COVID-19 is forcing tribal colleges and universities to re-examine the unique set of struggles facing their students. Even before the pandemic, many students at these institutions lacked reliable and consistent access to food, housing, transportation, and technology.

Some tribal colleges are coming up with new strategies to address these educational inequities. Nebraska Indian Community College used COVID-19 funding to set up Wi-Fi towers across two reservations. Red Lake Nation College in Minnesota gave its students cell phones and hot spots. And Dine College in Arizona is building micro-sites off the main campus as a way to reach more students where they are.

This fall, undergraduate students at Bentley University in Massachusetts will be able to enroll in courses for a diversity, equity, and inclusion major. 

The new degree program aims to meet students’ interest in equity, while also helping to fulfill a growing demand in the workforce for DEI professionals and consultants. Two Bentley faculty members who pitched and worked on the new program describe how they made it come to life. 

Across the country, states are grappling with how to recover from the pandemic. Louisiana enlisted the help of a national company to connect people with training and job opportunities. Rhode Island launched a virtual career center to help residents find training or job opportunities. 

In Indiana, all residents—whether enrolled in college or not—are eligible for free career coaching through a partnership between a CARES Act-funded program run by Ivy Tech Community College and the governor’s office. The idea is to zap some life into the state’s pandemic economy and help people who are floundering professionally define their next steps.