Daily Lumina News 022924

Last year, Lumina Foundation issued a challenge to state higher ed systems to rethink the way people apply to college. Called The Great Admissions Redesign, the effort focuses on elevating ideas that can transform the college admissions process in fundamentally new and different ways.
Today, we are excited to announce the winners of The Great Admissions Redesign and their exciting efforts for reimagining college admissions across the country.

Generative AI, or GenAI, has brought the field of artificial intelligence across an undefined yet critical threshold, making AI accessible to the public in a way like never before.
These technologies are now poised to shape broad swaths of the knowledge economy—and the wider workforce. Are colleges on board? A lot rides on the answer.

After 16 years, Magno Garcia is back at Bunker Hill Community College, thanks to a new free community college program for adults in Massachusetts. State officials say programs to make community college free for anyone age 25 and older are responsible for the first enrollment jump at the state's public colleges in nine years.
That's, in part, why some political leaders now want to expand free community college to all state residents regardless of age. College-access advocates caution, however, that students still need better support systems, schedule flexibility, and tailored course offerings to help them graduate and achieve their career goals.

There’s a lot at stake for Joe Schaffer, president of Laramie County Community College, as he watches the Wyoming Legislature proceed through its 2024 budget session.
A pivotal decision looms on the horizon—one that could significantly alter the educational landscape for adult learners. Schaffer’s focus is on the Wyoming’s Tomorrow Scholarship, an initiative designed to help adults over the age of 24, many of whom are returning to education in the face of life’s myriad challenges.

Prestigious universities like Dartmouth, Yale, and MIT are bringing back requirements for the SAT and ACT for college applications after pausing those mandates during the worst of the COVID pandemic. But other big-name institutions, like Harvard, are still keeping tests optional—or going test-blind altogether.
Everybody's goal is the same: to increase diversity and representation in colleges. Both sides say the research supports their argument. Which way is best?

Online classes became commonplace by necessity when the pandemic forced colleges and universities to offer courses remotely. Now, students have more choices as institutions adjust course offerings to increase flexibility and enrollment.
In this interview, California college students weigh in on the pros and cons of online vs. in-person learning options.