Daily Lumina News 051221

The United States loses out on hundreds of billions of dollars each year because of racial and socioeconomic inequities in higher education attainment, according to a new report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
The report, conducted in partnership with the Postsecondary Value Commission, an initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and managed by the Institute for Higher Education Policy, found that it would take $3.97 trillion to close racial and socioeconomic gaps in college degree completion in the country. But after that initial investment, the United States stands to gain $956 billion per year in increased in tax revenues and GDP and cost savings on social assistance programs.

Pete Gallego is president of Sul Ross State University and a former Texas legislator and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Many of the students who attend the Texas institution that Gallego oversees are the first in their family to go to college, face economic issues, and come from rural communities where access to broadband is an ongoing challenge.
On this podcast, Gallego talks about how Sul Ross helped students weather a global health crisis, an unprecedented winter storm, and an economic downturn—plus what he see as the challenges and opportunities ahead as the state comes out of the pandemic.

Otero Junior College and Trinidad State Junior College have an image problem. For years, college leaders there say that the antiquated term of "junior" hampers recruiting efforts and gives potential students an erroneous impression of being less than a full-fledged college.
Now, Colorado lawmakers and college officials hope a name change—requiring legislation—will be a first step in helping to reverse years of declining enrollment at the two rural campuses.

What gets some students into college and keeps them enrolled? Taking free college classes in high school, according to a recent study.
Massachusetts has created 38 “early college” high schools. But advocates say the state needs to dramatically expand that number because not enough students actually earn a college degree, even as the state's economy demands more skilled workers.

“I didn’t know.” It's a phrase Batanya Gipson has heard repeatedly when sharing information about community colleges to local high school juniors and seniors.
In this op-ed, Gipson describes her goal to help community colleges take their place as legitimately viable options for higher education. If successful, she hopes “I didn’t know” will no longer be a barrier for anyone seeking a college degree or credential.

The pandemic has accelerated the conversation about disability accommodations on college campuses, as requests long labeled impossible, such as remote learning and recorded lectures, were universally adopted overnight.
Now, as many colleges roll out plans for a return to “normal” this fall, students, professors, and disability activists are questioning the way people conceive of normalcy—and whether or not it’s a state that’s even desirable to return to.