Daily Lumina News 021320

More than 600,000 people return to the community from incarceration each year. And most face a harsh reality: The odds are stacked against them.
Continued education is proven to have a notable impact on reducing recidivism. Yet, the vast majority of states have major barriers to postsecondary education opportunities for people during incarceration and upon release.
A new report provides a comprehensive, state-by-state analysis of postsecondary education policy and practices. It also identifies four fundamental “building blocks” that states can put in place to ensure that high-quality postsecondary education is readily accessible to currently and formerly incarcerated people.

Different generations of adult learners are coming to continuing education for vastly different reasons. From millennials to baby boomers, each has unique goals, needs, and expectations of their postsecondary institution.
In this interview, Melissa Marcello and Gabe Clevenger of Champlain College discuss generational gaps in education and how institutions can adapt to this new learning shift.

Too few students today have access to a quality, high-return college education, particularly if they come from historically marginalized communities. A grave student debt problem, persistent disparate outcomes by race and income, and bad institutional actors who prey on society’s most vulnerable populations to make a profit are just a few of the urgent concerns.
Now, a new bill—the Accreditation Reform Act of 2020—aims to address some of these challenges by targeting an unreliable part of the higher education system: the U.S. Department of Education’s oversight of accreditation agencies.

A merger between the Watkins College of Art and Belmont University is the latest example of what experts see as a growing trend among institutions coping with an expected decline of traditional-age applicants and increasing financial pressure.
The Watkins-Belmont deal, and the pushback it has produced, also highlights the importance of long-term planning, early and transparent communication (especially for students and faculty), and shared institutional values.