Daily Lumina News 051322

On college campuses nationwide, the number of students seeking mental health services increased by an average of 30 percent between 2009 and 2015—more than five times the average rate of enrollment growth.
To keep up, some colleges are "embedding” counselors in dorms, conducting mindfulness workshops, and contracting with networks of telehealth providers. But the rise in demand feels relentless, and more counselors say they’re burned out.

In densely populated areas, urban gardens have historically been a way to preserve green space and contribute to environmentally friendly goals like reducing the carbon footprints of food production and distribution.
But for some students in highly segregated Milwaukee, an urban garden program is growing careers and life skills.

The 1918 influenza pandemic couldn't bring Lincoln College down. Neither could the Great Depression or World War II. But the college is closing for good today—the victim of two modern blights: the COVID-19 pandemic and a cyberattack.
It's a shocking ending for a small Illinois college that has welcomed thousands of first-generation students and qualified for federal recognition as a predominantly Black institution.

College leaders across the country are witnessing a growing mental health crisis on their campuses, as more students experience stress, isolation, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
Dr. Zainab Okolo, a therapist and strategy officer at Lumina Foundation, discusses student mental health policy issues, including new research that identifies students' emotional stress as the main driver behind their decision to give up on college.

Hybrid colleges began popping up several years ago, with the goal of combining the flexibility of online learning with the in-person support and connections of a traditional college. About 15 nonprofits, including AdvanceEDU, Duet, and PelotonU, now offer this model.
In this interview, the leaders of PelotonU discuss the pandemic's effect on hybrid colleges—and what it means when the “hybrid college” shifts away from hybrid.

After California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed an overhaul of the state's main financial aid program last fall, advocates for change are hopeful he will support their proposals this year.
The same lawmakers behind AB 1456 have introduced AB 1746, which expands access to the awards by eliminating GPA requirements for community college students and guaranteeing awards to students eligible for a federal Pell Grant.