Daily Lumina News 032224

The state of Missouri has come up with a plan to help 150,000 rural, Hispanic, Black, and other adult learners gain access to apprenticeships, certificates of value, and two- and four-year degrees.
Samantha Dickey of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development explains the strategies behind Missouri's plan to boost educational attainment in this interview.

For campus diversity officers whose work and livelihoods have been under attack for more than a year, the latest annual meeting of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education offered a chance to brainstorm and commiserate. Last week's gathering in Seattle drew a record attendance of about 1,150 people.
Many came to the event feeling isolated and frustrated and left saying they felt more energized and slightly more upbeat. They will need that optimism because the pressures they’re facing back home are daunting.

The phone calls and texts are coming regularly. People who once had aspirations to become college presidents or provosts are now asking, “Should I still pursue this goal?” Many currently serving as presidents or chancellors are wondering, “How long can I continue?” Others are simply leaving.
Today's college presidents must embody resilience and courage as they guide campuses through tensions and traumas, write longtime higher ed leaders Freeman A. Hrabowski III and Ted Mitchell in this perspective piece.

Just five years ago, Hampshire College in western Massachusetts teetered on the brink of closure due to financial constraints. It even opted not to admit a full incoming class of students—seemingly bound to close its doors just like many other small private nonprofits in recent years.
That's all changed. The college recommitted to its mission, raised funds, and revamped its curriculum. Experts say others can learn from its playbook.

Once the beacon of automotive manufacturing, Detroit has famously struggled to maintain its storied reputation in the face of fierce global competition and a shrinking population.
Now, with a significant investment of $740 million by Ford Motor Company to reskill underemployed residents, Detroit hopes to reclaim the mantle of Motor City for the electric car age.

Last week marked the deadline set by the U.S. Department of Education to send colleges data from the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. Once colleges get that data, they can start the process on their end to send out aid offers. In a normal year, this happens in January.
Colleges are just now beginning to receive long-overdue FAFSA data. Meanwhile, students who've been accepted to college still face weeks before they actually receive aid offers.