Daily Lumina News 071222

Studies abound about the state of mental health and college students. Citing some measure of sadness, anxiety, feelings of burnout, or use of unhealthy coping skills, these studies say the same thing: College students are struggling.
Leaders in Washington are starting to listen. The Biden administration recently called on colleges to use federal COVID relief funding to add mental health support for students. And, last month, the House of Representatives passed two bills relating to college students’ mental health.

For many students, federal financial aid makes the difference between being able to afford college and never attending. Such resources are not available to students who hold Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, leaving many of them struggling to make the dream of college a reality.
Their struggles might be a little easier if a new proposal becomes law.

The announcements have rolled out at a startling pace, from Oregon to Maryland and everywhere in between. Around the United States, community college presidents are retiring.
The departing presidents represent decades of leadership at community colleges. They have nudged the primary mission of the sector from access to student success, owned the workforce development space, and established equity as a foremost tenet.

Several studies show that stable jobs are a major factor in reducing recidivism. Still, not everyone is willing to hire ex-offenders, and a lack of job opportunities for those with a criminal record is still stymieing workforce participation in the economy.
That may be changing. Some reentry programs are teaming up with community colleges to help former inmates become more desirable as job candidates by properly training them to reintegrate into society and matching them with jobs tailored to their skills and interests.

Cathy Sandeen is the president of California State University, East Bay. She's also a first-generation college graduate, and knows the challenges of being "first."
In this commentary, Cal State East Bay’s leader discusses how the first-generation experience has changed since her days as an undergraduate—and what colleges must do to respond.

We've all heard about the Great Resignation, as 4.4 million U.S. workers quit their jobs each month in 2021. But in some ways, the shift just as easily might have been dubbed the Great Reinvention.
Scores of people changed jobs in search of higher pay, better working conditions, and career development opportunities. Five individuals who reinvented themselves amid the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic share their stories.