Daily Lumina News 092321

There are nearly 1 million different credentials offered across the United States today. But how valid are these credentials? And do they actually help someone advance economically?
Scott Cheney, CEO of Credential Engine, talks about the need for credential transparency and how it might empower learners and job seekers from all backgrounds.

As Congressional Democrats nail down details of the Build Back Better Act—a $3.5 trillion legislative package that includes, among other measures, free community college—a new survey shows that the ongoing price tag of higher education is the biggest driver for people when making up their minds about whether or not to attend college.
The idea of "free college" could be a key motivator.

Addressing hunger among college students requires demystifying who faces it. Traditional markers of food insecurity such as socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and gender do not tell the whole story, writes Christel Perkins of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities in this op-ed.
That’s why, along with providing resources to students and promoting the resources’ availability, Perkins says we must also normalize the use of university supports aimed at addressing students’ needs.

How has teaching changed on college campuses as a new semester gets underway in an environment where the pandemic is still not over and the Delta variant means even some with vaccines are getting breakthrough cases?
Three students and a professor weigh in with their perspectives.