manufacturers for microchips and other advanced technologies—has big implications for higher education and the institutions responsible for educating more data-driven, tech-savvy, AI-curious talent.

 

In this interview, nonprofit and government leaders discuss how the CHIPS Act supports the education and training of a high-tech workforce and the key role community colleges will play. 

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A Year in Review

Lois Elfman, Diverse Issues in Higher Education

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The reelection of President Donald J. Trump has brought a sense of uncertainty to higher education, causing students, families, college leaders, and others to wonder what comes next.

 

Several states have already dismantled diversity, equity, and inclusion programming, and other states anticipate something similar coming their way. Student debt issues loom, and challenges from the rollout of the 2024-25 FAFSA linger. Meanwhile, institutions continue to see presidential resignations as future leaders try to figure out how best to oversee colleges and universities.

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Enrollment Climbs at Some Cal State Campuses, Tumbles at Others

Amy DiPierro, EdSource

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Diego Lopez, a student at Cal State San Marcos, gives the north San Diego County campus high marks. The Army veteran likes his classes, feels the campus is generally well-managed, and appreciates the school’s current size. But Lopez can tell the student body is expanding.

 

He's right. The number of students at the suburban Cal State San Marcos campus has mushroomed over the past decade. But that's not the case across all 23 campuses of the California State University system.

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Which Colleges Offer Free Tuition?

Amanda Holpuch, The New York Times

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In the last month, several colleges and universities, including the University of Texas system and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have announced programs to provide free tuition for undergraduate students from families who fall below a certain income threshold.

 

But how exactly do these efforts work?

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Hispanic Communities: Powering a New American Economy

Melissa Panzer, WorkingNation

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Hispanic and Latino American communities are driving economic growth and shaping the U.S. workforce. There are 63.7 million Hispanics or Latinos in the United States, and the number is only growing. By 2060, labor analysts predict that one in four Americans will be Hispanic.

 

A new interactive digital magazine examines how grassroots initiatives are breaking down barriers and creating pathways to success for more Hispanic and Latino workers.

HUMAN WORK AND LEARNING

The Jobs Most Vulnerable Under the Next Trump Administration

Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN

For Higher Education, the Time to Bravely Embrace Change Is Now

Charles L. Welch, Forbes

‘A Luxury That We Can’t Afford’

Adrienne Lu, The Chronicle of Higher Education

A Digital Awakening for Adult Education

Angelique Maguire, The EvoLLLution

Moving Toward Sustainable Academic Innovation

James DeVaney, Stephanie Khurana, and Joan Remski, Learning Innovation

Webinar Recap: Unveiling the Richmond Fed's 2024 Survey of Community College Outcomes

Kristin Vinagro, Community College Insights

STUDENT SUPPORTS

Could Campus Activity Involvement Keep Students in College?

Melissa Ezarik, Inside Higher Ed

FSU, FAMU Work on New AI Policies as Faculty Navigate the Emerging Technology in Higher Ed

Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat

Whip Up Student Engagement With These Three Useful Approaches

Alcino Donadel, University Business

Medical Schools Are Offering Coaching Programs to Support Students. Do They Help?

Stacy Weiner, AAMC

Opinion: An Inclusive Approach to Increasing Access to Student Mental Health Services

Nichole Kang, Diverse Issues in Higher Education

COLLEGE ENROLLMENTS

Looming Declines in High-School Grads Will Mark ‘Inflection Point’ for Higher Ed

Eric Hoover, The Chronicle of Higher Education

Why College Freshman Enrollment Declined and What it Could Mean for Students

Sarah Wood, U.S. News & World Report

Easing the Path to Higher Ed: CMSD Students Get Automatic Admission to Tri-C

Conor Morris, Ideastream Public Media

A Surge in Antisemitism on Campuses Is Changing How Jewish Students Pick Universities

Rachel Wegner and Angele Latham, The Nashville Tennessean

How San Francisco Is Boosting College Enrollment for All Youth

Patrick Hain, National League of Cities

STATE POLICY

Program Providing Free College Classes to 5th-Year High Schoolers Needs Overhaul, Report Says

Jason Gonzales, Chalkbeat Colorado

What's in the Iowa House Committee's Plan for Higher Education

Conner Hendricks, KCRG

Indiana High School Diplomas Set to Change After State Board Vote Wednesday

Rachel Fradette, WFYI

Fine Bill Would Ban Florida In-State Tuition Breaks for Undocumented Immigrants

Dave Berman, Florida Today

Utah Colleges Will Require Fewer General Education Prerequisite Classes in Major Cut

Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune

Opinion: Competency-Based Hiring Is Wise, and State Lawmakers Are Helping the Cause

Elizabeth New, Washington Policy Center

NEW REPORTS AND EVENTS

Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Tearing the Paper Ceiling: The Impact of State Commitments to Remove Degree Requirements on Public Awareness and Job Opportunities for STARs

National Bureau of Economic Research

Technology Implementation for Higher Education in Prison

Ithaka S+R

Virtual Forum: Building Community in Online Classes

The Chronicle of Higher Education

The Student Loan Default Divide: Racial Inequities Play a Role

The Pew Charitable Trusts

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

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