Daily Lumina News 082923

Now more than ever, students and families need a better set of benchmarks for what “excellence” is in higher education, ones that measure what colleges do for their country, instead of for themselves.
The Washington Monthly’s latest college rankings try to do just that by rating institutions on their commitment to three goals: social mobility, public service, and research. Rather than laud the universities that mostly cater to the sons and daughters of the wealthy, it rewards those that welcome students from everyday and low-income backgrounds and help them to graduate on time with good jobs and low debt.

In high school, Dortell Williams was the class clown. He did anything to avoid academics. Frustrated by a traumatizing home and school life, he began to lash out violently.
His actions would eventually land him in prison. But it was in prison that Williams found hope. In this essay, he describes how an education behind bars became a catalyst for his transformation and self-concept.

Months after what critics have decried as a conservative takeover at New College of Florida, students and professors say a sense of confusion and anxiety looms over the start of fall semester in Sarasota, Florida.
Once heralded as a progressive liberal arts school, New College of Florida has found itself at the center of the state’s culture war over education. In January, Gov. Ron DeSantis replaced six of the 13 members on the college’s Board of Trustees. New members include Christopher Rufo, who who has been at the forefront of the conservative movement against critical race theory.

Just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for tens of millions of Americans, Biden announced plans to pursue the same goal under a different law.
Legal historian Noah Rosenblum was struck by the president's response. In this interview, Rosenblum talks about Biden’s Plan B for student loan forgiveness and the uniqueness of his stance toward the high court.

Today, three-quarters of Ivy League presidents are women, and 30 percent of the nation’s R1 research institutions are led by women. But progress has been painstakingly slow.
Three women of color reflect on the many struggles they've encountered in landing the top job on campus, plus the strategies they say are helpful.

High school seniors across the country endure months of suspense as they await the arrival of college admissions decisions. In December, it's early decision, closely followed by early action. By mid-March, regular offers begin to roll in.
This June, there was a new round of news for some high school seniors—one they weren’t even expecting.