More policymakers and campus leaders recognize that today's college students include many adults beyond traditional high school graduates, highlighting the diverse range of individuals pursuing higher education.

But recognition goes only so far. Too often, existing systems and programs fail to cater to students who can't make college their sole priority because of work, family, and other commitments. Higher education policy expert Julie Peller weighs in on what "today's students" need to thrive.

Demonstrations on college campuses are forcing some teachers to contemplate how far outside of the classroom their support for students should extend. 

Some faculty members have become the faces of pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel movements at their colleges, defending their students’ right to protest even if it means arrests and suspensions.

Illustration: The Chronicle

State support for public colleges continued to rise last year, surpassing pre-Great Recession levels for only the second year since 2008, according to the latest annual State Higher Education Finance report.

But this nominal good news obscures a more complicated story in the report’s data. The growth in state support comes in part due to dwindling federal stimulus dollars and a downturn in enrollment. The former will continue to decrease, and the latter could have worrying long-term ramifications.