Daily Lumina News 011421

If ever we needed proof that many Americans are living in an alternate reality, the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week was it. How thousands of people fell prey to the idea that a vast conspiracy reversed what they believed was a landslide victory by President Trump is a question that will hang over the country for decades.
For higher education, that question is especially urgent. While most Americans don’t subscribe to the paranoid theories that prompted the insurgency, the world that spawned them is deeply affecting students. Disinformation and propaganda are flourishing, traditional sources of authority are under siege, and people increasingly live in politically polarized media ecosystems.

California Gov. Gavin Newson is proposing a $15 million investment to build the next phase of an ambitious “cradle-to-career” data system that will shed light on effective strategies contributing to student success.
Newsom also anticipates spending another $3.8 million on a website to help high school students find information about what they need to get into college, financial aid opportunities, and career guidance. The website will eventually be integrated into the cradle-to-career data system.

During a recession, community college enrollment typically goes up as unemployed workers start looking for new skills. That’s not happening this time around. And it could signal trouble for the economy and individual families going forward, particularly for lower-income students and students of color.
Meanwhile, schools are doing what they can to keep the students they have. New Jersey City University provided loaner laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots for homebound studies and open dorms and libraries for those who need them. But in a year like this, it hasn't always been enough.

Jill Biden had two major roles during her eight years as second lady. One was being the vice president’s wife, performed, for instance, on diplomatic trips abroad. The other was teaching English. During that time, she became a role model to many of her female students.
Biden will do it all again as first lady. When she returns to Northern Virginia Community College this spring, she will become the first woman in the position to continue her professional career.