Regardless of an institution's size, here's how higher ed leaders can shrink the size of campus by creating community pathways for first-generation students.
Dr. Antonio Flores, president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, details how Hispanic Serving Institutions will best serve a U.S. labor workforce projected to be one-fifth Hispanic by 2030.
First-generation students are prone to fall behind in higher education and beyond, prompting colleges, universities and related organizations to recognize their struggles and alleviate them.
Traditional college rankings measure the wrong things and penalize the vast majority of regional public institutions that support first-generation and underrepresented students.
"The higher education system is broken," said Colorado College President Song Richardson at the Department of Education's summit discussing the end of affirmative action.
The number of Pell-eligible and first-generation students has increased by 10% or more since Johns Hopkins University stopped legacy admissions in 2013.
Despite Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action and state efforts to defund DEI, there are integral ways higher education can maintain its mission of cultivating a culture of diverse perspectives. "Don't be led by fear," advises Dr. David Acosta, chief diversity and inclusion officer of the AAMC.
After helping boost Johns Hopkins low-income, first-generation student persistence rates to 100%, the Kessler Scholars Collaborative is expanding its reach to 16 schools and 1,600 students, thanks in part to $10 million in new funding.
