Daily Lumina News 051724

The U.S. Department of Education is putting $50 million toward efforts to help students complete the troubled Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, and access organizations are eager for the resources.
But some counselors and advocates think the cavalry may be coming too late to make a real difference for certain students and families.

Across the country, recent unionization efforts have pushed colleges to rethink their relationships with student workers, a longstanding source of inexpensive labor in dining halls, dorms, and elsewhere on campus.
That’s an especially pressing debate at Berea College, an institution that relies heavily on student labor to function.

Today's employers are seeking new skills and abilities, prompting workers to cultivate higher levels of critical thinking and analysis to keep pace with the rapidly changing world.
Community colleges are perfectly positioned to be the nexus for integrating academic and skills training to meet complex workforce requirements, delivering this education in new and creative ways.

Student loans aren’t the only kind of university debt. Colleges and universities themselves have borrowed billions.

Much of the money has gone to new buildings, even at a time when some instruction is moving online and existing buildings need billions worth of repairs. As enrollment declines, some has been spent on amenities intended to attract more students. But many colleges simply end up with more debt, even if they have fewer customers to pay for it.

When it comes to choosing a commencement speaker, colleges and universities take different approaches. Some go local, selecting well-known figures in the area. Others take a stately route, opting for a former or current politician. People often ask actors or comedians to speak, too.
However, in a world where artificial intelligence is everywhere, one university in New York opted for a robot using artificial intelligence to speak to graduates. Not everyone was happy about it.

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo recently announced that it will become the first public university in the state to shift to year-round operations starting in 2025. The change would give students the option of starting in the summer and taking their academic break during a different term.
The school's president, Jeffrey Armstrong, also believes a year-round academic calendar will increase enrollment and enhance student success.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of children regularly miss elementary, middle, and high school.
Is the same pattern of absenteeism and disengagement playing out at colleges, too? If so, what’s driving the trend? And what can professors and higher education leaders do about it?

The economy hasn’t been easy for the class of 2020 (and the years around it), but thankfully, it’s getting much better.
The unemployment rate for recent college graduates—workers between the ages of 21 and 24—has recovered more than 2.5 times faster than in the aftermath of the Great Recession. And recent graduates aren’t just finding any jobs; they’re finding good jobs.