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Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 3/5/21

Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 3/5/21

Friday 5s

#1 Women's History Month

#2 New Hampshire Proposes University/College Merger

#3 Examining the Critical Role of Early Childhood Educators

#4 Understanding Pandemic-Related Educational Job Loss

#5 Utah Looks to Support Adult Learner Degree Completion

Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 2/26/21

Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 2/26/21

We hope you will join us on March 5 for Friday 5 Live.  Edward Coronado will share creative ways we can engage students to support their success! As an experienced tutor, Edward has used his YouTube channel to share success resources, and his videos have garnered thousands of views.  Join us for an insightful discussion.

  

1

Update
At Innovative Educators, we’re using Black History Month as an opportunity to examine anti-racist practices and inclusivity in our communities.  We are asking questions like:  How can I use this month for discovery, learning and listening? How will I take this work back to my institutions and organizations? While we’re reminded of the importance of not compartmentalizing the Black American experience to one month each year, each week in February, we are sharing resources that we find particularly helpful to our own learning. We invite you to use the Comments section to add additional resources that can help inform our understanding of creating inclusive communities and anti-racist practices. 

Please find this week’s resources below:

Not Light but Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom 

by Matthew Kay

Higher Education’s Role in Promoting Racial Healing and the Power of Wonder

Peralta Community College’s open-access Online Equity Training


 

2

According to recent research conducted by ECMC Group and VICE Media, only 25% of Generation Z teenagers “believe the traditional college model is the only pathway to getting a good job.”  Only half of the students indicated they planned to attend college in the future.  Gen Z students are concerned about finding a solid career and the cost of college as they do not want to be saddled with debt. Outside of incentivizing applying, researchers recommend colleges and universities connect with students on social media platforms and utilize current student voices in sharing short sound bytes that speak to the value of the college experience.

 

“Today’s teens are using a critical eye when it comes to analyzing their options and charting their future course. We must take this opportunity to hear their concerns and provide pathways that will meet their educational needs now and into the future.” - Jeremy Wheaton, president and CEO of ECMC Group

  

3

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been expanded as part of COVID relief efforts to give college students easier access to the program, temporarily removing work and eligibility requirements, NASFAA reports this week.  This expansion provides SNAP benefits to 3 million more college students.  With one-third of college students reporting food insecurity during the pandemic, colleges and universities are being urged to promote the additional SNAP resources to their students.

 

One out of three: The number of college students saying they have experienced food insecurity since the beginning of the pandemic.

  

4

High school seniors are completing fewer FAFSA forms; applications from rising college freshmen have dropped nearly 10%.  “FAFSA filings remain especially depressed at high schools with higher concentrations of students of color, in rural areas and small towns and in low-income schools everywhere.”  FAFSA renewal rates are up over last year indicating current students intend to remain enrolled.  But, a drop in new student applications suggests another enrollment dip for the fall 2021 semester.

 

Follow our Friday 5 Live podcast available now on your favorite podcasting app!


5

Education Dive reports this week on the new partnership between 2U and Guild Education. 2U is a publicly traded company that helps colleges launch and run online programs. Guild Education is a platform for major employers to offer their workers education benefits.  The goal is to reach more adult learners. Initially the partnership will provide short-term courses before expanding to undergraduate degrees and boot camps. The organizations plan to  explore offering graduate and certificate programs. Industry experts predict more of these arrangements for OPMs in the future.
 
 
Author: Meg Foster
February 26, 2021

Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 2/19/21

Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 2/19/21

We hope you will join us in March for Friday 5 Live as we focus on student success and support centering our discussions on critical topics like resiliency, communications strategies and creating content to engage our students! Join us!

  

1

Update
At Innovative Educators, we’re using Black History Month as an opportunity to examine anti-racist practices and inclusivity in our communities.  We are asking questions like:  How can I use this month for discovery, learning and listening? How will I take this work back to my institutions and organizations? While we’re reminded of the importance of not compartmentalizing the Black American experience to one month each year, each week in February, we are sharing resources that we find particularly helpful to our own learning. We invite you to use the Comments section to add additional resources that can help inform our understanding of creating inclusive communities and anti-racist practices. Please find this week’s resources below:

4 Practices to Promote Equity in the Classroom

5 Things Educators Can Do To Address Bias in the Classroom

Tell Me Who You Are: A Roadmap for Cultivating Racial Literacy By Winona Guo & Priya Vulchi

 

2

This week Education Dive examines the most recent federal relief package passed in December. The package includes $7 billion to expand broadband with the goal to provide internet to underserved communities.  These resources will support minority-serving institutions and students receiving Pell Grants. Pell recipients will be eligible to receive a subsidized discount of up to $50 per month in broadband services.  It is estimated that around 4 million college students have difficulty accessing the internet. New America, a think tank advocating for expanding broadband access, has found that “one in five people who stopped taking classes or chose not to enroll at a community college this fall said they lacked the technology or internet access to take classes online.”

 

"You're not going to solve the root issues of inequality with one-time funding to add access to the internet." - Lodriguez Murray, Senior vice president for public policy and government affairs, UNCF

  

3

“Mixed bag” is how Inside Higher Education describes state funding for colleges and universities in the coming year.  While institutions across the nation prepare for cuts, some states are choosing to protect or even bolster higher education funding.  Governors are focusing on three areas as they examine state funding: “colleges’ role in workforce development, higher education financial stability and assistance to historically Black colleges and universities.” The governors of Kentucky, California, Indiana and Iowa have proposed increasing financial support while Georgia, Hawaii, Nevada and North Dakota’s governors have recommended cutting higher education budgets.

 

1 in 4: The number of high schools seniors reporting that their post-high school plans have changed since the pandemic started (Survey of high school seniors by YouthTruth)

  

4

Five New Mexico colleges have announced that they are creating a common platform for student and financial services.  The participating institutions include: Central New Mexico Community College, Santa Fe Community College, Clovis Community College, Northern New Mexico College and San Juan College.  The joint system will help schools address barriers and improve student success. New initiatives include combining classes across the institutions if enrollment is limited and allowing students to register for a year of courses at a time.

 

Follow our Friday 5 Live podcast available now on your favorite podcasting app!


5

The Hechinger Report examines the effectiveness of text-based nudging programs.  Research indicates that nudges are proving less effective as they reach larger numbers of students.  Text messages to students at more than 700 high schools across 15 states “failed to improve the number of students who applied or enrolled in college.” Researchers recommend that nudging campaigns can still be impactful if the messages are customized, allow for two-way communication, and messaging comes from a student’s school versus organizations like state agencies.
 
 
Author: Meg Foster
February 19, 2021

Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 2/12/21

Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 2/12/21

We hope you could join us for our Friday 5 Live this week. We are grateful for Dr. Dan Maxwell’s insights into staying connected professionally and the job search in 2021! In March, Friday 5 Live will focus on how we can support student success.

  

1

Update
At Innovative Educators, we are using Black History Month to examine anti-racist practices and inclusivity in our communities.  We are asking ourselves questions like:  How can I use this month for discovery, learning and listening? How will I take this work back to my institutions and organization? While we’re reminded of the importance of not  compartmentalizing the Black American experience to one month each year, each week in February, we will share resources that we find particularly helpful to our own learning. We invite you to use the Comments section to add additional resources that can help inform our understanding of creating inclusive communities and anti-racist practices.

 

2

California’s Governor Newsom announced a proposal to ease transfer between California community colleges and four year public universities in the California State University and the University of California systems.  The goals of his proposal include increasing access to four year universities by underrepresented students, increasing graduation rates among underrepresented students, improving transfer pathways and reducing both student costs and the time it takes to earn a degree.  Critics of his plan argue that California does not have the capacity to accommodate additional learners.  If approved, the transfer pathway program would begin in 2023.

 

$85 billion in lost revenues + $24 billion for COVID-related expenses + $74 billion in anticipated future decreases in state funding = $183 billion: Total cost of COVID to universities and colleges this year as reported in The Chronicle of Higher Education

  

3

Public college and universities are anticipating budget cuts this upcoming fiscal year reports Higher Ed Dive this week.  Most states have seen tax revenue drops.  State appropriations make up 60% of the University of Hawaii system’s budget, but with Hawaii taking a severe economic hit by the pandemic, college administrators know significant cuts may be coming soon.  Institutions hope that the $23 billion COVID relief package passed by Congress in late December will provide some relief from challenging state budget situations. Pres. Biden has called on Congress to fund another $35 billion in emergency stabilization monies for higher education.

 

“Sometimes the smallest gesture means the difference between a student leaving campus for good or staying and working through their struggles. The loss of 100 students means a loss of $1 million to our campus, which is why both recruitment and retention remain a strong part of all of our plans for fiscal health.” - Heidi Macpherson, president The State University of New York Brockport

  

4

Achieving the Dream (ATD) and the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center have collaborated to establish the Racial Equity Leadership Academy (RELA). Ten community colleges were selected to participate in this inaugural year.  Each institution has crafted plans to support student success and close equity gaps. Institutional goals include increasing Black and Latinx student graduation rates and hiring faculty members that represent the student population. Schools will receive mentorship from ATD and USC coaches and participate in equity and race conversations.  The overarching program goal “is for institutions to both individually and collectively address barriers to racial equality.”

 

Follow our Friday 5 Live podcast available now on your favorite podcasting app!


5

Struggling to fill positions and recruit employees, the city of Syracuse has partnered with Le Moyne College to develop creative programming to increase computer and math skills in local middle school students. Le Moyne’s research indicates that “when K-12 students’ grades, graduation rates, and likelihood of going on to higher education improve when they are exposed to college programs” before graduation.  Other components of ERIE 21 (Educating for Our Rising Innovation Economy in the 21st century) include opportunities for high school students and a software systems science program for local employees to increase skills and fill vacant tech positions.  The program also holds the promise of increasing enrollment at Le Moyne College while supporting underrepresented students.
 
 
Author: Meg Foster
February 12, 2021

Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 2/5/21

Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 2/5/21

We hope you could join us for our Friday 5 Live this week.  We learned so much from Dr. Denise Swett as we discussed technology resources to support our students in 2021.  On February 12 we are excited to host Dr. Daniel Maxwell who will share recommendations for staying professionally connected during pandemic and insights into the job search process particularly for student services professionals. Come join us!

  

1

Update
The spread of COVID-19 continues to impact the spring semester and longer-term educational goal attainment we learn this week. Duke University announced it may shift classes online as on-campus cases continue to climb.  Michigan State University has advised students to stay in their residences for two weeks following the same protocols issued last week at the University of Michigan.  Salve Regina ordered a shelter in place advisory citing both the rise in COVID cases as well as students refusing to comply with social gathering guidelines.  The pandemic’s impact on long-term educational goals continues to raise concerns. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released a report late last week indicating that the number of undergraduates who earned a credential in 2019-2020 was unchanged from the previous year - the first time in eight years there has been no increase.  The report specifically cites declines in associate degree and certificate earners.

 

2

Research from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health indicated that a third of students visiting their college’s counseling center in 2020 indicated mental health issues caused by the pandemic as their reason for seeking help. “Academic distress appears to be a key driver in seeking mental-health care during COVID-19, which may represent a broader experience of distress caused by academic worry” researchers report.  This research points to the continued importance of colleges and universities providing robust mental health services for students now and as they transition into post-pandemic learning.

 

42%: The number of students pursuing associate degrees who care for a child or a parent. 

24%: The number of students seeking a bachelor's degree who are parents.

  

3

During his confirmation hearings this week, Dr. Miguel Cardona emphasized the need to support career-tech pathways. He pledged to work to “reform” the department's Federal Student Aid office. Cardona praised community colleges and addressed their importance in rebuilding the U.S. economy. Senators asked Cardona, once confirmed, to move quickly to ensure gender identity and sexual orientation are protected classes and reform Title IX.

 

"The significant relationship between caregiving or parental responsibilities and consideration of pulling out of courses persists even after controlling for race, program level, age, gender, marital status, household income, and the amount of money taken out in loans." - new polling by Gallup and Lumina

  

4

Inside Higher Ed reports this week that community colleges are playing a greater role in bachelor’s degree attainment. 52 percent of students who received a first bachelor’s degree between 2008 and 2017 had previously attended community college.  One fourth of students earned an associate degree.  “Black, Hispanic and Asian students were more likely than their white counterparts to have attended community college, by up to 10 percentage points.”  Women were more likely to have attended community college on their path to earning a bachelor’s degree than male students.

 

Follow our Friday 5 Live podcast available now on your favorite podcasting app!


5

This week PBS News Hour looks at credentialing programs developed by organizations like Year Up, Google, Amazon, and colleges and universities to prepare workers for jobs in technology. While traditional college enrollments have declined significantly, the demand for short-term credential programs is increasing. “We have five million young adults who are out of school, out of work, and don't have more than a high school degree. And on the demand side, we have literally millions [technical] jobs, jobs that require a certain level of skills, that are going unfulfilled” advises Gerald Chertavian, the founder and CEO of Year Up whose organization’s goal is to provide job opportunities for low-income students.  Experts envision credential programs could alter the traditional view of higher education in the coming years but advise students to be cautious about selecting programs.
 
 
Author: Meg Foster
February 5, 2021

Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 1/29/21

Friday 5: Things To Ponder This Week In Higher Ed 1/29/21

We hope you could join us for our Friday 5 Live this week.  We are grateful for Dr. Sylvia Dorsey-Robinson who shared with us her insights into how we can support our students of color during pandemic learning. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Denise Swett on February 5 as we talk through technology resources to support us in 2021.

  

1

Update
As the semester begins, institutions are seeing increased rates of COVID transmission. The University of Michigan has advised all students to stay at home for a two-week period as COVID infection rates spike.  The University of Richmond has warned students about behavior violating social distancing protocols as parties sprung up last weekend.  The University of Vermont women’s basketball team announced it was ending its season early citing COVID; the University of Virginia made a similar announcement a week ago.  The NCAA lost $600 million in revenue in 2020 from the cancellation of its men’s basketball tournament.  This year it will receive $850 million as part of its TV contract with CBS and Turner Sports.

 

2

In his first week in office, President Biden ordered that Title IX’s protections based on gender be extended to sexual orientation and gender identity — a major win for transgender students and their advocates. This order affirms that gender identity and sexual orientation are protected classes under federal sex discrimination laws. Experts see this as the first signal that the Biden administration will revamp Title IX. Last year Betsy DeVos, former Secretary of Education, narrowed the scope of sexual violence colleges would need to investigate under Title IX and created a pseudo-judicial system for hearing those cases.  It is possible the Department of Education could scale back enforcement of the current regulation until it can be revamped.

 

440: The number of employees laid off by East Carolina University this week.

  

3

This week Inside Higher Ed examines a report highlighting the faculty experience in the fall semester.  Faculty reported feeling more prepared for online learning and that their students in general learned as much in the fall semester as they would have in a traditional on-campus semester.  However, “professors at four- and especially two-year institutions are significantly likelier to report increases rather than decreases in the proportion of students either dropping out of or failing their introductory courses.” Faculty are concerned about the increasing equity gaps in higher education.  The report recommends that institutions focus on preparing faculty to teach effectively while also rewarding instructors who focus on teaching.   

 

“While the number of students overall fell by more than 461,000 compared to the fall of 2019, the decline among men was more than seven times as steep as the decline among women.” - the Hechinger Report

  

4

This week the Hechinger Report examines why men are disappearing from college campuses - a trend accelerated by COVID-19. Women now make up 60% of college students.  Many young men interviewed for the article share a responsibility that they must help support their families versus investing years and money into a college degree.  The pandemic economy has highlighted growing socioeconomic disparity: those people without degrees are more vulnerable to economic downturns.  Experts cite dual enrollment programs as helping transition young men into college classrooms and helping male students to see they belong in the college environment.  

 

Follow our Friday 5 Live podcast available now on your favorite podcasting app!


5

Institutions have made many adjustments to the 2020-2021 academic calendar in response to COVID. Some have delayed semester starts, canceled breaks, or shifted classes online after Thanksgiving. A few small liberal arts colleges rethought the semester, creating two fall terms allowing students to focus on two classes at a time. Institutions largely report they will most likely not continue with this “mod” course delivery in the future though Schreiner University cited fewer failing grades and withdrawals in the fall semester. The shift in course delivery prompted campus discussions about teaching and learning particularly around inclusive teaching practices.
 
 
Author: Meg Foster
January 29, 2021