If ever we needed proof that many Americans are living in an alternate reality, the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week was it. How thousands of people fell prey to the idea that a vast conspiracy reversed what they believed was a landslide victory by President Trump is a question that will hang over the country for decades.

For higher education, that question is especially urgent. While most Americans don’t subscribe to the paranoid theories that prompted the insurgency, the world that spawned them is deeply affecting students. Disinformation and propaganda are flourishing, traditional sources of authority are under siege, and people increasingly live in politically polarized media ecosystems.

California Gov. Gavin Newson is proposing a $15 million investment to build the next phase of an ambitious “cradle-to-career” data system that will shed light on effective strategies contributing to student success.

Newsom also anticipates spending another $3.8 million on a website to help high school students find information about what they need to get into college, financial aid opportunities, and career guidance. The website will eventually be integrated into the cradle-to-career data system.