Daily Lumina News 011222

The Credential as You Go model is putting ownership of learning in the hands of learners. It also represents a critical step toward creating a more accessible and outcome-oriented education ecosystem.
In this interview, three education and policy experts offer insight on this national initiative, the benefits of incremental credentialing, and why transforming the U.S. credentialing system is so critical.

By now, the story has gone viral: A student at Boise State University became inspired to begin a scholarship program for women in engineering, law, and medicine after hearing a professor's comments that women shouldn’t be recruited in those fields.
Across the country, only 21 percent of engineering majors and 19 percent of computer science majors are women, according to the American Association of University Women.

Student loan borrowers owe $1.6 trillion in federal and private loans. Some advocates and lawmakers are calling for President Joe Biden to forgive $50,000 per person; others want student loans to be forgiven altogether.
Two policy researchers debate the state of student loans today and whether canceling debt is the best way to address the student debt crisis.

For Mississippi college students and faculty, the latest wave of COVID has brought more frustration and uncertainty to a situation that was already confusing to navigate. Conflicting guidance from health officials isn't helping.
Many students don’t want to return to online learning, which they found arduous and fruitless, but the new omicron variant is leading them to wonder if their schools could be doing more.

Vivek Sharma is the CEO and co-founder of the workforce education company InStride. He's also the author of a new book on a CEO-led strategic approach to workforce education.
On this podcast, Sharma discusses why companies that invest in their employees’ education will reap the rewards of a more engaged workforce and move the needle on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Community college leaders across the country are doing various types of mental calculus these days as they rapidly adjust their plans for the winter or spring terms while also trying to gauge the risks of keeping campuses open—and the costs of closing them.
Many colleges are shifting some or all of their courses online during the first weeks of the semester, pushing back their start dates or imposing stricter safety protocols.