Daily Lumina News 060424

To understand racial inequities in higher education, don’t just look at income disparities among different groups of Americans. Be sure to look at enduring wealth gaps, too.
That’s the takeaway from a new report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy. From access and completion to borrowing and saving for future generations, wealth influences every stage of a student’s higher education journey, the study notes.

A recent study by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham reveals that between 2017 and 2022, the number of college students receiving diagnoses for post-traumatic stress disorder more than doubled.
The study’s findings bring renewed attention to what’s widely acknowledged to be a dramatic escalation of mental health challenges among college students.

Zoe Rickheim was already taking classes at Minnesota State University Mankato when she was called up for deployment along the southern border. But her academic work didn't stop when she got there.

A partnership between the Minnesota National Guard and the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities enables some service members to enroll in college courses while on deployment, expediting their pursuit of a degree.

As postsecondary institutions grapple with how to recover from the Israel-Hamas controversies on their campuses, some college leaders have decided the best way forward is to try to back away from hot-button issues.
This week, Harvard University and Syracuse University both announced new policies saying school leadership will no longer be commenting on controversial political issues. The move, which is drawing both derision and cheers, reflects a long-running debate over the role of leading academic institutions.

Despite the low pay, Jacqueline Strickland, 59, has stuck with her career in child care, even as colleagues left for better-paying jobs.
Three years ago, Strickland's financial landscape changed. Her salary jumped from $57,000 to $75,000 a year, thanks to a massive experiment underway in the nation’s capital. The transformative effort seeks to solve one of the major drivers of the child care crisis: Most educators don’t make a livable wage.

The primary factors that will impact today’s college students’ success are not internal changes in institutions but external factors, suggest some education experts.
Instead, according to EAB and the American Council on Education, public opinion, evolving strategies, and the changing demographics of college students are the six forces playing crucial roles in student success.