Lumina Foundation is working to increase the share of adults in the U.S. labor force with college degrees or other credentials of value leading to economic prosperity.
Many national debates depict higher education as disconnected from local needs. In rural America, however, those working to strengthen civic life see things differently. As they solve problems and build a shared future, they view community colleges as an indispensable partner.
This partnership is evident in Old Fort, North Carolina. Hard hit by the decline of once-thriving textile and timber industries, the town is reinventing itself with the help of an array of organizations, including a community development organization serving low-income and marginalized communities, a 74-year-old Presbyterian camp, a regional mountain-biking group, the U.S. Forest Service, and McDowell Technical Community College.
Concerns about artificial intelligence degrading education have grown, leaving professors and students uncertain whether to embrace AI for relevance or retreat to preserve learning.
While some politicians and AI leaders are warning about possible doomsday scenarios for humanity as AI models advance, many campus leaders are focused on the existential threat the technology poses to universities. Universities’ mixed policies on AI often add to the confusion, offering some clear guidelines but leaving significant room for faculty and students to navigate independently.
Parents lean on one another for advice on everything from sleep training to screen time, and paying for college is no different. At a time when tuition sticker prices keep rising and federal student loans are more limited, words of wisdom from moms and dads who have already been through it can help.
In this interview, parents share their experiences about paying for college—including a mix of regrets and recommendations.
As colleges increasingly incorporate technology and artificial intelligence into the student experience, Cornell University is asking its campus community to consider a different question: When might students be better off without it?
Cornell Unplugged encourages participants to put down their devices during meals, attend in-person events, and spend more time engaging with their classmates and nature. Faculty members are also encouraged to consider tech-free or tech-light exercises in their classrooms. The idea is for participants to think about their relationship with technology—and whether unplugging can encourage more thoughtful and human-centered approaches to teaching and learning.
Traditional college rankings often misrepresent institutional quality by prioritizing selectivity rather than a college's actual impact. Author Jeff Selingo's "New Dream Schools" offers a paradigm shift, focusing on "value-added" education by assessing what happens to students post-enrollment, not their starting credentials.
Similar to guides like Washington Monthly, Selingo's list moves beyond simple prestige, evaluating affordability, outcomes, and societal contributions. Selingo believes the most effective college guide helps students identify a place for individual growth, suggesting the best ranking might be one that refuses to rank at all.
Seven years ago, lawmakers expanded a program to get more teachers from minority communities into Wisconsin classrooms. The bipartisan bill broadened the Minority Teacher Loan program from Milwaukee to qualifying school districts statewide. At the time, lawmakers said doing so would “promote a population of teachers in Wisconsin that better reflect the state’s diversity.”
Now the Minority Teacher Loan Program is being challenged in court.
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