Colleges' capacity to promote civil discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a constant challenge in the aftermath of October 7.

Yet, some students crave spaces to talk about what’s happening and the toll it’s taken on their lives. For many, however, finding spaces to foster open dialogue and conversation is increasingly difficult.

When ChatGPT emerged a year and half ago, many professors immediately worried that their students would use it as a substitute for doing their own written assignments—that they’d click a button on a chatbot instead of doing the thinking involved in responding to an essay prompt themselves.

But two English professors at Carnegie Mellon University had a different first reaction: They saw in this new technology a way to show students how to improve their writing skills.

When Yanelit Madriz Zarate crossed the stage at a University of California, Berkeley, commencement ceremony this month, she thought about the role her parents, immigrants from Mexico with just a middle school education, played in helping her get to graduation. So, it felt extra special—and extra fitting—that her parents got to join her on stage.

While symbolic, the budding tradition of walking the stage with loved ones marks a shift in how colleges are engaging with students from nontraditional backgrounds and elevates the often-unspoken contributions of family members.