Daily Lumina News 061521

After years of dwindling Black student enrollment, the University of South Florida is on track to welcome the most diverse freshman class in its history.
The uptick comes after a 2.4 percent decline in Black enrollment over the last five years, followed by last summer’s racial reckoning over the murder of George Floyd. A summer of protests prompted sharp complaints that institutions like USF were lagging when it came to equity, and the pressure forced a more intense focus on diversity.

A typical day for Mahogani Thompkins usually involves stubborn technology and loads of paperwork.
As a case manager at Sampson Correctional Institution, Thompkins wears many hats, but most specifically, she works with more than two dozen incarcerated men currently completing education courses at the facility.

Oregon legislators are considering a bill designed to create a task force focused on success for underrepresented college students.
If House Bill 2590 passes, a group of state lawmakers will be tasked with visiting postsecondary institutions across the state in order to meet with current, former and prospective students from underrepresented groups. The conversations are intended to help develop policy focused on student success—including academics, as well as college affordability, food and housing needs, and entry into the workforce after graduation.

Susan Paterno, director of the journalism program at Chapman University, is not a fan of college admissions. She says it favors the wealthy over the poor and good test-taking skills over being a good person, plus the system's many twists are invisible to most people.
Paterno recently wrote a book on the flaws of the college admissions process. In this interview, she shares her issues with the system—and also why college is important.