Recently released data on Lumina’s Stronger Nation tool shows that the national education attainment rate has reached 54.3 percent. The country has increased in education attainment by 16 percentage points since 2008. Dr. Courtney Brown and Dr

The Demand for Career Pathways

Aug 22nd, 2023 1h 15m

There is a staffing crisis in healthcare - a crisis that is so bad, that some are calling it a national emergency. To meet today’s and tomorrow’s labor demand, leaders need to provide clear and supported career pathways to adults already in the

Addressing Mental Health on College Campuses

Mar 28th, 2023 1h 17m

A new report from NASPA and Uwill sheds light on the growing need and urgency to provide mental health services on college campuses. In this episode, we discuss the findings from this national survey, discuss a state-wide initiative in Texas t

State and Federal Policy Round Up

Feb 28th, 2023 1h

Listen in as state and federal policy experts weigh in on the major themes from 2022 and expectations for 2023. Julie Peller from Higher Learning Advocates walks through the major movements at the federal level, and Paola Santana from Lumina F

Understanding Public Narratives About Workforce and Higher Education

Oct 27th, 2022 51m 53s

Mainstream media and industry news shapes, reinforces, and redresses commonly held narratives - those underlying beliefs and attitudes that drive human behavior - about higher education and the workforce. Dr. Rita Parhad and Emily Keane from P

What it Takes To Return: Adults in Higher Education - Part 2

Sep 6th, 2022 50m 41s

Institutions and non-profits across the country are providing new kinds of services and redesigning policies and practices to support more adults in higher education. In part 2, we talk with Malik Brown and Sena Owereko from Graduate Philadelp

What it Takes To Return: Adults in Higher Education - Part 1

Aug 23rd, 2022 58m 19s

Millions of adults in the US have some college credit but never finished their degree. The path back into school a second time is much harder to navigate. We begin a two-part series by talking with adult students and their coaches to learn abo

The Mental Health Crisis and Higher Education

May 24th, 2022 59m 21s

A new study conducted by Gallup and Lumina Foundation found that three-fourths of students in bachelor’s programs and two-thirds of adults seeking associate degrees have considered taking a break from college due to emotional stress. Dr. Zain

The Power of State Networks

Apr 26th, 2022 1h 14m

Aligning the work of state agencies, colleges, universities, community organizations, and philanthropy towards common goals takes trust, a neutral intermediary, and a focus on what is best for students. State-level networks across the country

Racial Equity in Higher Education Policy

Feb 22nd, 2022 58m 12s

States across the country are re-examining higher education laws, policies, and regulations to better serve the needs of Today’s Students. Scott Jenkins, Lumina Foundation’s strategy director for state policy, talks about Lumina’s state pol

2021 Wrap Up

Jan 18th, 2022 1h 10m

Join us as we wrap up the major higher ed news from 2021 with Danielle Douglas-Gabriel of the Washington Post, Elissa Nadworny of NPR, and Katherine Wheatle of Lumina Foundation. Together, we talk about the important and sometimes strange sto

Telling Our Own Stories

Nov 16th, 2021 57m 19s

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 pan

The Current State of Campus Policing

Oct 19th, 2021 1h 28m

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 s

Supporting Parenting Students

Sep 14th, 2021 1h 5m

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 Colleg

The State of Short-Term Credentials

Aug 10th, 2021 1h 26m

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 p

Changing the Narrative on Borrowers of Color

Jul 20th, 2021 1h 19m

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 ex

Innovation: Using what we have to make what we need.

Jun 15th, 2021 1h 26m

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 sh

Looking Ahead to 2021 w/ Danielle Douglas-Gabrielle, Jesse O’Connell, and Amanda DeLaRosa

Dec 17th, 2020 1h 4m

“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 A

Supporting Veterans and the GI Bill: A conversation with the Cyrus family, Dr. Eddie R. Cole, and Carrie Wofford

Nov 11th, 2020 1h 1m

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 ha

College Admissions (And What’s a ‘Good College,’ Anyway?)

Sep 22nd, 2020 1h

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.

Responding Today, Preparing for Tomorrow – Harrison Keller, Cathy Longstreet, & Juan Salgado

May 11th, 2020 1h 9m

To understand the impact of COVID-19 on communities across the nation, we talk with three guests responsible for responding to student needs and preparing for recovery. Guests include: Cathy Longstreet, a high school counselor from Hastings, M

It’s what you learn, not how long it takes: Competency-based education with Charla Long, Natalie Schwartz, and Zainab Okolo

Apr 6th, 2020 1h 4m

Education in the United States uses time as a measurement for learning. My guests talk about changing this paradigm to value knowledge, skills, and abilities over how long it takes to learn. Dr. Charla Long of the Competency-Based Education Net

Going back to college after 30 years - Johnathan Williams and Charletta Thomas

Mar 2nd, 2020 40m 12s

37 million adults in the United States have some college credit but have yet to earn a degree. The first step in re-engaging these adults is to listen and learn from them. On today’s show, I am joined by Johnathan Williams and Charletta Thomas

Six Predictions for Higher Ed in 2020 w/ Jesse O’Connell

Feb 3rd, 2020 31m 13s

College affordability, education for justice-impacted populations, the continued growth of mega-universities and the closure of small institutions are some of the issues likely to dominate education policy and generate headlines in 2020. Jess

U of California sued over SAT use in admissions. Does the SAT predict college success? A conversation with Elissa Nadworny of NPR and Elaine Allensworth of UChicago Consortium.

Jan 21st, 2020 31m 16s

For over half a century, the SAT has been used by colleges and universities in admissions decisions. A lawsuit filed in December 2019 against the University of California system challenges this long held practice, calling the use of SAT scores