Daily Lumina News 011723

A new wave of college closures is expected to begin this year.
COVID isn't entirely to blame, although it did flip the entire universe of higher education on its head. But some struggling colleges have been able to keep their doors open longer than expected in part because of help from federal and state pandemic relief funding. Now, for many, those funding streams are drying up and it’s time to face the inevitable.

Colorado’s college and university leaders say their schools need more money—and they're pleading with the legislature to boost spending on higher education.
It’s the second year in a row that college presidents have banded together to demand more funding. It represents a new, more vocal approach in a state where higher education often takes a back seat to K-12 advocacy.

In cases against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the U.S. Supreme Court is widely expected to overturn or roll back affirmative action in college admissions.
Many education experts argue that diversity is critical for learning—and if the nation's highest court does away with race-conscious admissions, it could not only lead to changes in who is admitted but also jeopardize long-established strategies that colleges use to build diverse classes.

First-generation students often find it hard to navigate college life. Many face economic challenges, juggle jobs to support their families, and encounter social challenges.
To help them, some colleges are going beyond academic support. They’re re-evaluating physical spaces on campus to figure out how to create an environment of belonging. Meanwhile, campus architecture and design firms are coming up with ways, both subtle and bold, to help first-gen students succeed.

Nestled between Sarasota Bay and the Tamiami Trail, the small campus once dubbed “Barefoot U” has been a progressive enclave in a conservative county for 60 years.
Now, the 110-acre liberal arts school known as New College of Florida finds itself in the national spotlight, thrust into the culture wars after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of six noted conservatives to its board of trustees.

Celebrities wept in court. Coaches lost their jobs. Elite universities saw their reputations stained. And nearly four years later, the mastermind of the Varsity Blues scheme was sentenced this month to more than three years in prison.
College admissions leaders say the case is an anomaly. Corrupt athletics officials abused holes in the system, they argue, but no college admissions officers were accused. Still, critics say the case revealed deeper, more troubling imbalances of wealth, class, and race.