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Community on campus: As college students return, a focus on well-beingAs colleges prepare for a new academic year, they鈥檙e finding that the pandemic has given them a new focus: rebuilding聽campus community.
Digital divide: Gap is narrowing, but how will schools maintain progress?With more technology and hot spots in student hands,聽schools face new questions about uneven access and the best way to incorporate聽devices in class.
First LookA new school year begins with driver shortage. Can kids get there?School districts across the United States are reporting trouble in finding enough school bus drivers. A range of factors 鈥� disagreements over mask-wearing, increased demand for commercial drivers, and low wages 鈥� are fueling the shortage.
The ExplainerTribal colleges honor students鈥� past, prepare them for futureTribal colleges and universities sustain and perpetuate Native American cultures and communities through education and nation building.
鈥榃e鈥檝e learned a lot of lessons鈥�: How schools plan to navigate a new yearWhile debate about masks and mandates swirl around them, educators focus on lessons learned in the past year to bring students back to school.
FocusSummer school re-imagined: Sword fighting, gardening, and closing the gapCan a summer make up for a 鈥渓ost year鈥� of education? Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of several cities trying to re-imagine summer school in the midst of the pandemic.
First LookWhy some historically black colleges are struggling to stay openWhile some prestigious historically black colleges such as Howard University are enjoying high profile faculty appointments, many other HBCUs are fighting for survival. Pandemic relief is helping, but without more funding, high tuition will continue to deter enrollment.
First LookCan UNC repair its relationship with students of color?Student activists and faculty at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are calling for the removal of racial barriers at the institution. The discussion follows journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones' decision聽to turn down a tenured position at the school.
First LookHannah-Jones takes tenured position at Howard after UNC tensionsInvestigative Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones has chosen to join Howard University over聽University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her decision comes after weeks of tension regarding her tenure at UNC, which ended in a vote聽to accept her application.
First LookUNC grants Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure, ending free-speech disputeThe trustees of the University of North Carolina voted to grant tenure to Pulitzer Prize winner Nikole Hannah-Jones, who worked on the 1619 Project about slavery. The university relented to widespread calls from students and faculty in support of her credentials.
FocusWhat does fair look like at America鈥檚 elite public schools?Black and Latino families argue the system needs to change to allow equality of opportunity. But Asian immigrant families argue that change is going to leave them behind.
FocusEmployers have funds, workers need degrees. Why are dollars going unused?While U.S. employers often tout benefits that promise to subsidize a college education, most workers can鈥檛 tap them. More flexible options could help.
First LookLoan relief granted to students bamboozled by for-profit collegeThis week,聽the Biden administration approved聽18,000 loan forgiveness claims made by previous ITT Technical Institute students. The decision follows an earlier round of loan discharges that cleared $1 billion of federal student loan debt for 72,000 borrowers.
First LookAfter year away, kindergarteners raise hands for fall enrollmentAfter a drop in enrollment during the pandemic, kindergarten class sizes are expected to spike in the fall, posing new challenges for teachers. Some school districts are planning ahead, putting federal relief funding toward summer programs, testing, and new hires.
First LookStudents spearhead push for Asian American studiesAfter the tragic killing of six Asian women in Atlanta, students are asking for mandatory Asian heritage instruction in the classroom. Illinois is poised to become the first state to require public schools to teach Asian American studies.聽
First LookBrand building: The new recruitment tool for NCAA schoolsCollege athletes can now be paid endorsers without violating NCAA rules. Some schools are already investing in support programs for personal branding. Other schools are waiting, wary of changes in legislation that could set new parameters around monetizing athletes.
Good news for grads: Help (really) wantedWhile career launch may have been slow for 2020 and 2021 graduates, the strengthening job market is an 鈥渙pportunity,鈥� say analysts.
FocusCritical race theory: Who gets to decide what is history?Conservative politicians in 16 states have introduced bills aimed at prohibiting the teaching of concepts they cite as divisive.
Schools and trust: What works for communities of colorAs students return to classrooms, diverse communities in California offer ideas for moving forward from inequities amplified by the pandemic.
First LookFor Native Americans higher ed support still falls shortNative American tribes, students, and faculty are pushing colleges and universities to do more for their Indigenous students. Many higher education institutions are built on land that was unjustly taken from Native American tribes, a study last year shows.