The Washington Post’s Post

A significant development unfolded in Tennessee as the trustees of the state's only publicly funded historically Black university, Tennessee State University, were removed.  To the Students and Professors at Tennessee State University We see you. While challenging, you stand at the heart of this discussion and also hold possibilities. There are options and avenues available to you — from engaging in constructive dialogue to participating in governance and advocacy to attending another college and finding new employment opportunities. Tennessee State University, or TSU, has 9,218 students for 2022 and 2023. This includes 7,678 undergraduates and 1,540 graduate students; 34.26% of students are male (3,158), and 65.74% of female students (6,060) are female. 918 students exclusively enrolled in distance education programs. TSU student body is diverse, with a majority of students belonging to ethnic backgrounds; 86% are minorities or individuals of color (BIPOC), with the largest groups being Black or African American (70%), White (14%), Hispanic (1%) and Asian (1%).  #Leadership #Diversity #CivicEngagement #Education #Governance #SupportTSU

More universities are using grants and admitting students for free! It seems that CSR Grants from super wealthy companies are gaining popularity! They're not just marketing their products and services, since most of the world is not very wealthy, they're marketing themselves as kind, caring, and giving to communities. Wow! Biggest companies in the world: 1: Microsoft (Thanks OpenAI & ChatGPT): Market cap: $3.073 trillion 2: Apple: $2.791 trillion 3: Saudi Aramco: $2.059 trillion 4: NVIDIA (thanks AI & screen usage): $1.977 trillion 5: Amazon: $1.836 trillion https://lnkd.in/eKH8Gdpa

An emerging trend, Republican MAGA "National Affirmative Action Ban" History: "In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 10925, which compelled government contractors to “‘take affirmative action’ to realize the national goal of ‘nondiscrimination. As race-conscious policies, affirmative action admissions seek to address the fact that inequality in society as a whole creates multiple race-related barriers to graduating from high school and attending college for non-white students.  https://lnkd.in/ex96hyFx On 6/29/2023, the SCOTUS ruled that affirmative action college admissions policies are unconstitutional. Colleges could no longer consider an applicant's race as a factor for admissions. Republican state lawmakers have been a driving force behind the retreat from race-conscious scholarships." "Nearly 50 colleges and universities, mostly public institutions, have paused, ended or reconfigured hundreds of race-conscious scholarships worth millions of dollars to comply with the ruling." "Duke University recently discontinued a 45-year-old scholarship that covered tuition, currently about $66,000 a year, and housing costs of some Black undergraduate students." "The University of Iowa has changed the selection criteria for its Advantage Iowa Award, which dispenses more than $9 million a year in financial help to first-year students, opening it up to White students to apply." "Across the four-campus University of Missouri system, officials are changing the eligibility rules for $17.2 million in institutional and donor-funded scholarships earmarked for students from certain racial or ethnic groups." https://lnkd.in/enQbiv-h

This is #UnapologeticLeadership at work! Peralta Community College District Chancellor Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson endorses #SB1348 & recognizes Peralta Colleges as #BlackServingInstitutions! She writes: "Our incredibly diverse district in the East Bay includes Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney College, and Merritt College. Over 30% of our students identify as Latinx, and all four colleges are either designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) or are on the path to that designation. 20.8% identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander, again with our colleges designated as Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) or on that path. The HSI and AANAPISI designations and resulting grants allow our colleges to support these historically marginalized communities with programs tailored specifically for these student cohorts. Frustratingly, there is no such designation for Black-Serving Institutions. And there should be. Research shows Black students face unique challenges in their educational journey. They are more likely to delay attending college after high school, more likely to attend college part-time, less likely to earn a degree, and more likely to take on a more significant amount of student debt than other student groups. Collectively, 19.1% of students at the Peralta Colleges identify as Black, surpassing the 10% enrollment threshold required by SB 1348. This statistic is not just a number; it reflects our ongoing need for creating and sustaining educational environments where Black students can excel." Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g8fRSciV

"Maryland will consider joining a number of states that guarantee admission to certain first-year students at one of the state’s four-year public colleges and universities. Proposed legislation – Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Malcolm Augustine (D-Prince George’s) — would require institutions to adopt an admission policy and accept Maryland high school students, from a public or private school, who are in the top 10% of their class. The 10 “constituent” higher education institutions that would be required to accept those students are those in the University System of Maryland: University of Maryland, Baltimore; University of Maryland, College Park; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; University of Maryland Eastern Shore; University of Maryland Global Campus; Bowie State University; Coppin State University; Frostburg State University; Salisbury University; Towson University; University of Baltimore. Two public schools not in the system would also be required to admit those sudents: Morgan State University and St. Mary’s College of Maryland." https://lnkd.in/evCWH_M8

https://lnkd.in/dAv_EgHQ Full disclosure: I’m a Vanderbilt grad and a proud one at that, but one has to wonder where this trend leaves international students. If we extrapolate to the larger American system of higher education, we’d have to expect plenty of other universities to follow suit in exceeding the six-digit a year threshold, many without the same infrastructure of scholarships and aid for international students. Even government scholarship entities may balk at the lofty sticker price, in particular for universities that don’t deliver on the elite global rankings that are seen to justify the lofty costs. That value proposition is at the core of why, despite having sent students to a host of globally elite universities, I’ve never had a student go to Vanderbilt; I worry that this same value proposition will slowly erode interest in American higher education for international students. I’d love to hear other thoughts on this. #highered #college #university #tuition #internationalhighered #postsecondaryaccess #internationalstudents

What's happening: The University of California (UC) has set a new record for fall 2024 by admitting the largest and most diverse class of first-year California students, totaling 93,920, which represents a 4.3% increase from last year. This milestone reflects the UC system's commitment to expanding access for low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students of color. The admissions process also saw a notable increase in diversity, with 39% of admitted students identifying as Latino, 33% as Asian American, and 6% as Black. UC's admission rate for California first-year students rose to 70%, though UCLA's rate remained low at 9.5% due to its high application volume. The system also admitted 26,430 transfer students, a 7.8% increase over the previous year. UC Santa Cruz emerged as a leader in supporting nonbinary students, admitting the highest number of such students, while UC Merced had the highest proportion of Latino students. Despite these achievements, challenges persist, such as the FAFSA processing delays, which have created uncertainty about final enrollment numbers. https://brnw.ch/21wLGuB #LatinoBuzz

🎓 California is poised to make sweeping changes to its signature higher education access program, the Cal Grant. 💡 In this op-ed in The San Diego Union-Tribune, college presidents Mark David Milliron at National University and Mark Sanchez, Ed.D. at Southwestern College urge California lawmakers to expand the Cal Grant state aid program to better meet the needs of the new majority of learners. 📣 They make the case that California's investments in higher education have powered generations of economic growth, innovation, and upward mobility since the creation of the Master Plan for Higher Education. As Mark and Mark write: "By doubling down on equitable college transfer as a matter of state policy, California can lead the way in building a more equitable higher education system and forging a stronger, more inclusive economy." #HigherEducation #EducationPolicy #California

In October 2023, the cessation of The University of Alabama's National Recognition Scholarship program, followed by similar actions from institutions like Texas A&M and the University of Central Florida, elicited nationwide concern. This trend raises significant concerns regarding American higher education's commitment to diversity and inclusion. Beyond the immediate impact on campuses, there are broader implications for the vibrancy of student life and culture. Compounded by rising education costs and political scrutiny, this shift prompts critical reflection on the future of diversity within academia. Critics highlight the potential repercussions, including diminished cultural representation and setbacks in societal equity. While the discontinuation of scholarship programs represents a chapter's end, the ongoing discourse on diversity and inclusion remains central to shaping the trajectory of higher education and society at large. #HigherEducation #ScholarshipPrograms #DiversityInEducation

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