Today's Students, Tomorrow's Talent

Lumina's Fall 2021 issue of Focus Magazine, titled Native Excellence, relied on an experienced team of Native American journalists and photographers. Suzette Brewer and Hondo Louis join us to talk about their process, reporting during the pandemic, and about the importance of Native American representation in journalism.

Marking our 30-episode anniversary, we visit the issue of campus safety and policing. Last year, the murder of George Floyd forced communities, campuses included, to examine how policing helps and harms the communities it intends to serve. We speak with Charles H. F. Davis, III, Nadine Jones, Wisdom Cole, Marlon Lynch, and Jael Kerandi to learn about how communities are working together to address campus safety. Lumina Strategy Officer, Katherine Wheatle, joins as co-host.

Resources discussed during the show:

• Racist Roots of Campus Policing by Dr. Eddie R. Cole’s Washington Post Op-Ed
• NAACP Toolkit
• Michigan State University Reorganization of Policing

Nearly 1 in 4 college students today have children or care for dependents. Colleges and universities are often not set up to support parenting students. Nicole Lynn Lewis of Generation Hope, and Buffy Tanner and Janet Hubbard of Shasta College join us to talk about what is being done to support parenting students.

To learn more about student parents, check out the following resources:

• Who are Today's Students?
• Read the 2020 Hope Center Report, surveying the views of more than 23,000 parenting students.
• Check out "Pregnant Girl", Nicole Lynn Lewis' memoir.
• Learn more about Shasta College's award winning ACE program.

Enter the lives of parenting students through Rachel Bujalski's photojournalism work.

Short-term credential programs are rapidly expanding around the country, and the trend is likely to continue through new federal and state investments in workforce development. Yet concerns about racial and gender inequity, and concerns about program and credential quality surround this growing postsecondary option. We talk with experts, policymakers, and practitioners on today's show to understand the current landscape of short-term credential programs and the key issues that need to be addressed while these programs expand. Guests include: Kermit Kaleba, Strategy Director at Lumina Foundation; Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA); Jesse O'Connell, Strategy Director at Lumina Foundation; Randy Stamper, Assistant Vice Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System; and, Dr. Monique Ositelu, Senior Policy Analyst at New America and Founder/Data Strategist at Itàn.

To learn more, read Kermit's recent post about state-wide programs and check out Dr. Ositelu's report on the Landscape of Short-Term Credentials.

Stark differences by race and ethnicity in student borrowing trends are well known, but real progress depends on setting up a different conversation. Dr. Amanda Tachine and Amanda Martinez offer insights on how we can better understand the experiences of Native and Latino student loan borrowers. Co-host Dr. Katherine Wheatle dives deep into truths v. tropes of borrowers of color. Learn more by visiting here.

Innovation is a buzz word we can't get away from. But with so much "innovation" happening in higher education, how do we know what is truly unique and impactful? Professor Youngbok Hong, journalist Paul Fain, and president Dr. David Wilson share their ideas on how institutions can use what they have to make what they need.

[00:01:54] Professor Youngbok Hong

[00:25:15] Paul Fain

[00:47:57] Dr David Wilson

We talk to president and CEO of Lumina Foundation Jamie Merisotis about his new book Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines. Archived from Inquiring Minds podcast

"I think it's fantastic that we are seeing equity creep into conversations about what higher education policy should look like. But, I'm really concerned that I'm already seeing it creep on out," Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Jesse O'Connell, and Amanda DeLaRosa offer their optimism and concerns about higher education in 2021.

The GI Bill provides education, housing and other supports to veterans, but not everyone benefits equally. On this Veterans Day show we talk with veterans, historians, and advocates focused on improving education opportunities for those who have served. Hear from Joe and Joey Cyrus, a father and son duo that served in the US military and used their benefits to earn higher education while balancing work, raising a family, and separating from the armed forces. Dr. Eddie R. Cole, associate professor at UCLA and author of The Campus Color Line discusses the historic exclusion of Black veterans from GI Bill benefits. Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, also joins us to talk about modern issues faced by veterans and the role federal policymakers can play in improving education outcomes.

Authors Jeff Selingo, Melissa Korn, and Jennifer Levitz join Dakota and expert commentator Andre Phillips in a discussion about what's working, what's broken, and what's illegal in college admissions. This episode aired live on August 18, 2020.