Daily Lumina News 082621

Students returned to classes at Howard University this week, and they're arriving at a high point for the school. This summer, journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones joined the faculty. And that comes on the heels of record donations, plus the swearing-in of Howard alum Kamala Harris as vice president.
Reporter Debbie Truong explores what it means for Howard and other historically Black colleges and universities.

When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a sudden shift to online learning in the middle of the 2019-20 school year, a majority of first-year college students faced academic challenges, and many had trouble accessing proper resources, a new report finds.
Three key factors created learning challenges for students: lack of access to technology and the internet, a gap in learning resources (such as instructor feedback, structured course materials, and opportunities for collaboration), and limited prior experience with online learning.

Students who don't follow college COVID-19 vaccine mandates are starting to face consequences.
Several schools are charging unvaccinated students thousands of dollars in coronavirus testing fees to remain on campus this fall during the pandemic. Some schools are imposing extra punishments such as cutting off their campus Wi-Fi access. Others are taking more drastic measures.

Research has made clear that students are experiencing heightened stress—particularly academic stress—and burnout as the pandemic continues. And with the Delta variant thwarting colleges’ plans for a near-normal campus experience this fall, those stressors could compound student mental-health concerns that have been on the rise for years.
But is the pandemic actually creating a new wave of mental-health crises? The emerging picture of COVID-19's effects on student well-being is more complex.

The once-in-a-lifetime COVID pandemic with its economic shutdowns and disruptions drove Congress and two presidential administrations to approve an unprecedented $69 billion in aid for higher education.
Some campus leaders immediately directed aid to their neediest students; others are taking a more wait-and-see approach as they monitor the unpredictability of the ongoing pandemic.

A redesign of developmental education by the Alabama Community College System has not only been effective at keeping more students on-track to gain degrees, but also is proving to save students money and time. Plus, it's helping educators better identify students who need additional support.
Those lessons—in broad, systematic change over several years as well as suggestions for individual educators assisting individual students—will be crucial in helping both returning and first-time college students navigate another fall semester during the pandemic.