Higher Ed ReWired

ChatGPT is the latest in the rapidly growing realm of AI programming. The program understands and responds to human language, which has been shown to be beneficial in assisting students in higher education by providing personalized support and resources and creating interactive learning experiences. However, the darkside to AI programs such as ChatGPT is the ever-growing use in cheating by generating answers to assignments or exam ...

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Of the 160,000 American students who studied abroad, in the 2019-2020 academic year, only 5.5 percent were Black.  Although the percentage of Black students who travel abroad was slowly increasing, the impact of COVID-19 lowered the percentages - yet another example of how the Black community was disparately affected by the pandemic.

In this episode, we take an in-depth look at the importance of preparing and supp...

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Instituted by executive order in 1965, affirmative action is a race-conscious policy that aims to address discrimination and provide equal access to education and jobs.  Since its inception, organizations have opposed its implementation arguing that it is unfair, unnecessary, and unconstitutional and today, it is once again under review by the Supreme Court.

In this episode, we explore the ongoing debate surroundi...

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Activism in higher education has a long history going back to the 1930s, starting with opposition to the military, racial discrimination, and support for labor unions. Nowadays, on-campus activism is widespread and research shows that student activism can disrupt taken-for-granted norms by providing more context to campus leaders on what is important to students, creating a symbiotic relationship. 

In this episode...

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In April 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 7, also known as the “Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act” or the “Stop WOKE act”. This bill prohibits teaching certain concepts related to race and sexual orientation in schools. This is just one legislative act across the country that attempts to limit academic freedom. So why are foundational American values, free speech, and academic fr...

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According to the Census Bureau, California’s population grew three times more in the last ten years than available housing units. As enrollment at the University of California and California State University systems increased, the statewide housing shortage has made it challenging for campuses to address the situation. State policies around housing have also made it difficult to fix the widening gap between affor...

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The current housing crisis for students cannot be ignored. A survey conducted in 2019 found on-campus that most students in California have experienced some type of housing insecurity with the highest risk being students from marginalized communities. The traditional on campus basic needs centers are not enough to help the students in this crisis and universities are now trying to adapt their programs to be able ...

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Higher education is beginning to reassess the college experience in response to the pandemic. Universities are updating curricula to offer larger or more robust professional programs, expanding remote options to ensure students with disabilities and other needs have equal access, and adopting innovative pedagogical methods to effectively teach students from all backgrounds in a variety of modalities.

In this epis...

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In 2021, Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes introduced assembly bill, AB469 to make applying for financial aid through the  FAFSA and the California Dream Act application a requirement for high school seniors in California. 

The idea behind the assembly bill is that if completing these forms is mandatory, then more underrepresented students will claim the aid that’s waiting for them. The measure passed la...

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During the worldwide pandemic, esports programs stepped in to fill the void that social distancing created. Students in these programs had the unique opportunity to gather in virtual worlds and stay connected. The sense of belonging the programs fostered did not go unnoticed and universities began to view  esports as a remedy for student recruitment and retention.

In this episode, we will speak with the director o...

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In 1967, Project Rebound was created to matriculate formerly incarcerated students into the CSU directly from the criminal justice system. Since the program’s inception, hundreds of Project Rebound students have obtained bachelor’s degrees and beyond. Project Rebound students system-wide have earned an overall grade point average of 3.0, have a zero percent recidivism rate, and 87% of graduates have secured full...

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In 2019, amidst rising tuition and student debt, The Gates Foundation created a new panel called the Postsecondary Value Commission to examine the return on investment of the college degree across gender and race. Members of the panel measured “postsecondary value” in terms of earnings, access to high-quality jobs, and economic mobility and security.

Higher Ed Rewired had a conversation with the commission’s resea...

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For colleges and universities, the “great resignation” might be an opportunity to reach working adults looking to upskill for a new job. They could transform the college experience from a four year academic experience... to a lifelong learning experience.

So how are colleges adapting to stay competitive? And will these demands change the face of college as we know it?

Higher Ed Rewired spoke with Paul Fain, author ...

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The COVID-19 pandemic revealed structural weaknesses and inequities across the nation in all major industries - housing, government, finance, health care, and education. This revelation resulted in educational institutions across the nation successfully reworking the more traditional aspects of student success such as instructional modality, classroom technology, and basic needs. However, most institutions continu...

In a sweeping decision amid the height of the pandemic, universities across the nation decided to remove the SAT/ACT as an admission requirement and go test-optional. In the absence of this tool, institutions have been forced to rethink their approach to admissions and take a holistic look at the students who apply.

Higher Ed Rewired spoke with Gary Clark, Director of Undergraduate Admission at UCLA, David Holmes, the executive dire...

The complexity and challenges of the pandemic have posed extraordinary shifts to education as we have known it. Unique opportunities have risen out of the stay-at-home orders and the shift to remote learning, presenting a transformative time for postsecondary leaders. A number of these changes would have never been envisioned pre-pandemic, but rapidly are becoming welcomed additions to our institutions. Higher Ed Rewired meets with...

Higher Ed Rewired engages listeners in a conversation with a panel of nationally recognized authors who will discuss their recent books and share insight on equity and student success. Listen to Tia Brown McNair “From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education“ (2020) and “Becoming A Student Ready College” (2016), Bryan Alexander “Academia Next: The Futures of Higher Educatio...

College athletics is more than just sports. It includes televised broadcasts, beverage contracts and apparel sponsorships turning athletics into a $14 billion-dollar industry. The Fair Pay for Play Act, which passed through California legislators in 2020, will allow student-athletes to profit for their name, image and likeness. A vote to these rules change by NCAA is pending. Although NCAA had long-standing rules against compensati...

For many students, navigating the college experience is unfamiliar and may sometimes feel alienating. Many institutions don’t operate much differently than they did 400 years ago, despite the student body being dramatically more diverse than it was back then. College campuses are beginning to transform to support students with their diversity of backgrounds and experiences. Higher Ed Rewired asks Anthony Jack of Harvard Graduate Sc...