The URI Student Senate’s Post

Today, the California Assembly Concurrent Resolution 147 (ACR 147) will be heard at the California Senate Education Committee. This resolution, introduced by Assemblymember David Alvarez, establishes California’s First-Generation College Celebration Day. MANA de San Diego is proud to be a sponsor of this resolution. This resolution designates November 8, 2024, as “California’s First-Generation College Celebration Day.” The measure would urge all higher education institutions in the state to celebrate California’s First-Generation College Celebration Day, recognize the significant role of first-generation college students in developing the state’s future workforce, celebrate the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, and support first-generation college students with opportunities and equity in completing their desired degree programs. More information on the resolution can be found here: https://buff.ly/3Ktghu7. Call your California Senator and urge them to support this resolution. You can find out who your State representative is here: https://buff.ly/3XaKDcd. #belovedcommunity #manasd

#DidYouKnow, on this day (February 28th), in 1929, the USC Board of Trustees approved the creation of what is now the USC Price School of Public Policy, making it the second public affairs school in the nation? From its early days of holding classes in LA's City Hall to it now being home to 13 research centers, it continues to be a pivotal force in shaping cities and developing policies for the betterment of society globally. ✌️🌎 Learn more about the #USCPrice School's history: https://lnkd.in/gzyZUaeH

While watching a video about recruiting, supporting, and retaining Teachers and Principals of Color courtesy of the Education Justice Research and Organizing Collaborative at NYU Metro Center, Maria Hyler of Learning Policy Institute shared the following: “When we think about high-retention pathways into teaching, some of the things that we need to double down on are the ideas of: 1. Service scholarships 2. Loan forgiveness 3. Grants The financial burden on Teachers of Color are extremely higher than for White Teachers.” What are your thoughts and/or experiences as it pertains to the topic of recruiting, supporting, and retaining Teachers and Principals of Color? Full video: https://lnkd.in/e7gceK5s

Yesterday, the New York State Education Department presented a new vision for State Graduation Requirements. This November, the Department is expected to present its related state department implementation plan. Other states looking to similarly move toward modernizing graduation requirements and measures can access two reports that helped inform years of rigorous analysis and deliberation underlying NYSED's efforts. The reports, curated by the Region 2 Comprehensive Center at NYSED's request, reflect what is known about how other states approach graduation measures and requirements, including performance based assessments. They are accessible here: https://lnkd.in/erehmR-B #R2CC WestEd #GraduationRequirements #GraduationMeasures

Going to SxSW.edu in March? If so, I hope you'll attend my conversation with Paulette Granberry Russell, J.D., Mushtaq Gunja, and Shaun Harper from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. CT, Austin Convention Center, Room 8ABC. We'll discuss How Colleges Can Overcome Anti-Diversity Headwinds. A Descripition: SCOTUS zapped race-based admissions, activists are targeting race-based scholarships, and legislators are banning administrative positions in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Yet most colleges remain committed to serving a wide range of students, including members of underrepresented minorities, low-income households, and first-generation college families. In this session, leading national experts will examine what colleges can and should do to remain true to their ideals within the confines of the law. You can add it to your schedule here: https://lnkd.in/eMcd6vXr

Today is National Day of Action for Higher Education, and we must continually push for survival and growth. Even at many "liberal" institutes of higher education that publicly tout deep commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the case behind closed doors is often the exact opposite. In these spaces, the tangible commitments are low, have been low, and are shrinking. Make your voices heard when you speak with admissions officers, advancement offices, and everyone who will listed. Most importantly, we need university administrators (Presidents, especially) to be better and step up to ensure these efforts are provided with the resources they need to succeed.

The abrupt closure of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and the sudden resignation of its president, Kerry Walk, have sent shockwaves through the arts and education communities. This nearly 150-year-old institution's demise highlights a troubling trend: the precariousness of arts education in today's economic landscape. In less than a year, its President abandoned ship, leaving students, faculty, and staff in disarray. Her resignation, announced via the media, epitomizes a severe lack of transparency and responsibility. Leadership in higher education must be held to higher standards of accountability, especially when the stakes are this high. Imagine discovering your university is closing through an Instagram post at your graduation party. This was the reality for many, including incoming freshmen who had already committed their futures to UArts. Where is the compassion and duty of care for these young minds who dream of pursuing their passions? With the closure of yet another arts institution, we must ask: Are we witnessing the systematic dismantling of arts education? If prestigious schools like UArts can collapse overnight, what does this say about the value our society places on the arts? Are we dooming the next generation of artists to a future where their dreams are nonviable? What are your thoughts on the future of arts education? How can we better support our arts institutions and ensure they thrive? Will the newly established namesake, the University of the Arts Singapore, suffer a similar fate? Share your views. #ArtsEducation #Leadership #HigherEd #SaveTheArts #TransparencyInEducation #FutureOfArts

I don't do a lot of posting (I know, online-journalism-hustle-culture, I should, but I raise you: I'm busy, am an introvert, and don't want to) but figured I should say something about this story, which took nearly two years and roughly 18,000 words to report, about the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. HUC-JIR is *the* rabbinical school of the Reform movement. This story fulfills a lot of what I care about in journalism: A deep dive on a local issue that really matters to the community. HUC-JIR was started in Cincinnati nearly 150 years ago, and has grown into the oldest and largest rabbinical school in the world. Generations of rabbinical students served not just Cincinnati, but Jewish communities across the Midwest, South, and even small communities in Alaska and Canada. Likewise, generations of Cincinnatians supported the school. And yes, I know it's bonkers to have written 18,000 words on this -- really about anything nowadays. Two years ago I thought following up on the college would be basic ongoing coverage. But the story that community members kept telling me was too big to condense. So here we are. A look at the college's actual financials, the leadership that brought HUC-JIR to this moment, and what seems to be an effort to sell rare items from the Klau Library -- one of the greatest Jewish library collections in the world. I also hope this story complicates the way we talk about Jewish institutions, which -- for all the (rightful) focus on Jewish life outside the mainstream -- still form the backbone of Jewish life in this country and around the world. For the past several years, HUC-JIR has talked about itself basically as a helpless victim of changes in American Jewish life, like declining denominationalism and rabbinical enrollment. But so much of the college's story is about leadership, choices made, and choices not made. Which ties into one of the most important things I've come to appreciate about the world around us, from politics and religious life to economics and health insurance: The world we live in is a result of policy, not inertia. There's real disruption, but how we respond matters.

UPCOMING ROUNDTABLE REGISTRATION: The number of California school superintendents quitting or retiring is escalating, despite increased salaries and benefits. Among the reasons for leaving: Polarized politics, stress and threats stemming from pandemic school closures. Some are being pushed out by newly elected school board majorities. • Why have superintendent jobs become so difficult? • What can school boards do to attract and retain superintendents? • What can superintendents do to navigate politically charged board meetings and issues? Join EdSource's Diana Lambert and Anne Vasquez as they explore these questions and much more with a panel of veteran superintendents and experts.