Daily Lumina News 101320

This fall, most discussion of college students has revolved around the risks that they pose to others: the unchecked transmission at parties, the campus outbreaks that could sow death in college towns.
To date, The New York Times reports that at least a 178,000 coronavirus cases have been linked to institutions of higher education. Reopened campuses present obvious dangers, but shuttered dorms and dining halls create a more acute crisis for a smaller number of students, depriving them of stable housing, regular meals, and the broadband they need to attend virtual classes.

It’s a tough time to be a college leader in America—and a new survey of nearly 300 presidents suggests that as the pandemic wears on, many are simply focused on their institution’s survival.
The American Council on Education, in conjunction with the TIAA Institute, reached out to presidents last month and asked them to identify their most pressing concerns. Here are five of the survey’s top findings.

Four charter school management companies in Detroit are joining forces to help their graduates succeed in college. They promise that within a decade, 90 percent of their high school graduates will complete a full year of college coursework—much higher than the state average.
The Detroit Charter High School Collaborative intends to share data and best practices around college attainment, an unusual level of cooperation between private management companies in Detroit. It’s part of a larger effort organized by the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce to prepare more people to enter the workforce in southeast Michigan.

With the presidential election happening in a matter of weeks, college campuses should be alive with efforts to get out the vote. But with many campuses now online because of the coronavirus, those efforts are taking on a new look.
Jonathan Alger, president of James Madison University, discusses civic democracy and engagement on campus and how JMU is approaching the 2020 election in light of the pandemic and the extreme partisanship that has gripped the country.