Daily Lumina News 091123

Hannah Hirschsprung Lange is finishing her fourth and final semester studying bioengineering at Aarhus University in Jutland, Denmark. She receives about $800 a month in financial support from the Danish government. And like most Danes, she will graduate owing nothing.
That’s because in Denmark—as in at least a dozen European countries—tuition at public universities and most colleges is free, and students are paid to go to school as if it’s a job. However, experts warn that there can still be a price associated with free.

The increasingly assertive involvement of conservative lawmakers in the affairs of higher education has spurred concerns about brain drain—talented scholars choosing to leave their states or not considering employment there.
Now, new statistics from a survey of faculty members in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas back up those fears.

Pittsburgh-area universities and career schools are taking new steps this fall to tackle a pervasive problem: sexual violence.
A new state requirement is prompting trade and career schools to ramp up their programming on sexual violence prevention, and it’s resulting in more training for faculty and staff at universities across town. The universities are also focusing on prevention work, deploying a response team and, potentially, expanding resources for survivors of domestic violence.

Lauren Ward is a single mom who once faced the daunting challenge of living out of her car in a Denny's parking lot. But Ward had big dreams for her future and that of her children.
Ward found the support she desperately needed at Santa Fe Community College. There, she gained the strength to rise from her troubles—all the way to the Ivy League.

There's a new normal in higher education today, one that's characterized by financial challenges, political attacks against college diversity programs, changing demographics, and shifting priorities.
In the Season 7 kickoff episode of Future U, Michael Horn and Jeff Selingo discuss the evolving landscape of higher ed—and the changes institutions across the country are making to adapt.

Calbright College has faced a slow and rocky start since opening its doors in 2019. But over the last couple of years, California’s free online community college for working adults has successfully launched programs and reached state-mandated milestones.
Calbright is about halfway through its seven-year startup period, officials say. And it's got big developments ahead, such as unveiling a data analysis program this month and creating policies so students can transfer credits.