Melanie Booth, Ed.D.

HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 2/25:

⬩ Injunction Blocking Parts of Trump’s Anti-DEI Orders Doesn’t Affect DEI Guidance @insidehighered.com
⬩ Medical Research Labs Brace for Possible Funding Cuts That Could Disrupt Their Work @npr.org

More: ow.ly/emLs50V0r6X

The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance – Robin Wall Kimmerer As Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy.

A million ideas for #education and learn/work ecosystems within an Economy of Abundance if we choose to consider them and act accordingly. emergencemagazine.org/essay/the-se...

There's a place for everyone OR: fantastic niches and where to find them

What if our educational systems began with a premise that there is a place for everyone - a niche that each can find and fill b/c everyone has potential, comes with the ability to learn baked in, and has capabilities. #HigherEducation #AllLearningCounts www.experimental-history.com/p/theres-a-p...

Credit for Prior Learning Policies: A Database of Findings from the ACE-CAEL 50-State Analysis This database provides access to more than 360 examples of state and system CPL policies. Policymakers, leaders, and stakeholders can use this resource to aid in understanding the range of CPL policy ...

The @aceducation.bsky.social just published a new report and database with CEAL on credit for prior learning. Check out these new resources: www.acenet.edu/Pages/CPL-In...

CEW’s Year in Review, Part 1: Winter and Spring 2024 - CEW Georgetown Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) 2024 yearly review report release summary part one.

CEW’s research from 2024 makes it clear that, while the US has made strides toward improving access to opportunity in higher education and employment, significant roadblocks persist. #AcademicSky #HigherEducation #Workforce cew.georgetown.edu/resource/cew...

New Credit for Prior Learning resource released from CAEL and @aceducation.bsky.social - a CPL State Policy Database. Huge contribution to the field of #AllLearningCounts #HigherEducation

www.wscuc.org/post/wscuc-r...

The "regional" accreditor that oversees colleges in California and Hawaii was considering removing the terms "diversity, equity and inclusion" from its standards -- today they announced they are keeping those terms in place

Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning Publishes research on contemporary issues in higher education, provides trends and new insights and analyzes implications of educational programs and policies.

Be sure to check out this new, special issue of Change Higher, edited by Ethan Ris and David R. Johnson. The theme is "Ideas and Ideologies in Higher Education Policy," and includes great work: www.tandfonline.com/journals/vch...

@akezar.bsky.social, @kcculver.bsky.social, @uscrossier.bsky.social

No college degree? No worries. Newsom unveils plan for well-paying jobs without one Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a plan Monday to create more well-paying career pathways for Californians who may not have a college degree.

California is joining #skills bandwagon to help address labor mkt needs, opportunities - including a digital “career passport,” more work-integrated learning, better alignment between education and labor market needs, and wider access. #AllLearningCounts www.latimes.com/california/s...

Looming Declines in High-School Grads Will Mark ‘Inflection Point’ for Higher Ed The number of students who graduate will peak in 2025 and then decline steadily for many years, updated projections show.

After 2025, most states will see a gradual decrease in prospective students, new projections show. How will colleges manage? chroni.cl/4io9pOp

Chart of largest colleges and completion rates.

New data was recently released from the Education Department. I decided to take a glance at some of the largest institutions and their completion rates.

Only two of the largest seven four-year colleges graduate more than half of their students within eight years.

What do you think?

Tearing the Paper Ceiling: The Impact of State Commitments to Remove Degree Requirements on Public Awareness and Job Opportunities for STARs Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...

New report on #Skills-based hiring for STARs (skilled through alternative routes - no bachelors required). #HigherEducation is this on your radar? www.nber.org/papers/w33220

Progress in a time of disruption: The urgency of reimagining higher ed Higher education has an opportunity to use this moment of extreme stress to pursue genuine, urgently-needed systemic change.

A college degree remains fundamental to the US economy. According to our research, bachelor’s degree holders have a lifetime gain of $1.2 million. @jamiemerisotis.bsky.social @luminafoundation.bsky.social
www.luminafoundation.org/news-and-vie...

Western accreditor looks to drop DEI language from standards Critics argue that by changing its standards to focus on “success for all students,” WSCUC is bowing to political pressure. Officials say it’s in response to honest feedback.

Western Accreditor Looks to Drop #DEI Language

Critics argue that by changing its standards to focus on “success for all students,” WSCUC is bowing to political pressure. Officials say it’s in response to honest feedback. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/41ozlTM

Is calculus an addiction that college admissions officers can't shake? A new survey shows how the subject has become a proxy for academic rigor

Is calculus an addiction that college admissions officers can’t shake?

What Students Want: Students’ Experiences and the Implications of Enhanced Holistic Supports for Non-Degree Pathways - National Skills Coalition Centering the experiences and expertise of students who have gone through non-degree programs and pathways is critical to developing policy that effectively and equitably promotes credential attainmen...

New report from National Skills Coalition featuring learners' voices in non-degree programs: Centering the experiences and expertise of students trying to make their way through systems w/ structural barriers to opportunity. #AllLearningCounts #AllLearnersCount

Reimagining the role of higher education in a world of intersecting revolutions To remain relevant, universities must shift from reactive funding requests to proactive transformation, writes Rahim Somani

“By adopting a mindset akin to innovative and forward-thinking organisations, #universities can become centres of experimentation and learning, committed to addressing real-world challenges and enhancing community well-being.” #HigherEducation www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/reima...

U.S. Economy Is Doing What Few Others Are: Getting More Productive Inflation and the labor market are both cooling, but a subtle force has powered strong U.S. economic growth nonetheless. Americans keep finding ways to get more done at work.

“We’ve basically had three years of a super-tight labor market,” Kelly said. “Productivity is just another word for no one left to hire.”
www.wsj.com/economy/u-s-...

Affluent White Students Are Skipping College, and No One Is Sure Why Their attendance rate has seen the steepest drop among any demographic in recent years.

Groundbreaking coverage here from @leegee.bsky.social about the surprising decline in enrollment of high-income white students: www.chronicle.com/article/affl...

Quality Coaching Report Strada’s newest report, Quality Coaching, looks at students’ experiences across three elements of quality coaching and we examine the experiences of recent graduates. The report also offers insights t...

This Strada Education Foundation report on quality #coaching in #HigherEducation is an important read: early and often, to support ALL learners in navigating lifelong career opportunities and shifts. stradaeducation.org/report/quali...

Navigating Uncertainty: The Power of Scenario Planning in Higher Education - Futures Empowered 2025 may be a year of significant change for the higher education community. This community, which includes colleges, universities, accreditors, and nonprofits focused on higher education, may see sig...

Really helpful overview of scenario planning in #HigherEducation, which, in my experience, is a great tool and effective as an ongoing collaborative process to accompany and help adjust flexible strategic plans in a time of rapid change (like now). Check out 2x2. futuresempowered.com/navigating-u...

The Three Traps That Stymie Reinvention Successful growth in new sectors requires balancing support for the core business with investment in radical innovation.

Important research, good article, 100% relevant to #HigherEducation (think: transformation to skills economy as one example): The Three Traps that Stymie Reinvention #ChangeLeadership sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-...

Sign that says Good Dog Trail with an arrow to the left and an arrow to the right.

My first Bluesky post indicating one of my favorite places. Is the dog good, or is the trail good? Do you know where this is? #HigherEducation #Learning #Work #Credentials #Heutagogy #AllLearningCounts