Daily Lumina News 042820

The new normal in higher education goes something like this: uncertainty, disruption, and adapting. IowaWatch reporters recently spoke with students from nearly a dozen schools about the changes they're experiencing because of COVID-19. They worry about their futures and they grieve rites of passage such as graduation, concerts, trips abroad, or simply hanging out with friends.
Still, many remain positive about the future.

Few colleges have committed publicly to keeping facilities closed come autumn, but experts say most are working on contingency plans for that possibility.
For residential institutions whose identities are closely bound to physical experiences—a grassy quad lined with stately trees, an uproarious football stadium, a dorm full of friends—moving college online and convincing students to pay for it will be a challenge.

The COVID-19 pandemic is revealing the breadth of education’s digital divide, separating those who have access to the internet from those who don’t. Yet in this spring of makeshift virtual instruction, many low-income students face challenges that go well beyond a lack of computers and connectivity.

A lot is at stake for students taking Advanced Placement exams, even in normal times. If you score high enough, you can earn college credit. It's also a big factor in college applications. But for some students, the idea of studying right now feels impossible.
Concerns about the coronavirus have put most standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT, on hold this spring. But AP exams are going forward with a new online format—and that's raising questions about fairness.