As postsecondary institutions grapple with how to recover from the Israel-Hamas controversies on their campuses, some college leaders have decided the best way forward is to try to back away from hot-button issues.  

This week, Harvard University and Syracuse University both announced new policies saying school leadership will no longer be commenting on controversial political issues. The move, which is drawing both derision and cheers, reflects a long-running debate over the role of leading academic institutions.

Photo: Valerie Plesch

Despite the low pay, Jacqueline Strickland, 59, has stuck with her career in child care, even as colleagues left for better-paying jobs.

Three years ago, Strickland's financial landscape changed. Her salary jumped from $57,000 to $75,000 a year, thanks to a massive experiment underway in the nation’s capital. The transformative effort seeks to solve one of the major drivers of the child care crisis: Most educators don’t make a livable wage.

The primary factors that will impact today’s college students’ success are not internal changes in institutions but external factors, suggest some education experts.

Instead, according to EAB and the American Council on Education, public opinion, evolving strategies, and the changing demographics of college students are the six forces playing crucial roles in student success.