Daily Lumina News 051524

A new collaboration between Arizona State University and OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, aims to determine the most effective use of artificial intelligence to improve student learning and build career and life opportunities.
In this interview, ASU's Lev Gonick talks about the university’s goals in its partnership with OpenAI, how the school hopes to influence the development of generative AI, and what other colleges might be thinking about their own AI futures.

The College of New Jersey is making space for native plants, and students are digging it. On this particular day, students are wearing UGG slippers and white sneakers as they clear weeds, create pollinator habitats on the traditionally maintained campus grounds, and prepare sections of land for native plants.
The work is inspired by a group called Re:wild Your Campus, which provides college students with programming and environmental training while also helping campuses become more climate-resilient, biodiverse spaces.

More than 4.7 million people—12 percent of California’s population—live in the Inland Empire's 27,000 square miles, and more are moving in, including a growing Latino population. Though the Inland Empire is a major economic hub for the state, its workers earn less than statewide averages, and there are fewer college graduates than in most metro areas in California.
Inland Empire’s leaders acknowledge that the region lags behind others in California. That's why several are stepping up to close the gaps, boost entrepreneurial opportunity, and spur innovative business and higher-paying jobs. Here are some of their ideas.

In 2023, the Biden administration launched a nationwide push to get more college students to help K-12 students catch up from pandemic-related "learning loss." Many institutions jumped on board, pledging to devote at least 15 percent of their federal work-study dollars—double the amount required under federal law—to community-service roles by the end of the 2025 academic year.
If successful, the effort could be transformative not only for schools but also for colleges, which could see better-prepared applicants—and more of them. Hurdles, however, abound.

The first year on a college campus can be pivotal and transformative. Students establish connections and discover a sense of community during this time. Both experiences have an impact on academic success and degree completion, experts say.
A new report from EAB shows that students of color and students from lower-income households are less likely to be satisfied with their college experience in their first year on campus. A third of them perceive discrimination based on their identities.

Education tech company 2U set out to bridge the divide between for-profit online learning and highly reputable colleges and universities. Now, the company, once worth more than $5 billion, is mired in debt and facing competition from former clients.
Higher education reporter Melissa Korn describes 2U’s long, steep fall.