The U.S. Department of Education is encouraging colleges and universities across the country to use Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) to provide or expand existing mental health services for students, faculty, and staff.
The suggested focus comes from new guidance published by the Education Department, which highlights how institutions can invest in mental health support to combat the...
A recent report on equity trends in higher education has found that student debt is growing at a higher rate for low-income and underrepresented individuals.
The "Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States: 2022 Historical Trend Report" is the latest in an annual series published by the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education...
On Saturday, a racially motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store left 10 people dead and three seriously injured, most of whom were Black. The killings have shaken the nation and the Buffalo community in particular. In response to the tragedy, local and state higher education leaders recently released statements offering condolences, condemning racism and violence, and providing...
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced a revised budget proposal for the state that aims to close equity gaps in higher education and introduces new accountability systems.
The revised proposal requires the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges (CCC) systems to report annual updates to the governor on specific metrics such as graduation...
In recent years, anti-Semitic incidents have become increasingly common on college campuses across the country. In an effort to address this problem, Hillel International, the American Jewish Committee (AJC), and the American Council on Education recently invited administrators from more than 40 higher education institutions to attend the University Presidents Summit on Campus Antisemitism.
“Our institutions espouse higher values: learning,...
At the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts (USC SDA), faculty and students recently took an innovative approach to producing the highly acclaimed play “In the Red and Brown Water,” which draws on Afro-Caribbean folktales and Yoruba mythology.
To ensure that everyone involved understood the background, traditions, and symbolism presented in the production, the school recruited a cultural...
Participation in the arts can be an empowering means of expression for many people, but it is a world that has not always been welcoming to those who are marginalized, including individuals with disabilities.
Traditionally, this demographic has faced numerous barriers in the arts. Research has shown that people with disabilities are underrepresented as both subjects and creators across a...
Despite gradual improvements in recent years, the theater industry is still severely lacking in racial and ethnic representation, both professionally and at the collegiate level. Nearly 63 percent of dramatic arts degrees awarded in the U.S. are earned by White students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In New York City, the epicenter of the nation’s...
A virtual symposium series launched this year at the University of Arizona College of Fine Arts (UArizona CFA) seeks to highlight photography from Asia and the ways in which this art has shaped culture and history across the continent.
The series began in February with the three-day “Photography and Korea: History and Practice” symposium that featured panel discussions and keynote...
In an effort to improve racial equity in the field of classical music, the Michigan Orchestra Repertoire for Equity (MORE), an initiative by the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (U-M SMTD), is commissioning 10 orchestral works from Black composers over the next decade. Since its launch in 2020, the initiative has added two compositions to...
More transgender individuals are out on college campuses today than ever before, but many still experience harassment and discrimination, according to a 2019 report from the American Psychological Association.
Furthermore, violence against this population is at an all-time high, with last year being the deadliest on record for transgender and gender nonconforming people in the U.S., according to the Human...
Citing equity concerns, more colleges are opting to permanently eliminate the ACT and SAT, but the future of college admissions remains far from clear.
Of the many changes to the higher education landscape since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps one of the most surprising — and most controversial — is the drastic decline in popularity of standardized college entrance...
Over the past decade, Georgia State University (GSU) has achieved the remarkable feat of increasing its graduation rate by more than 60 percent. It has also closed equity gaps, as Black, Latinx, and Pell Grant-eligible students are now graduating at the same or higher rates than the overall student body, according to Timothy Renick, PhD, executive director of GSU’s...
While the number of openly LGBTQ faculty, staff, and administrators on college and university campuses has risen in recent years, this demographic remains vastly underrepresented at the highest levels of academic leadership. Today, fewer than 40 college presidents in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ, according to the national organization LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education.
Those who have assumed these roles...
As LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff come together to celebrate Pride, a cloud looms overhead. Across the country, conservative lawmakers are leveling legislative attacks against the LGBTQ community to roll back the rights that this population has worked tirelessly to obtain.
In 2022 alone, more than 300 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across nearly 30 states, according to the Human...
The shortage of affordable housing for students, faculty, and staff has been a longstanding issue for colleges and universities in densely populated areas such as southern California and New York City, but a surge in housing costs caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a nationwide problem for higher education institutions.
Increased rental and home purchase...
One hundred and twenty-five. That is the number of times that a Black man punched an elderly Asian American woman, without any provocation, as she entered her apartment in New York City in March.
This brutal and senseless beating was wrong, and the perpetrator must be appropriately punished. As anti-Asian hate crimes continue unabated, these incidents have rekindled the national...
Over the past two years, many major LGBTQ Pride celebrations have been canceled, postponed, or moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those at colleges and universities. Now, with most campuses fully reopened, many have opted to bring back in-person Pride events.
While Pride Month officially takes place in June, higher education institutions of all types and sizes across...
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) recently awarded $3.2 million to seven Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) as part of the Science and Technology Research Partnership pilot program. The program’s goal is twofold: to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within STEM fields and to advance the development of clean energy.
The DOE funding will support eight two-year...
Researchers at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) recently launched a database and interactive map that displays information about publicly self-identifying LGBTQ politicians and elected officials from around the globe. It is the latest project from the Queer Politics at Princeton (QP@P) program, a research-focused LGBTQ think tank that was formed in 2020 with the goal...
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation recently announced that it is awarding more than $1.2 million in grants to nine universities and nonprofit organizations working to expose and mitigate the impact of disinformation on communities of color.
The foundation, which specializes in supporting journalism, communities, and the arts, previously issued a call for proposals that “advance independent scholarship,...
Famed fashion designer Ralph Lauren recently collaborated with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to unveil his brand’s latest wardrobe collection that pays homage to Black collegiate fashion from the 1920s to the 1950s.
The limited-edition Polo by Ralph Lauren collection launched globally this spring and draws upon fashions from Morehouse and Spelman Colleges. As part of the marketing campaign,...
Two recent reports from the financial research service Moody’s show that the higher education sector is expected to face unique challenges in the fall due to rising inflation.
The reports, titled “Macroeconomic Factors Will Influence Fall Enrollment Levels” and “Revenue Growth and Converging Forces Will Squeeze Budgets for Many Colleges and Universities,” predict that many colleges and universities will...
Delaware State University (DSU), a historically Black institution, is seeking legal recourse after police allegedly racially profiled its women’s lacrosse team during a traffic stop in Liberty County, Georgia.
Sheriff’s deputies stopped the bus over an alleged traffic infraction by the driver while the team was returning home after their final game of the season on April 20.
The White deputies’...
Lee University, a private Christian institution in Tennessee, is facing student backlash after a leaked document recently surfaced highlighting controversial anti-LGBTQ guidelines.
The document, "Statement of Beliefs Concerning Human Sexuality and Gender," lists several religious institutional values including one that says every member of the Lee community "should live consistent with their God-given biological sex."
Students and alumni have criticized the...
Stanford University launched a hate crime investigation this week after a noose was reportedly found hanging in a tree near a student residence hall on campus.
The noose, which the university police seized as evidence, was found Sunday night outside of Branner Hall, an undergraduate dormitory. The incident marks the second time a noose was reported on campus since...
Lincoln College, a federally designated predominantly Black institution in Illinois, is set to permanently close its doors on Friday, May 13, 2022, the school recently announced.
The rural college, founded in 1865 and named after President Abraham Lincoln, succumbed to a December 2021 ransomware attack and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite experiencing its highest student enrollment during the fall...
A coalition of medical schools at four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), along with several prominent health organizations, recently launched an initiative to increase the number of African American organ donors and reduce transplant disparities in Black communities.
The coalition will address these issues through a series of community outreach and education sessions and career development opportunities for...
The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) recently voted to downgrade the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media to “provisional accreditation” status, according to an email written by Interim Dean Heidi Hennink-Kaminski to school faculty.
The change is due to the ACEJMC’s concerns regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion...
Dartmouth College recently returned a collection of historic documents — including letters, diaries, and sermons — written by Native American orator, writer, and minister Samson Occom to the Mohegan Tribe.
The documents were returned at a repatriation ceremony last week. During the ceremony, Mohegan Tribe members urged school officials to teach more about Occom’s legacy.
“I wanted the next generation to...
Individuals from underrepresented or ethnic minority groups make up a much smaller portion of medical students in states where affirmative action has been banned, according to a new University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine this week.
“Our research shows that bans on affirmative action, like the one California passed in 1996, have...
The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that it will expand the Obama-era Second Chance Pell Grant Experiment to provide more access to higher education for formerly and currently incarcerated individuals. Pell Grant access will be reinstated for incarcerated students in July 2023 and will include up to 200 educational programs, according to a news release.
As part of the...
The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHS) Board of Trustees recently amended a policy that will shift the dynamic of faculty tenure across the state. Per the amendment, which was passed without discussion from the board, the presidents of Mississippi's eight public universities will now have control over which faculty members receive tenure.
New language in the policy states that...
Queens University of Charlotte, a private institution in North Carolina, has launched an investigation after drawings of swastikas were found in the residence halls on campus, the school announced on Monday.
One swastika was discovered on a whiteboard in a common space inside the residence hall, according to a university statement. Two more were chalked on the doors of students'...
Baylor University, a private Christian institution in Texas, recently chartered the school’s first LGBTQ student organization, Prism. The decision marks a major milestone for LGBTQ students who have long advocated for the creation of an official campus organization to bolster their voices.
The choice to charter the group aligns with Baylor’s goal of creating a “caring Christian community” for all...
This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill that takes aim at higher education accreditation organizations and faculty tenure in the state.
The new law will be implemented on July 1 and requires colleges and universities to change accreditors following each accreditation cycle. An accreditation cycle varies depending on the institution and agencies but can take up to...
On Wednesday, Lenore Pearlstein, co-publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, was featured as a panelist on Clemson University's second annual Women’s Roundtable.
The Women's Roundtable is a networking opportunity designed to promote, explore, and invest in girls' and women's experiences, particularly in STEM fields. The event took place the day before Clemson's Men of Color National Summit, which aims to...
Middlebury College, a private liberal arts institution in Vermont, is investigating a recent act of vandalism that occurred outside the school's Muslim Student Association's (MSA) prayer space.
On April 9, one or more individuals poured a liquid that is believed to be urine outside the MSA's prayer room, according to the college's student newspaper The Middlebury Campus. The anti-Muslim attack...
The Associated Students of Madison (ASM), the official student government at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), recently passed legislation that aims to secure in-state tuition rates for undocumented students at the school.
Currently, undocumented students are subject to out-of-state tuition fees and additional international student charges that significantly increase the cost of attending UW-Madison. Undocumented students pay out-of-state tuition, which...
READ: It’s Not Free Speech: Race, Democracy, and the Future of Academic Freedom
For many universities, upholding ideals of academic freedom while also promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives can at times seem like trying to meet conflicting objectives. Authors Michael Bérubé and Jennifer Ruth argue that the recent racial justice movement and the influence of social media necessitate a...
In 2009, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reported that women outnumbered men in the veterinary field for the first time. Since then, women’s representation has continued to rise; they now account for 63 percent of veterinarians, according to the latest AVMA data. Yet research shows that women still lag behind men when it comes to pay rates.
A March...
In 2017, the National Council on Disability (NCD) reported that 75 percent of dental students had little or no preparation in administering care to patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).
“Society’s ability to provide proper dental care to people with IDD rests on whether dentists are properly trained to provide such services at the outset, and said training has...
By 2050, the number of people living in the U.S. who are age 65 and older will be 83.7 million, according to the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). As the population ages, an increasing amount will be living with serious, complex, and chronic illness, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states. Medical experts and...
A new study by Mars Veterinary Health (MVH) estimates that 75 million pets in the U.S. will go without health care because of a need for nearly 41,000 additional veterinarians by 2030.
MVH, the world’s largest provider of veterinary care and employer of veterinary professionals, recently published a series of studies to analyze this crisis and find solutions.
“We believe the...
Just as telehealth has revolutionized medical care in recent years, the new field of teledentistry stands to forever change the way Americans access oral health care. As with virtual medical services, this form of treatment has been lauded for its ability to expand access to those who are underserved — especially people who are low-income or live in rural...
From emergency department specialists to neurosurgeons, medical professionals at all levels have implicit biases surrounding race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and other social differences that can affect the quality of care they provide.
These underlying beliefs can influence the way providers communicate with and about their patients, according to a recent study from the University of Oregon. In a January 2022...
Diversity Champions exemplify an unyielding commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout their campus communities, across academic programs, and at the highest administrative levels. INSIGHT Into Diversity selected institutions that rank in the top tier of Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipients.
In 2013, the field of veterinary medicine gained national attention for being ranked as the least diverse profession...
The University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry (UCLA Dentistry) recently received a $1 million grant from Delta Dental of California to support students who are dedicated to practicing in underserved communities after they graduate.
The gift will endow a new scholarship for future dentists who have demonstrated an interest in serving underrepresented populations and have achieved notable...
In an effort to improve health care inequity in rural areas, Purdue University recently announced that it will expand the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering (RCHE). The multidisciplinary center was established in 2005 to research the affordability, accessibility, and quality of health care systems in rural Indiana counties and develop evidence-based strategies that can address critical health care needs...
Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine (TUCVM), a historically Black institution, has announced the first recipients of its inaugural scholarship program with IDEXX Laboratories, a corporation that develops, manufactures, and distributes veterinary diagnostic and software products.
The three first-year students selected as IDEXX-Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine Scholars are Brittany Howard, Justin Hodrick, and Sydney Johnson. The college will...
More than 70 percent of dentists in the U.S. are White, according to the most recent data from the American Dental Association. To address the homogeneity in the field, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry (UAB SOD) recently partnered with Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA), a historically Black Catholic university, to recruit students of color into...
When Keith Whitfield, PhD, assumed the role of president at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in 2020, he had an ambitious, if somewhat unrealistic, goal to speak with every student on campus — all 30,000 of them. Last month, in support of that vision, he commissioned a digital version of himself that is accessible to anyone at...
Dozens of educational institutions and athletic organizations have changed the names of their mascots and sports teams in recent years in response to demand from Indigenous advocates who have called for an end to the appropriation and mockery of Native American culture. Now, some activists are pointing to the need for an even more thorough reckoning when it comes...
The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) recently announced that locally sourced beef and produce will be available at its on-campus food pantry, Pack Provisions, for students and other campus members experiencing food insecurity. The food will be supplied by Wolf Pack Meats and the Desert Farming Initiative, two agricultural programs of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station at the UNR...
A recent report from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) found that 84 percent of student affairs professionals experience a level of stress and crisis management responsiveness that may lead to burnout.
The report, titled The Compass Report: Charting the Future of Student Affairs, also showed that more than 80 percent of those in the field feel underappreciated...
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has announced that it is working to expand existing and create new research partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) through its HBCU/MI Program. David Honey, deputy undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said it is crucial that the DOD, which has the largest research and development...
This May marks the 16th annual celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, a time to “pay tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of American history, culture, and society,” according to the Library of Congress.
One notable event marking this occasion in 2022 is the reopening of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History...
From major metropolitan cities to rural areas, housing costs across the U.S. have skyrocketed. In 2021, the median home sales price rose nearly 17 percent from the year prior — the highest increase on record since 1999, according to the National Association of Realtors. While the surge in prices is affecting many Americans, college students are finding it especially...
Advocates worry that the new law, while aimed at K-12 education, will also have grave repercussions for the LGBTQ higher education community.
On March 28, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s controversial House Bill (HB) 1577 into law. Dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by critics, the legislation states that school districts in Florida “may not encourage classroom discussion about...
Nearly a decade ago, Rose Wong became the face of the movement for transgender students at single-sex colleges after she was denied acceptance in 2013 to Smith College, an all-women’s institution. By sharing her rejection letter with the media, Wong spearheaded a nationwide trend of historically women’s colleges (HWCs) expanding their admissions to accept members of the transgender and...
In its effort to support underserved communities and promote racial equity in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education under the Biden administration released its inaugural equity action plan this week.
The new plan highlights the need to address long-standing disparities in educational opportunities throughout all levels of education. Some efforts emphasized by the plan...
On Tuesday, dozens of students at Concordia University Chicago, a Lutheran church-affiliated institution, protested over an alleged culture of homophobia and racism on campus that has created an unwelcoming environment for students of color and LGBTQ individuals.
https://twitter.com/writefelissa/status/1513911260370411530
The student organizers joined a forum discussion with administrators inside the school's chapel as part of the demonstration. During the forum, the protesters...
A recent study produced by the Hildreth Institute found that sustained budget cuts to public higher education in Massachusetts have significantly limited educational accessibility for underserved students.
The analysis points out that public institutions have become increasingly reliant on student-driven revenue, specifically higher tuition, due to a 20 percent drop in investment from the state since 2001. From then...
Dozens of health care workers at Howard University Hospital participated in a one-day strike on Monday to protest against alleged unfair labor conditions and wage contracts.
The District of Columbia Nurses Association, a labor union representing nurses and other health care workers, says the hospital is understaffed and underpays its workers. The strikers are demanding fair contracts and adequate...
On April 7, Federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson made history by becoming the first Black woman to be appointed to a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Senate confirmed her by a 53-47 vote, which largely followed party lines. Once the court begins its next term in October, Jackson will be only the sixth woman and third...
The University of Maryland (UMD) announced Tuesday it will offer Afghan refugee families temporary housing for up to a year in partnership with the nonprofit International Rescue Committee (IRC).
UMD will host families that consist of Afghan humanitarian parolees evacuated through Operation Allies Welcome and Special Immigrant Visa holders. All the families that will be staying on campus underwent extensive...
The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday that it will extend the student loan payment moratorium through August 31.
The payment pause has, to this point, been renewed six times since March 2020 in response to the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The last extension was scheduled to end on May 1.
Almost all borrowers have taken advantage of...
Savannah State University (SSU), a historically Black institution in Georgia, recently received an $830,000 award from the U.S. Department of Education for a new program to diversify the technology industry.
The modeling and simulation program will be offered through the university's computer science technology degree track. The program aims to build students' credentials while also helping increase the number of...
On Friday, a federal judge blocked an emergency request to stop Florida colleges and universities from issuing “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” surveys to students and employees.
The surveys are part of a controversial bill approved by the Florida legislature and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year. The measure requires schools to conduct an “objective, nonpartisan and statistically valid survey”...
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed a bill Wednesday that bans transgender student-athletes from competing in women’s and girls’ sports, making it the fourth state in the country to pass the controversial law this year.
The “Save Women’s Sports Act” requires athletes to report their gender assigned at birth when registering for middle school, high school, and collegiate sports in...
Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken released a statement Monday saying the students who protested against a controversial speaker earlier this month engaged in “unacceptable” behavior but did not violate the school's free speech policy.
“This is an institution of higher learning, not a town square,” Gerken wrote in a message to the campus community. “ is a professional school,...
Paul J. Currie, a psychology professor at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, is facing criticism after a recent video showed him making offensive and racist comments toward an employee at a drive-thru restaurant.
In the video, a man identified as Currie asks a person off-camera if they were born in the U.S. and repeatedly makes references to illegal immigrants. The...
This week, the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees unanimously voted to eliminate SAT and ACT standardized testing requirements from the undergraduate admissions process at all CSU system schools.
CSU, the nation’s largest four-year university system, had previously suspended standardized testing requirements throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, citing equity, fairness, and academic hardship concerns.
“This decision aligns with continued efforts...
The National College Players Association (NCPA) filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday in protest of NCAA Division I schools attempting to cap student-athlete compensation. It alleges that the schools are violating the civil rights of Black players.
The complaint states that because a large percentage of student-athletes are Black, capping their earnings would have a...
On Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued a proclamation declaring Lia Thomas is not the "rightful winner" of the NCAA women's swimming championship.
Thomas, a swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), made history last week when she became the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA Division I title.
In the proclamation, DeSantis states that he rejects the...
The FBI announced it has narrowed down the suspects responsible for the majority of the bomb threats made against multiple historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in recent weeks.
The news came during a recent congressional hearing on how the government can best support the safety of students, faculty, and staff at HBCUs.
Ryan Young, executive assistant director of the FBI’s intelligence...
At a campus demonstration Wednesday, Howard University faculty members threatened to strike in the coming week if the institution does not increase wages for non-tenured, full-time professors and adjunct faculty.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 500, which represents more than 350 non-tenured and adjunct faculty at Howard, is leading the movement. Numerous students, alumni, and tenured faculty members...
This week, universities across Louisiana announced the creation of the Louisiana Women in Politics Oral History Project in celebration of Women’s History Month.
The initiative is intended to preserve the legacies of women political leaders in Louisiana and serve as a resource for academics and women pursuing political careers in the future.
The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at...
On February 25, one day after Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, a crowd of students and faculty at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania braved freezing weather to demonstrate their support of Ukrainian sovereignty. The protest was just one of many held at colleges and universities across the U.S. in the days following the initial Russian assault.
Among the demonstrators...
Are higher education accrediting agencies adding diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements to ensure colleges are advancing educational access and workforce balance?
Moving the needle on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at institutions of higher education has long been a challenge for senior diversity officers. Financial and human resources can be thin, and at times DEI is just a checkbox for many colleges...
In August 2021, 37 percent of U.S. K-12 teachers surveyed by the National Education Association (NEA) reported that they were considering leaving the profession.
Six months later, that number had grown to 55 percent.
Black and Latinx teachers, who are already underrepresented, were even more likely to say they were considering leaving their jobs. Among all respondents, 90 percent reported burnout...
Activist Malala Yousafzai’s autobiography, a coloring book of traditional African symbols, and a “Sesame Street” special on racism. In 2020, the Central York School District in Pennsylvania voted to ban these, and a slew of other teaching materials, because the subject matter was thought to be too divisive for young students.
The ban would eventually be overturned in 2021, but...
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) recently launched an innovative online resource known as the Racial and Social Justice Hub.
The new website is “a place to learn, grow, inquire, and share resources with one another that address social injustices and advocate for the preparation of profession-ready educators,” according to an AACTE press release. It offers links,...
A four-month fellowship cohort at the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Center for Educational Partnership will soon begin work on research and outreach efforts to better attract, support, and retain future K-12 educators of color. The center at GVSU was chosen as one of 10 institutions for the 2022 Steelcase Social Innovation Fellowship, which will provide funding to participants...
In recent years, a growing number of schools of education have begun focusing on trauma-informed teaching practices to help educators holistically address negative academic and social outcomes for students. Now, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread racial injustice, and a host of other major stressors for U.S. youth, these concepts have become more popular, and important, than ever.
“When the pandemic...
As of 2021, more than 25 percent of current and former student-athletes reported being sexually assaulted or harassed by someone in a position of power, according to a survey conducted by the nonprofit organization Lauren’s Kids. This startling statistic, along with several highly publicized sexual abuse cases involving coaches, team doctors, and other powerful members of athletic departments at...
Students and supporters say colleges must do more to track hate incidents and create safe, inclusive campus communities.
In January, a gunman took four people hostage during a Shabbat service at a Reform Jewish synagogue in the small town of Colleyville, Texas. After the devastating event, Colleyville was just one of dozens of cities nationwide to report that someone in their...
The last year has seen more colleges and universities increase their focus on supplier diversity, with many introducing plans to expand diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts within their procurement offices. Others, such as the University of Kentucky, are bolstering their programs even further by creating staff positions centered solely on strengthening engagement with minority-owned businesses.
As supplier diversity programs...
The national six-year college completion rate reached 62.2 percent in 2021, according to a recent report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC). The new rate is 1.2 percentage points higher than the previous year and 1.5 points higher than two years ago.
The data includes “all students who enter postsecondary education for the first time each year, enrolling...
As students and faculty come together on campuses across the U.S. to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, their right to publicly assemble and demonstrate may hang in the balance. In recent months, some state and federal conservative lawmakers have proposed contentious anti-riot laws in response to demonstrations for the Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice causes.
Such laws...
In early February, a group of University of Chicago (UChicago) students, local activists, and community residents held a virtual event calling on the university to pay reparations to the South Side Chicago community. The groups involved included the student-led UChicago Against Displacement (UCAD) organization and community groups Southside Together Organizing for Power, Not Me We, and the Community Benefits...
In the days and weeks following the February 24 Russian invasion of Ukraine, colleges and universities across the U.S. were quick to respond with various student- and institution-led acts of condemnation. These included student demonstrations, fundraising campaigns for Ukrainians, divesting of Russian companies, and the suspension of joint international programs with Russia. Most efforts were aimed at expressing solidarity...
More than 400 students from area high schools in Fort Worth, Texas, were surprised with acceptance letters to Paul Quinn College during a basketball event in February. But in a new admissions approach, the historically Black college is also admitting the students’ family members.
Paul Quinn is a faith-based institution and is considered the nation’s only federally designated urban work college....
Colleges and education leaders try to find solutions for recruiting and supporting male students, especially those who are already underserved.
In October 2021, researchers at the Brookings Institution declared that the gender gap in higher education has widened to the point of becoming a “male college crisis,” with many men lacking the support necessary to achieve a postsecondary degree.
While women have...
READ: How the Other Half Eats: The Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America
Using groundbreaking research and her own experiences as a biracial, South Asian American woman, sociologist and ethnographer Priya Fielding-Singh examines how inequality manifests in the way people eat. Through profiles of four families from various educational, economic, and racial and ethnic backgrounds, Fielding-Singh dispels the...
On February 22, Texas Christian University (TCU) and the TCU School of Medicine (TCU SOM) held a ceremony to celebrate being named recipients of the 2021 INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award and Health Professions HEED Award.
In attendance were faculty, staff, students, and members of the board of trustees. Lenore Pearlstein, co-publisher of INSIGHT, presented...
In less than a month, a nonprofit organization in Tennessee raised more than $2 million to cover college tuition costs for undocumented students in the state.
The Equal Chance for Education (ECE) is one of many nonprofits across the country that collects funds to support the education of undocumented students, most of whom do not have access to state or...
Dozens of faculty members at Saint Louis University (SLU), a private Jesuit school, recently wrote a letter to Missouri lawmakers urging them to uphold the teaching of critical race theory (CRT).
In January, the state's House of Representatives proposed two bills under the guise of "parent's rights" that would ban the teaching of CRT and require teachers to give parents...
