Daily Lumina News 113023

This month, a group of students defied assumptions and stereotypes when they walked across a stage to receive their college diplomas from Northwestern University. Their journey represents a milestone: They are the first incarcerated students to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from the Northwestern Prison Education Program at Northwestern University.
In this interview, Jennifer Lackey, founding director of Northwestern's program, reflects on the power of education to transform lives, both within and outside prison walls.

The Biden administration is moving forward on its ambitious plans to update the regulations governing accreditation and the definition of distance education.
The planned negotiations could be the president's last chance to leave a mark on federal higher education policy before the 2024 presidential election. Any regulatory updates likely wouldn’t take effect until 2025, but experts and advocates see an opportunity to make the higher education system work better for students and to build in more consumer protections.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education launched an unusual marketing blitz to inspire more talented people—especially those from underrepresented communities—to become teachers.
So how are teacher prep programs responding? Can more people—and more individuals from a variety of backgrounds—be convinced to become educators as teaching shortages prevail throughout the country? Several experts weigh in.

The creative capacity of artificial intelligence is immense. It can apply centuries of learning within fractions of a second, enabling huge surges in knowledge that used to require years of human study and effort.
But while AI is a force of great power, it does not possess a conscience. That’s our uniquely human job—now more than ever, writes Lumina Foundation's Jamie Merisotis in his latest column for Forbes.

Two Jewish groups are suing the University of California system and its Berkeley campus, alleging they’ve allowed a “longstanding, unchecked spread of anti-Semitism,” according to federal court documents filed this week.
Colleges and universities have become a lightning rod for disputes over the Israel–Hamas war, with campuses across the country witnessing a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks.

Indiana legislators and education officials are rallying behind a move to “transform” the state’s high schools by making career skills a major focus through more internships, apprenticeships, and a drive to earn career credentials before graduating.
The state already requires students to show “demonstrable employability skills” to graduate from high school, but it currently counts playing on a school team or community service the same as doing an internship or apprenticeship. The new requirements will be more work- and skills-focused.