Daily Lumina News 013124

Pulling introductory sociology from the list of courses students could take to meet the state’s social-sciences requirement is just the latest in a long list of moves by Florida Republicans to reshape higher education in the Sunshine State.
Like other efforts—to control the way race and gender are taught and to remake New College of Florida in the image of Hillsdale College, among others—it is likely to both cause practical challenges for students trying to complete their degrees and existential ones for some of the instructors trying to teach them.

Ahead of a hearing scheduled for today on the majority Republicans’ plan to overhaul higher education, Democrats on the House Education and Workforce Committee are issuing their own blueprint, the "Roadmap to College Student Success."
Initially a package of seven bills, the road map is aimed at making college more affordable, improving access to high-quality programs, and supporting students once they are in school.

Several themes continue to dominate today's higher education headlines, including enrollment, student loan debt, efforts by universities to articulate the value of a college degree, and the rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
In this interview, The Hechinger Report’s Jon Marcus and Chris Quintana of USA Today weigh in with their thoughts on these and other expected challenges for higher ed in 2024.

When it comes to leaving students with crushing debt they can’t repay, America’s richest colleges and universities are often the worst perpetrators. A Republican-backed bill now wants those institutions to pay millions of dollars in fines if they don’t start giving students a better deal.
So far, the idea of forcing colleges to pay the government back for unpaid federal student loans doesn’t have bipartisan support. Meanwhile, Democrats and higher ed advocates worry the provision would end up hurting community colleges and minority-serving institutions.

Last month, business leaders and child-care advocates from Michigan, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia gathered on Zoom to discuss a new child care model, called “Tri-Share,” that is gaining traction across the country, including in their respective regions.
Each state is experimenting with a slightly different iteration of the model, but they’re all trying to achieve the same end: Improving employee retention and bringing more people—particularly women—back into the workforce by making child care more affordable for families.

Last week, Governor Josh Shapiro announced his plans for a sweeping overhaul of higher education in Pennsylvania. His vision for the state college system offers a clear path for more residents to get the education they need to secure good jobs with the opportunity for career advancement.
A long-time university president offers her perspective on why this matters.