Daily Lumina News 121621

At least half a dozen colleges have shuttered their child-care centers for good since the pandemic struck, accelerating a years-long decline in campus-based care driven by high costs, low wages, and inadequate state and federal support.
Some student parents are leaning on family and friends for coverage during class. Others are working less or taking fewer classes, shrinking their income, or extending their time to a degree. Some have dropped out entirely.

The Moon Shot for Equity project is a public-private partnership designed to help more students complete college degrees, especially those most often left behind: low income, first generation, and students of color.
On this podcast, front-line staff from several participating institutions share what they’ve learned so far.

What can be done to improve diversity and inclusion in the hiring process to ensure that every person—regardless of race, color, gender, sexual preference, age, education level, or economic status—has an opportunity to share in the post-pandemic recovery?
WorkingNation and LinkedIn recently brought together nonprofit, business, and government leaders to discuss this issue head on.

A new report shows that more eligible students are applying to the University of California and California State University campuses than those colleges can admit.
The lack of capacity means that fewer qualified Latino and Black students are applying to these universities. It also means that the state is still projecting a shortfall of workers with bachelor’s degrees.

Back to normal college life—sort of. After months of studying virtually from childhood bedrooms and other remote locations, students could once again ask questions of professors face to face and socialize with their peers this fall.
The transition didn’t always go smoothly. Students from California colleges talk about their experiences of returning to campus—the highs, the lows, and the just plain weird.

Low morale of professors and college leaders is turning out to be one of the biggest topics in higher education this year.
While the pandemic is a part of the story, many say that the underlying issues predate the global health crisis. Kevin McClure of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington sheds light on building a community-wide reorientation around what it means to work in higher education.