The new issue of LearningWell features a profile of UR Well, a new student success program at the University of Rochester that promotes living and learning well, and a Q&A with Milwaukee County Youth Commissioner Loren Muwonge, a high school student and education reform advocate. Read the magazine and subscribe to LearningWell today!
About a fifth of Americans live in rural areas, but few colleges have clubs for rural students to socialize, develop a sense of belonging, and help each other through challenges such as feeling out of place, dealing with crowds or public transportation, and navigating busy cities, according to The Hechinger Report. Without administrative outreach and resources, rural students across the country have begun to create their own student support networks. Most of these rural student clubs have emerged at Ivy League universities or other highly selective private institutions. Now, Chico State’s North State Student Ambassadors are advocating for rural classmates and working to make them feel welcome. At the University of Chicago, rural groups host social events and sessions on how to use the bus and navigate the city. Members say these groups improve their mental wellbeing and sense of belonging.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden hosted Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ spouses at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, where she discussed mental health with US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, KTVU reports. Dr. Biden, who teaches English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, emphasized the importance of open communication with friends and professionals to help students dealing with mental health issues. “Too often, these issues are hidden, swept under the rug and ignored, but when we bring them out into the light, when we talk about them openly like we will today, we can begin to heal,” Dr. Biden said.
Cornell University’s Let’s Talk program, launched in 2009, aims to familiarize students with mental health care services and promote access, Inside Higher Ed reports. The program, which has become a model for institutions across the country, offers weekly drop-in sessions in person or via Zoom, catering to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. It is designed to help four types of students: those unsure about counseling, those who are uninterested in continued counseling but want a counselor’s perspective, those who want to talk through a specific problem with another person, and those hoping to learn more about mental health services at the university and how to access them.
The Iowa Board of Regents approved recommendations to eliminate college diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that are not required by law or accreditation standards, Higher Ed Dive reports. In order to examine DEI initiatives at Iowa’s public universities—which conservative lawmakers have alleged violate free speech—the board formed a DEI study group in March. Students have been vocal in their criticism of the report, claiming it is too ambiguous to strike a balance between the interests of students and the concerns of legislators. The University of Iowa has set up a task force to review its DEI initiatives.
In an op-ed for The Hechinger Report, Amanda Wilkerson and Shalander Samuels argue that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are vital in promoting civic and political engagement among Black students. For political candidates campaigning at HBCUs, engaging with students in smaller venues, learning from them during visits, and paying genuine attention to their priorities and concerns is crucial. Candidates should maintain voter engagement beyond Election Day, the op-ed argues, empowering a generation of politically engaged students.
In July, Congress lifted the 26-year ban on Pell Grants for people in prison, causing excitement among incarcerated students. However, prison education experts say college in state and federal prisons is seeing slow growth, Inside Higher Ed reports. The process is time-consuming as state corrections and college officials work to get academic programs approved for the grants and confirm they meet quality standards established by the US Department of Education. Programs must be approved by state corrections agencies, the federal Bureau of Prisons, or a sheriff, an accreditor, and the Department of Education.
Lack of social capital and knowledge of the “hidden curricula” of higher education are common hindrances to first-generation students succeeding in postsecondary education. New research by Becca Spindel Bassett of the University of Arkansas suggests that faculty and staff can implement three strategies to assist first-generation and low-income students in accessing campus resources, Inside Higher Ed reports. These strategies include welcoming students, validating their requests for support and accommodations, and teaching the social and structural codes necessary to accessing resources.
American confidence in higher education has dropped from 57% to 36% over the past eight years, largely due to factors like high tuition prices, student loan debt, political divides, and doubts about career preparedness. In an op-ed for The Hechinger Report, journalist and AAC&U Board of Directors member Brandon Busteed condemns the disproportionate focus on elite universities, arguing that the practices of elite institutions undermine meritocracy and fail to enroll students from poor and middle-class families. To regain public trust, Busteed asserts, elite colleges should uphold meritocracy and provide equity for students from lower-income families.
Indiana University is prioritizing financial literacy education to help students pay for their postsecondary education and increase retention, Inside Higher Ed reports. Since many students have financial hardships while pursuing an education, financial wellbeing is a critical factor to take into account in institutional retention attempts. The university has hired student financial educators, created a cost calculator for prospective and current students, and is offering online financial literacy courses.
Since 2011, student borrowing has decreased by $126.4 million (23%) for all IU campuses.
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the college student group that has fueled activism and faced scrutiny in the wake of the Hamas attacks against Israel, was founded in the 1990s at the University of California, Berkeley and originally drew attention after the Oslo Peace Accords and the Second Intifada, The New York Times reports. Following the October attacks, SJP distributed a “Day of Resistance” toolkit to chapters across college campuses, causing critics to argue that the group supports Hamas ideologically and “celebrates terrorism.”
Since Hamas attacked Israel in October, colleges across the US have faced challenges in regulating protests amid rising antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents, Higher Ed Dive reports. The Biden administration has mobilized federal agencies, particularly the Education Department, to combat prejudicial acts. The Education Department is now investigating six colleges, including Columbia University, Cornell University, Wellesley College, and the University of Pennsylvania over allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia on their campuses. The Education Department published guidance reminding K-12 schools and colleges to condemn prejudice against Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Colleges found not to be in compliance could lose access to federal aid.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Palestine Legal have filed a lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and education officials, claiming that they violated the First Amendment by banning support for campus activism group Students for Justice in Palestine, The New York Times reports. Defendants named in the lawsuit include Ben Sasse, president of the University of Florida, Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, and board members of both the university and the system. Florida’s action against local chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine coincides with a broader crackdown against the student group, as university presidents are being urged by pro-Israel organizations to look into their chapters. Brandeis University announced that it will no longer recognize its chapter, stating that the national group “openly supports Hamas.” George Washington University suspended its chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine after the group projected slogans including “Divestment from Zionist genocide now” and “Glory to our martyrs,” according to The Washington Post. These suspensions come after Columbia University suspended two pro-Palestine student groups, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, earlier this month.
The Modern Language Association (MLA) has reported the largest decline in foreign-language enrollments in American colleges since 2009, with all but three of the 15 most commonly studied languages experiencing decreases, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports. Enrollments in foreign-language courses fell nearly 17% between 2016 and 2021.
The College Board has been expanding the number of high school students taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses and tests for two decades, arguing that it promotes equity among college applicants, The New York Times reports. However, 60% of AP exams taken by low-income students this year scored too low for college credit, a statistic that has not changed in 20 years, and critics argue that the College Board’s AP program does not help all students perform better in college. The College Board’s efforts to bolster Advanced Placement have led to a significant revenue increase, with almost $500 million in revenue in 2022.
A survey by online learning platform Go1 found that 46% of workers don’t believe higher education adequately prepares them for their careers, with 61% of respondents stating that work experience is the best preparation, followed by formal training and life experience, Higher Ed Dive reports. Employees expressed that they wished they were equipped with better tools for navigating career progression and cross-department collaboration.
A study by researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina found that young adults are transitioning from combustible cigarettes to electronic cigarettes over time, Health Day reports. The study used data from the US Food and Drug Administration Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study to analyze trends in young adult tobacco use. The study found that ever-smoking prevalence decreased from 53% to 35%, while e-cigarette use increased from 32% to 52%.