Daily Lumina News 021122

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a toll on college students. The share of students returning for their second year of college fell in 2020 to the lowest level since 2012, and the Omicron surge and lingering uncertainty around the virus could deepen the dropout crisis.
Some schools are stepping up their efforts to prevent that from happening with extra personal supports and hiring re-enrollment coaches to help students who have fallen off the grid.

When she takes office in July, Robin Holmes-Sullivan will be the first Black woman to serve as president of Lewis & Clark College in its 155-year history.
It’s a rarity for women of color to reach the presidency, but it’s even more unusual for them to take a nontraditional path like Holmes-Sullivan. In this interview, she talks about that path, the pressures of being the first, and what she hopes to achieve during her tenure.

There are universities aiming to do top-notch research and serve large numbers of students of color and low-income students.
This goal—what some campus leaders call ‘inclusive excellence’—challenges common assumptions about prestige in education. And, according to the authors of the book “Broke,” it’s hard to accomplish in a time of reduced state support for public colleges.

Ethnic studies is having a moment in California—it’s now required learning for students at California State University, community colleges, and eventually the state’s high schools.
Now, San Francisco State University is pioneering the first ethnic studies program inside California's youth prisons. The educators behind the effort hope it will inspire incarcerated young people to pursue education beyond high school.

For Dolly Parton’s generations of fans, the country music icon’s Dollywood amusement park in Tennessee is an experience that keeps visitors entertained with roller coasters and over-the-top dinner shows.
Dollywood Parks and Resorts can now offer something else for its employees: Their fees will be covered by Parton’s company if they want to earn a degree.

Through 13 years on the job, Indiana’s higher education leader has sought to assuage the unrelenting skepticism of whether college is worth it.
As she approaches retirement, Commissioner Teresa Lubbers put the question back on colleges this week in her final state of higher education address at the Statehouse.