Daily Lumina News 032122

Amid revenue headwinds and stiff competition for prospective students, leaders at Simmons University in Boston are putting their faith and financial support in innovation.
The small, private college's latest venture involves an expansion of its partnership with the prominent online-program manager 2U to attract adult learners who seek a quality, flexible online education.

COVID-19. Basic needs insecurity. Student mental health. It's been a tumultuous year for Miguel A. Cardona as U.S. Secretary of Education.
In this interview, Cardona discusses what he sees as the biggest challenges and accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Education so far—and what he hopes to achieve moving forward.

Reducing stigma—and treating people with dignity when they ask for support—can have a powerful impact on alleviating food insecurity for college students, says a new report from the Hope Center on College, Community, and Justice.

The study shares five valuable lessons from a pilot intervention at Compton College to connect eligible community college students to Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Green jobs are already in demand across the country, and Arkansas is no different.
Benjamin Runkle, a professor of biological and agricultural engineering at the University of Arkansas, describes the state's strong uptick in green job demand and the growing list of green opportunities available for students and workers. A new report provides additional insight on the green workforce in Arkansas.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) are once again calling upon the Biden administration to offer another extension of the student loan moratorium, citing the pandemic, inflation, and supply change issues.
Murray contends the extension would also give the Education Department more time to make key changes to the student loan repayment system.

For Kylie Burke, the anxiety caused by the recent spate of bomb threats against Historically Black Colleges and Universities has left her constantly on edge as she and her peers try to navigate classes and campus life.
Burke and other student leaders at HBCUs described their concerns last week during a congressional hearing on the bomb threats and how lawmakers can offer support.