Daily Lumina News 042823

Today's system of learning beyond high school, like every part of society, can be improved. But curbing academic freedom or limiting campus speech isn’t the answer, writes Lumina Foundation's Jamie Merisotis in this op-ed.
An emphasis on open discussion and the chance to hear opposing viewpoints and grapple with difficult concepts make college special. These are the things that help colleges produce well-rounded students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive, in the workplace and in life, he says.

The journey to college has not been easy for Jonathan Cornejo. The son of a single immigrant mother from El Salvador, Cornejo had no home Wi-Fi or working laptop for stretches at a time or a study space in the family’s cramped apartment.
Yet, Cornejo persevered, earning a 4.0 GPA. Last month, he received a coveted admission offer from his dream school, top-rated UC San Diego. But Cornejo is planning to go to a community college. Even with a substantial financial aid offer, he can’t afford the University of California—and he’s not alone.

Approximately one in five college students is a student parent. A majority identify as women or students of color, particularly Black and Latina students. Although student parents often perform better academically than their non-parenting peers, they are less likely to graduate from college.
In this interview, David Croom of the Aspen Institute discusses his work as a student-parent advocate, what is needed in the field, and why the best solutions must be built together with student parents.

The United States Department of Agriculture has been loaning tens of millions of dollars to rural colleges and universities.
This support, through a program set up to promote rural economic development and from the federal agency that works the most with rural places, underscores how important local universities and colleges are to those communities—and the vulnerability of a growing number of them.

Two residence-life staff members at Houghton University have been terminated after they refused to remove their pronouns from their email signatures, which violated the private university’s policy.
The accounts of the two now-former residence-hall coordinators paint a picture of a private religious institution struggling to navigate changing gender norms and acknowledge LGBTQ+ students’ presence on campus while also hewing to church doctrine.

California has one of the highest levels of income inequality in the country.
The College Futures Foundation and CEO Eloy Ortiz Oakley believe an education beyond high school is one of the most effective tools available to help California address economic and social inequities. That includes both bachelor’s degrees and shorter-term quality credentials.