Daily Lumina News 052424

Colleges' capacity to promote civil discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a constant challenge in the aftermath of October 7.
Yet, some students crave spaces to talk about what’s happening and the toll it’s taken on their lives. For many, however, finding spaces to foster open dialogue and conversation is increasingly difficult.

When ChatGPT emerged a year and half ago, many professors immediately worried that their students would use it as a substitute for doing their own written assignments—that they’d click a button on a chatbot instead of doing the thinking involved in responding to an essay prompt themselves.
But two English professors at Carnegie Mellon University had a different first reaction: They saw in this new technology a way to show students how to improve their writing skills.

When Yanelit Madriz Zarate crossed the stage at a University of California, Berkeley, commencement ceremony this month, she thought about the role her parents, immigrants from Mexico with just a middle school education, played in helping her get to graduation. So, it felt extra special—and extra fitting—that her parents got to join her on stage.
While symbolic, the budding tradition of walking the stage with loved ones marks a shift in how colleges are engaging with students from nontraditional backgrounds and elevates the often-unspoken contributions of family members.

In Michigan, demand for talent is high, but a shortage of workers with postsecondary credentials promises challenges for the state’s economic growth.
To shore up the workforce, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has spent the last several years pushing toward tuition-free community college for every Michigan high school graduate. Are residents stepping up?

Perla Valdovinos Galvan didn’t think she could go to college. It had nothing to do with her being smart enough or not being ready. Galvan believed college wasn’t an option because she’s undocumented.
But Galvan had a dream to become a nurse. To afford college, she cleaned houses, applied for scholarships, and even turned to her nursing program for emergency funds. Today, her childhood dream is within reach.

For many students, the path to a college degree is linear: graduate from high school, enroll in college, and earn a degree in four years. But for many others, the journey to higher education involves several fits and starts.
The traditional college story is changing—and it is up to university leaders, policymakers, and others to embrace it, says this college president.