With the pandemic wiping out jobs across the country, many unemployed workers say they may never return to their fields once the health crisis is over.

That means the public pressure on colleges to educate and retrain workers could be even more intense than it was during the crisis 12 years ago. Many institutions are already stepping up to the challenge with high-demand credential programs, shorter block semesters, competency-based learning, and more.

Albion College’s shift over the past six years from 18- to 41-percent students of color is a welcome accomplishment for a campus seeking greater diversity. But it soon became clear that the rural college in south central Michigan hadn't done enough to prepare for the rapid transformation of its student body or to ensure that its new students felt welcome.

Being at college isn't the same as fitting in. Officials at Albion hope to change that with the appointment of the institution's first chief belonging officer, Keena Williams.