Lumina Foundation is committed to increasing the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees, certificates and other credentials to 60 percent by 2025. | Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, The Washington Post SHARE: Facebook • LinkedIn Enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities is recovering from the pandemic at a faster rate than much of the rest of higher education. Some HBCUs are reporting as much as a 30 percent growth in this year’s freshman class compared with prior years. While HBCU leaders say factors like the end of race-conscious admissions may be helping to raise the profile of their schools, they mostly attribute the enrollment gains to years of strategic planning paying off. Now, many are seizing a moment of goodwill and attracting students who value being in an environment where they feel more comfortable and can pursue a rigorous education. | Mark Brodie, KJZZ SHARE: Facebook • LinkedIn The 2024 Time100 Climate list of the most influential climate leaders of the year includes Arizona State University President Michael Crow. He’s the only university president on the list and one of only three people associated with higher education to make the cut. Crow has long believed that sustainability is becoming an increasingly urgent topic to ensure a future in which humans and the planet thrive. So what role do colleges and universities play in trying to mitigate the effects of climate change? And could higher education have an impact—both inside the classroom and out? An ASU alum and organizer for the National Youth Climate Conference weighs in. | Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive SHARE: Facebook • LinkedIn Last week, House lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill that would require the U.S. Department of Education to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available by Oct. 1 each year. The measure will take effect in 2025 for the 2026-27 FAFSA. The bill, passed by a 381-1 vote, comes after the Education Department’s rocky rollout of the revamped FAFSA during the last financial aid cycle. In 2023, the agency released the form in the final days of December—nearly three months later than it usually becomes available. | Amy DiPierro and Michael Burke, EdSource SHARE: Facebook • LinkedIn Starting next year, a new state law will mandate that more STEM majors in California's community colleges enroll directly into calculus, skipping prerequisites. AB 1705 has sparked fervent opposition from some math educators, who worry that less-prepared students who skip traditional prerequisites will fail in calculus and abandon plans to study STEM altogether. Meanwhile, defenders of the bill say it will prevent students from getting detoured or derailed by long course sequences. | Lee Gardner, The Chronicle of Higher Education
SHARE: Facebook • LinkedIn As generative artificial intelligence spreads throughout all aspects of the academic world—and evolves at a pace measured in months, not years—experts and administrators alike believe that colleges need to establish guidelines about its use or face potential disaster. The need for comprehensive AI policies is already apparent to colleges’ technology leaders. A recent survey conducted by EDUCAUSE found that almost a quarter of respondents’ colleges had policies in place to regulate AI use. Nearly half of respondents, however, disagreed or strongly disagreed that their institutions had sufficient existing policies. | Julian Alssid and Kaitlin LeMoine, Work Forces SHARE: Facebook • LinkedIn Matt Merino, CEO of Education Management Solutions, focuses on using technology to address some of the major issues facing healthcare today, from enhancing training to care delivery. In this interview, Merino shares his perspective about these topics, as well as the need to start developing talent pipelines earlier on in a learner’s journey. And while his emphasis is healthcare, Merino's insights on using technology to innovate and scale learning solutions may offer valuable takeaways for leaders across all industries. | Victoria Lim, WorkingNation |
Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology | Laura Ascione, eCampus News |
Earl D. Brooks II, Diverse Issues in Higher Education |
Mary P. Sheridan, The Courier-Journal | Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed |
Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch | Evon Walters, PublicSource |
Mike Munoz, The Star Democrat | Ed Finkel, Community College Daily |
Learn & Work Ecosystem Library |
Jhovani Carrillo, KTNV (Nevada) | Ashley Sloboda, The Journal Gazette | Andrew Smalley, The National Conference of State Legislatures |
James M. Hohman, Mackinac Center |
Jason Swensen, Deseret News | Niki Kelly, Indiana Capital Chronicle (Indiana) |
Jessika Harkay, CT Mirror (Connecticut) |
Kevin Richert, Idaho Education News | The Southwest Economy Podcast | The Education Gadfly Show | |