Daily Lumina News 022723

The appeal of training for a good job in a short program paid for by the government is obvious. But for hundreds of thousands of Americans who have tried to take advantage of this, there is virtually no way to find out whether the programs actually lead to good jobs.
That’s because these schools aren’t eligible for federal student financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education, placing them in a sort of no man’s land of accountability.

Stony Brook University is one of more than 30 colleges where students can apply for financial help through an effort that provides small sums of money to address unexpected basic life needs.
Initially launched as a pilot program at just a few colleges in 2016, the FAST Fund model is rapidly growing as college leaders realize that more students need extra dollars in order to eat or to fill their car with gas to make it to class. Without such assistance, many students are hard-pressed to remain in college.

After a shooting spree at Michigan State University that left three students dead and five critically injured, campus leaders had some major responsibilities: help their community process grief and regain a sense of safety on campus, facilitate a return to the classroom, and examine what could be done to improve campus security.
It’s a set of duties that has become increasingly familiar to leaders of other institutions, especially in an era when mass shootings take place almost every day.

California has invested more than $350 million over the past five years to fund teacher residency programs as part of a multipronged approach to end the state’s enduring teacher shortage.
But the residency programs are struggling to fill their rosters because teacher candidates can’t afford to live on the small stipends often provided.

After a decade in development, there finally is an AP course focused on African-American studies. The course hasn't officially launched yet, but it's currently being piloted in 60 schools across the United States.
The AP course has drawn national attention after controversies erupted over what is, and isn't, in the curriculum. Three educators who are teaching the course describe what they are actually teaching and why it matters.

Colleges and universities are usually places where students get to explore a variety of viewpoints and political beliefs—often for the first time.
But one expert says that academic freedom will become scarce at Florida’s public universities if a new bill to regulate higher education in the state passes.