Daily Lumina News 111120

On this Veterans Day, we speak with veterans, historians, and advocates focused on improving education opportunities for those who have served. Joe and Joey Cyrus, a father and son duo who used their GI benefits on higher education, talk about balancing work and school, raising a family, and separating from the armed forces.
Historian and author Dr. Eddie R. Cole discusses the historic exclusion of Black veterans from GI Bill benefits. And Carrie Wofford of Veterans Education Success addresses issues faced by today's veterans—and the role federal policymakers can play in their success.

For the first time in American history, the nation’s First Lady will hold a job outside the White House. And that job will involve teaching.
Jill Biden will continue teaching English at Northern Virginia Community College, where even as Second Lady, she has advocated for students and education after high school. Moving forward, her position as First Lady is expected to bring greater attention to community colleges as a viable pathway for 21st century careers.

Health officials and college administrators are worried about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. To reduce the risk of students carrying the coronavirus home, some colleges and universities are requiring students to test negative for the virus before they can leave campus.
In Massachusetts, where cases have been surging, Boston University has asked students not to leave campus until Dec. 10, when classes end. “We are saying, ‘Stay here,’ plain and simple,” says Kenneth Elmore, the associate provost and dean of students.

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) virtually gathered more than 1,500 thought leaders, college administrators, and others for the first day of its 133rd annual meeting held earlier this week.
The theme of the three-day convening, “Equity & Resilience,” comes at a time when college and university leaders are reflecting on a summer of racial justice organizing and the ongoing impact of the coronavirus on campuses, particularly for underrepresented students.

The limitations of online education are frustrating for many California college students, but they’re especially so for the tens of thousands who transferred from community colleges to four-year universities this year.
With key social elements of a university experience missing since most classes have moved online, new transfer students fear they won’t be able to make meaningful in-person connections with peers and professors—part of the reason they wanted to transfer in the first place.

Some experts think competency-based learning could get a boost amid the pandemic, in part because of the flexibility CBE programs offer to students.
Charla Long heads the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), a national consortium of colleges and systems. Long talks about the outlook for CBE and what might take it to the next level on this podcast. Joining the conversation is Capella University's Dick Senese, who describes Capella's long history with CBE programs.