Daily Lumina News 041423

Many reasons attribute to the low completion outcomes of community college students, including inadequate academic preparedness, the complex structure of programs at community colleges, and the lack of resources to help students navigate campus.
Certain strategies—from academic and financial to basic needs and mental healthcare—can go a long way in improving this picture, say experts. But schools must do more to make students aware of these resources, they caution.

In California’s constellation of community colleges, Calbright College is shifting from a dying star to something less nebulous.
The online-only community college is making positive steps in the wake of a state audit and legislative criticism. Calbright now educates 2,300 Californians, up from about 1,000 a year ago. Students are also sticking around longer. Still, less than 10 percent of students earn a certificate within a year of studies.

More than a decade after the Obama administration called for the United States to lead the world in college completion, research reveals significant progress—and unfinished business.
Community colleges play a significant role in increasing educational attainment, and many are now stepping up with new programs and strategies to reconnect with former students who left college without earning a degree.

Two decades ago, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities issued a report on “stewardship of place,” a phrase coined by its members to help regional public institutions define an important part of their distinct mission to improve educational attainment and to serve as economic engines in their local communities.
AASCU’s latest analysis takes stock of that work, which includes expanded program offerings, workforce development partnerships, community engagement initiatives, and student accessibility measures.

As a police recruit in Missouri in the 1990s, Gary Hill was one of two Black students in his academy class. Although he has faced racism in his years on the force since then, he believes that policing can be a public good, and that reimagining approaches to recruiting and training can inspire necessary change within the ranks.
In 2020, Hill started the first police academy at Lincoln University in Jefferson City. In this interview, he explains how he is trying to change policing one recruit at a time.

Findings from a new research study show that emotional stress and mental health are the biggest reasons many students consider dropping out of college.
In response, some colleges and professors are taking steps to make the college experience less stressful. This includes redesigning courses, assigning realistic workloads, communicating clear expectations for how work will be graded, and more.