#National Student Clearinghouse Research Center

[reportwire]

When Campuses Close, Most of Their Students Are Stuck Without the Credentials They Wanted

When Campuses Close, Most of Their Students Are Stuck Without the Credentials They Wanted

Nearly three-quarters of the students whose colleges closed between 2004 and 2020 were stranded without adequate warning or plans to help them finish their degrees, and fewer than half of those students ended up re-enrolling in any postsecondary programs, according to a report released Tuesday. Hardest hit were Black and Hispanic students enrolled in for-profit institutions. “Their schools’…

[onetwistedmiracle]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2022/05/13/study-girls-raised-jewish-outperform-christian-girls-academically/

Religion

Study: Girls raised Jewish outperform Christian girls academically

By Yonat Shimron

May 13, 2022 at 7:00 a.m. EDT

If a Supreme Court justice, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the treasury secretary were not enough, Jewish girls can find plenty of other role models of professional success.

A new study suggests the examples of these Jewish women — Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen and many others like them — have made a deep impression.

The study, published in the latest edition of the American Sociological Review, finds that girls with a Jewish upbringing are 23 percent more likely to graduate college, and to graduate from much more selective colleges, than girls with a Christian upbringing. (The study included comparisons with Protestants, mostly evangelicals.)

These girls, the study found, have ambitious career goals and prioritize their professional success over marriage and motherhood. The girls in the study were all reared in liberal Jewish movements that make up the vast majority of American Jewish life; none was Orthodox.

“Whereas Jewish upbringing promoted self-concepts centered on meaningful careers and public impact, non-Jewish upbringing promoted self-concepts centered on marriage and motherhood,” wrote the study’s four authors, led by Tulane University sociologist Ilana Horwitz.

The study is based on an analysis of data from the National Study of Youth and Religion, a 10-year longitudinal study of the religious lives of 3,290 American youth from adolescence into young adulthood. The NSYR included an oversample of 80 Jewish households, from which researchers based their study. (The NSYR did not include sufficient Muslim or Hindu participants for comparison.)

The researchers then matched the data with the National Student Clearinghouse, which provides educational reporting and verification.

The results were startling. The study estimates that boys and girls raised by at least one Jewish parent have a 73 percent probability of graduating from college, as opposed to 32 percent of young people raised by non-Jewish parents. In other words, they are at least 2.28 times more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than children raised by non-Jewish parents.

When researchers looked at the elite schools attended by the Jewish NSYR participants, they found the school’s average SAT scores were higher, too.

Students raised by at least one Jewish parent attended colleges with a mean SAT score of 1201, whereas participants raised by non-Jewish parents attended colleges with a mean SAT score of 1102 (99 points lower).

And girls raised by Jewish parents were even more likely to graduate from college than boys raised with Jewish parents.

“I’d like to make a mark,” said a Jewish girl named Debbie who was interviewed by NSYR researchers. “I’m not the type of person who’s okay not being in the limelight.”

“I’m thinking about Ivy Leagues,” a Jewish girl named Jessica told researchers. “My parents both went to Cornell. I’ve been there a few times, I like it there a lot and it’s the kind of place where I would want to go.”

By contrast, some of the Christian girls in the study had other priorities.

“I think the biggest thing that a mother can do is to be with her kids,” said a girl named Mandy. “That’s the greatest thing over her career.”

The study suggests it was not any innate genetic factors that made the Jewish girls stand out. Rather it was a set of cultural, historical, political and religious factors that contributed to an environment in which parents and other Jewish elders imbued the girls with educational and professional expectations of success.

One key attribute shared by the Jewish girls: They grew up in Jewish communities that were egalitarian, believing men and women are equal in roles and responsibilities, in the home and in society at large.

Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a founding editor of Ms. Magazine and the author of “Deborah, Golda, and Me: Being Female and Jewish in America,” a 1991 book that addressed Jewish feminism, said she was not surprised by the findings.

“I think there has been a gradual accumulation of knowledge that explains women feeling that, ‘Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead.’ As long as we can have a postgraduate degree we can mark our lives and we don’t have to marry achievement,” she said. “We can achieve our own.”

Stephen Vaisey, a professor of sociology at Duke University who was an interviewer for the NSYR when he was in graduate school, said he thought the study of Jewish girls was well designed and comprehensive. But it contrasted two very different groups: liberal Jews and often conservative Protestants. Had it included nonreligious as a comparison group, he said, the results may have looked different.

“If you took people with the same level of education and the same level of occupational prestige and compare Jewish and secular I wonder if you’d see a difference,” Vaisey said. “How much of this is about Judaism and how much about Christianity and traditional gender roles?”

All the girls in the NSYR study had what researchers described as a “moderate” level of Jewish engagement. They attended Hebrew school or perhaps a Jewish day school. They went to synagogue occasionally. Some belonged to a Jewish youth group.

But it was not Jewish teachings or any particular set of beliefs that necessarily contributed to their success so much as the stories they may have absorbed from their parents and grandparents at Shabbat dinners or bat mitzvah parties or at the Passover Seder about the accomplishments of their Jewish women ancestors, Horwitz said.

“Part of the narrative that Jewish adults convey to their children is that education helped Jews survive in Europe and eventually thrive in the United States,” according to the study.

Women are now much more likely to enroll in college than men. In 2020, just 41 percent of students enrolled in a postsecondary institution were men, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.

But Horwitz argues there is something about liberal Judaism that socializes girls to succeed academically and professionally.

“There’s an egalitarianism in Judaism where families teach their girls they can be anything they want to be,” Horwitz said. “They don’t want to do it by altruism, they want to do it by being prominent within. They want to be in the spotlight and make a difference in a loud way.”

— Religion News Service

[education30and40blog]

College graduate numbers decline for second year in a row

See on Scoop.it - Education 2.0 & 3.0

The latest report from America’s National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows a 2.8% decline in students graduating with a

[blogynewsz]

"Unlocking Relief: The Untold Power of Dual Enrollment Amidst Student Loan Crisis"

Dual enrollment programs, which allow high school students to take college-level courses, are growing in popularity. According to a recent report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, there has been a 12.8% increase in dual enrollment since 2022. One example of a successful dual enrollment program is Post University’s High School Academy in Waterbury, Connecticut. Since its…

[newstfionline]

Monday, May 22, 2023

A ‘Canadian Armageddon’ Sets Parts of Western Canada on Fire (NYT) As acrid smoke filled the air, turning the sky around her sleepy hometown, Fox Creek, Alberta, a garish blood orange, Nicole Clarke said she felt a sense of terror. With no time to collect family photographs, she grabbed her two young children, hopped into her pickup truck, and sped away, praying she wouldn’t drive into the blaze’s menacing path. “This feels like a Canadian Armageddon,” said Clarke. In a country revered for placid landscapes and predictability, weeks of out-of-control wildfires raging across western Canada have ushered in a potent sense of fear, threatening a region that is the epicenter of the country’s oil and gas sector. Roughly 29,000 people in Alberta have been forced from their homes by the recent bout of wildfires, though that number has been cut in half in recent days as fires subsided. The fires have produced such thick smoke that during recess, children in some towns have remained in their classrooms rather than risk smoke inhalation outside. Fires have broken out throughout western Canada, including British Columbia, but hardest hit has been neighboring Alberta, a proud oil and gas producing province sometimes referred to as “the Texas of the North,” which has declared a state of emergency. More than 94 active wildfires were burning as of Friday afternoon.

College is remade as tech majors surge and humanities dwindle (Washington Post) Two trends in higher education nationwide are colliding at the University of Maryland: booming enrollment in computer science and plummeting student demand for the humanities. Across the country, spring graduation season highlights the swiftly tilting academic landscape. Cap-and-gown roll-calls for computer science and other technology-centered disciplines are becoming ever lengthier, and for the humanities, ever shorter. The number of students nationwide seeking four-year degrees in computer and information sciences and related fields shot up 34 percent from 2017 to 2022, to about 573,000, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The English-major head count fell 23 percent in that time, to about 113,000. History fell 12 percent, to about 77,000. Computer science, a base for exploring artificial intelligence and other topics, is not the only hot subject these days. Data science has taken off over the past decade. So has nursing. Business, management and marketing have enduring appeal. In a time of economic upheaval, avoiding debt and landing a good job are top goals for many students. Value matters.

The 1% worldwide (Bloomberg) What does it mean to be part of the 1%? It depends on where you live: In Monaco it takes $12.4 million, while in the US $5.1 million will do. But in the Philippines, just $57,000 makes the cut. The new data underscore how the pandemic and surging living costs are widening the gap between rich and poor nations. Inside one of the richest nations, inequality reigns as well. About 38.5% of American adults struggle to just make ends meet each month. That’s up from 26.7% from the same period in 2021.

Attack on off-road vehicle event in Mexico leaves at least 10 dead (Washington Post) Gunmen on Saturday unleashed a barrage of bullets on participants in an off-roading event in the Mexican state of Baja California, leaving at least 10 people dead and at least nine injured, according to state officials and local media reports. Some authorities attributed the bloodshed to a fight between organized crime groups, but no group has claimed responsibility. The attack occurred after 2 p.m. Saturday in the town of San Vicente, near the coastal city of Ensenada. A late-model SUV pulled up to an area where vehicles had gathered for the two-day “Cachanillazo” meet-up ride and road show event, according to a report from the local public security office. Assailants with heavy weapons jumped out and began shooting into the parked vehicles, the statement said.

Volcanic ash from Popocatepetl temporarily shuts down Mexico City airports (AP) Mexico City's two main airports temporarily shut down operations on Saturday due to ash spewing from Popocatepetl volcano, located 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast of the country's capital. Volcanic ashes are especially dangerous for aviation, not only because they reduce visibility but because they can act as an abrasive, damaging an aircraft's wings and fuselage.

Greece votes in first election since international bailout spending controls ended (AP) Greeks were voting Sunday in the first election since their country’s economy ceased to be subject to strict supervision and control by international lenders who had provided bailout funds during its nearly decade-long financial crisis. The rising cost of living was at the forefront of many voters’ minds as they headed to polling centers set up in schools across the country. “Every year, instead of improving, things are getting worse,” said Athens resident Dimitris Hondrogiannis, 54, “Things are expensive. Every day, things are getting out of control. It’s enough to make you afraid to go to the supermarket to shop. We’ll see how things go.” The winner of Sunday’s election will have three days to negotiate a coalition with other parties. If that fails, the mandate to form a government passes to the second party and the process is repeated. But deep divisions between the two main parties and four smaller ones expected to enter parliament mean a coalition will be hard to come by, making a second election likely, probably on July 2.

Zelenskyy's globetrotting diplomacy leaves Putin looking increasingly isolated (Euronews) While the world awaits Ukraine's spring battlefield offensive, leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has launched a diplomatic one. In the span of a week, he's dashed to Italy, the Vatican, Germany, France and Britain to shore up support for defending his country. On Friday, he was in Saudi Arabia to meet with Arab leaders, some of whom are allies with Moscow. On Saturday, he was at the G7 conference in Japan. Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, was in the southern Russian city of Pyatigorsk, chairing a meeting with local officials. He has faced unprecedented international isolation, with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant hanging over his head and clouding the prospects of travelling to many destinations.

Ukraine found an unlikely tool to resist Russia: Solar panels (Washington Post) Russian airstrikes on Ukraine’s power grid plunged many parts of the country into darkness last fall, but one water company was able to keep its pumps going. Its field of solar panels, installed as an environmentally friendly measure before the war, turned into a tool to resist the Kremlin’s attacks. Now a growing number of Ukrainian hospitals, schools, police stations and other critical buildings are racing to install solar power ahead of what many expect will be another hard winter later this year. Seven months of Russian attacks on the energy grid have left it severely damaged. Ukrainian doctors, teachers and others have discovered that efforts to boost sustainability can also improve security by making it harder to knock power offline. “Before the war started, people were thinking just about the economics. Now it’s energy security,” said Dmytro Sakalyuk, who works on energy projects at Ecoclub Rivne, an environmental organization based in western Ukraine.

Syrians react as Assad is welcomed back to Arab fold (Washington Post) “The international community has failed us completely.” That was the assessment of Razan Saffour, 30, a British Syrian human rights activist who was among the many watching in disbelief and anger Friday as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was welcomed on an international stage—returning to the Arab League after an 11-year suspension. Although the league has limited political power, Assad’s attendance at the regional summit was a major symbolic triumph for the former political pariah, whose forces have been accused of using chemical weapons and targeting hospitals and civilian areas during a bloody civil war that has lasted more than a decade and is still ongoing. Persian Gulf nations were among those that had previously backed efforts to train and arm rebel factions seeking to overthrow Assad. However, Assad has since reclaimed control over much of the country with the help of Iran-backed militias and Russian air power, and some Arab countries have resumed diplomatic relations. For many Syrians affected by the conflict, Assad’s rehabilitation made them feel not only betrayed but also as if their suffering from the civil war had been erased from the region’s memory completely.

Mass looting engulfs Sudanese capital (Reuters) Mass looting by armed men and civilians is making life an even greater misery for Khartoum residents trapped by fierce fighting between Sudan’s army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), witnesses said. While the RSF dominates the capital on the ground and the army conducts frequent airstrikes, the witnesses said police had simply vanished from the streets when the fighting started in Khartoum on April 15. “Nobody protects us. No police. No state. The criminals are attacking our houses and taking everything we own,” said Sarah Abdelazim, 35, a government employee. As mayhem grips Khartoum, the army accuses the RSF of looting banks, gold markets, homes and vehicles. The RSF denies the charge and says some people wear RSF uniforms and steal to make them look bad. “We are now living in the devil’s city. People are looting everything and neither the army nor the RSF nor the police, none of them want to protect ordinary people. Where is the state?” said Mohamed Saleh, 39, a primary school teacher.

[indianhour]

New report finds increase in students with some college, no credential

The number of people who attended some college but never earned a credential is growing across the country, according to the latest “Some College, No Credential” report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The new progress report, released today, found that the population of learners who stopped out of college without completing rose 3.6 percent between July 2020 and July…

[xtruss]

US Community College Enrollment Down by Nearly 40 Percent in Decade

CG Building on the Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus — April 16th, 2023. CC BY-SA 3.0/Brian Adler/

Compared to the average tuition of $75,000 per year at other colleges, community college offers unmatched affordability. A student at a public two-year college pays an average of $3,860 per year, compared to $10,940 at a public university and $39,400 at a private four-year college.

Enrollment in community colleges has declined by nearly 40% since 2010. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the number of students enrolled in public two-year colleges fell from seven million in 2010 to 4.5 million in 2022.

The low tuition rate of community colleges has helped low-income students achieve their academic goals. Additionally, community college students enjoy a sense of community, with many first-generation, low-income students finding a supportive environment.

Miami Dade College in Florida charges local residents just $1,419 per semester, while Northern Virginia Community College charges $185.50 per credit hour to Virginia residents. These affordable prices have helped keep student debt low. Only 2% of the students served by Miami Dade College take on debt, and when they do, it's an average of $5,000.

Despite their reputation as an affordable degree for students who are unable to attend a four-year institution, community colleges have struggled with low graduation rates, with only 43% of students earning degrees within six years.

Andres Acosta, a graduate of Miami Dade College, said he "didn’t like the experience" at his school, citing a lack of teacher engagement and motivation among fellow students.

"Classes were easy to register for, and contacting advisement and setting up meetings were no real problem," said Acosta, adding, "it felt like a lot of teachers did not really care... the atmosphere is one that feels like no one really wants to be there, they’re just there."

Some students are now opting to skip community college altogether and enroll in four-year public colleges instead. Others are foregoing higher education altogether and opting for jobs that pay $15 to $20 an hour and require no degree.

While the decline in enrollment is concerning, some experts argue that the decline is not surprising given that community colleges were at peak attendance ten years ago during the Great Recession.

However, dual enrollment programs that allow high school students to take classes at local community colleges are growing. These programs are especially popular in rural areas, where they often account for half of community college headcounts. Community colleges also continue to enroll a more diverse student body, including older students, low-income students, working students, and those who are caring for family members.

— April 15, 2023, Sputnik, Egor Shapovalov

[quotesfrommyreading]

Colleges are now educating their first waves of students who experienced pandemic learning loss in high school. What they are seeing is sobering, especially because the latest dismal results from the national exam of fourth and eighth graders suggest that they could face year after year of incoming students struggling to catch up. In almost all states, there were significant declines in eighth-grade math, and most states also showed a dip in reading for fourth and eighth graders.

In interviews across the country, undergraduates discussed how their disjointed high school experiences have trailed them in their first years of college; some professors talked about how grades are down, as well as standards. Many students are tentative and anxious.

For many low-income students and students of color, who have historically faced bigger obstacles to earning a degree, classes seem to be that much harder and graduating that much tougher.

As it is, in many states, high school graduation rates fell for the class of 2021. And undergraduate enrollment has declined 4.2 percent since 2020, according to preliminary data published recently by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

Community colleges, facing precipitous drops among Black and Hispanic students, have struggled over the past two years to bring students back to the classroom.

The swirl of issues “all demonstrate that we’ve got a crisis,” said Stanley Litow, a visiting professor of public policy at Duke University and a former deputy chancellor of the New York City public schools.

It’s especially bad, he said, for low-income students and students of color. “The population that we’re most interested in doing the most for seems to be moving in the wrong direction,” he said.

  —  The Pandemic Generation Goes to College. It Has Not Been Easy.

[mintingprofit]

Tuition is high and enrollment is down, but here's why college could still be worth the investment

Tuition is high and enrollment is down, but here’s why college could still be worth the investment

This is reprinted by permission from .  The pandemic may no longer be closing down campuses, but college enrollment still hasn’t recovered. In fact, preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, or NSCRC, show that fall 2022 enrollment dropped even further from 2021 levels.  It was not the rebound many experts… #Tuition #high #enrollment #heres #college #worth…

[onlineeducation-india]

Online MBA Programs: The Pros and Cons

MBA programs can be found in many different formats, including online. While this may be a convenient option for some, there are both pros and cons to consider before enrolling in an online MBA program.

 

What is an online MBA program?

 An online MBA program is an MBA degree earned through an online education program. This type of program allows students to learn and complete coursework from the comfort of their own homes. Online MBA programs are often accredited, meaning the courses and degrees earned are recognized by employers and other universities.

 

1. Pros of online MBA programs

There are many pros to online MBA programs. The biggest pro is that you can complete the program from anywhere in the world. You do not need to physically be in a classroom to learn. This is great for those who are already working and have a busy lifestyle. You can take your coursework at your own pace and complete it when it is most convenient for you.

Another pro of online MBA programs is their affordability. In many cases, you can get a quality MBA education for a fraction of the cost of a traditional program. This is because you are not paying for the cost of on-campus housing and meals.

Finally, online MBA programs are accredited and have a good reputation. This means that you will be getting a quality education that will be respected by employers.

 

2. Cons of online MBA programs

There are several disadvantages to pursuing an online MBA program. First, online programs often have lower graduation rates than traditional programs. According to a study by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, only about 59% of students who enrolled in an online MBA program earned their degree within six years. This is likely due to the fact that online programs can be more challenging to complete than traditional programs, and many students find it difficult to balance work, family, and school responsibilities while enrolled in an online program.

Second, online MBA programs can be more expensive than traditional programs. While there are a few scholarships and grants available for online students, most online programs charge the same tuition rates as traditional programs. Additionally, many online programs require students to purchase their own textbooks and other course materials, which can add up to a significant amount of money.

Third, online MBA programs can be less prestigious than traditional programs. Many employers and recruiters view online MBA programs as less prestigious than traditional MBA programs, and this can be a major disadvantage when trying to find a job or advance your career.

 

3. Which type of MBA program is right for you?

There are many different types of MBA programs available, so it can be tough to decide which one is right for you. Here is a breakdown of the most common types of programs:

1. Traditional, two-year MBA programs

2. Executive MBA programs for experienced professionals

3. Part-time MBA programs for working professionals

4. Online MBA programs

Each type of program has its own unique benefits and drawbacks. It's important to consider your individual needs and goals when choosing a program.

If you're looking for a traditional, two-year MBA program, you'll get a well-rounded business education in a classroom setting. These programs are often expensive, but they offer the opportunity to network with other business professionals.

Executive MBA programs are designed for experienced professionals who want to continue working while they study. These programs typically last for 18-24 months and offer a more specialized curriculum.

Part-time MBA programs are great for working professionals who want to continue working while they study. These programs usually last for two to three years and offer a more flexible curriculum than traditional MBA programs.

Online MBA programs are a great option for students who want to study from home. These programs offer a flexible curriculum and the opportunity to network with other online students. However, they can be more expensive than traditional MBA programs.

 

4. How to choose an online MBA program

  There are a lot of online MBA programs to choose from. How do you choose the best one for you?

First, consider your goals for getting an MBA. What do you hope to accomplish? Then, research the different programs and find one that matches your goals.

Next, consider the cost. How much can you afford to pay? Be sure to factor in the cost of living in the area where the program is located.

Finally, look at the school's accreditation. Make sure the program is accredited by a respected organization. This will ensure that you receive a quality education.

 

5. The benefits of completing an online MBA program

  An online MBA program offers many benefits for students. Perhaps the most obvious benefit is the convenience of completing the program from home. Students do not need to commute to a physical campus, and they can study at their own pace. This flexibility can be especially helpful for working professionals who need to balance their work and personal lives with their academic responsibilities.

Another major benefit of online MBA programs is the affordable tuition rates. In many cases, online programs are cheaper than traditional programs. This is because online programs typically do not require students to pay for room and board, and they often have lower tuition rates.

Another benefit of online MBA programs is the opportunity to network with other professionals. Many online programs offer forums and discussion boards where students can connect with one another. This can be a valuable networking opportunity for students who are looking for jobs or internships.

Overall, there are many benefits to completing an online MBA program. These benefits include convenience, affordability, and the opportunity to network with other professionals.

Overall, the pros of online MBA programs seem to outweigh the cons. However, it is important to carefully consider all aspects of the program before enrolling to ensure it is the right fit for your individual needs and goals.

[gettothestabbing]

Figures from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center show that first-year students have enrolled in college at a 16% lower rate than first-years in 2019. This group of students accounts for 69% of the total decline in the national undergraduate enrollment rate, a figure that currently stands at a 4% decline.

The data also show that community colleges have been particularly affected by the decline, experiencing a roughly 23% drop in enrollment among first-year students over last year, a time when those colleges showed a 1.4% increase in enrollment. Total enrollment is down at community colleges by 9.4% over last year.

Doug Shapiro, executive director of the center, told The New York Times in an interview that community college enrollment during the Great Recession actually increased, and called the declining rate in the 2020 enrollment data “staggering.”. . .

While 6.4% of the decline in undergraduate students attending universities is among men, the number of women seeking undergraduate degrees dropped by only 2.2%.

On the other hand, the number of undergraduate students attending online colleges and universities — institutions where over 90% of students were enrolled exclusively online prior to the pandemic — has actually increased by 6.8%. Online schools also saw a 26.3% increase in students between the ages of 21 and 24 pursuing graduate degrees, which could perhaps be attributed to the job market. Back in 2019, this demographic only increased its graduate degree enrollment by 4.3%.

[reportwire]

College Enrollment Is Down: Should You Still Go? - NerdWallet

College Enrollment Is Down: Should You Still Go? – NerdWallet

The pandemic may no longer be closing down campuses, but college enrollment still hasn’t recovered. In fact, preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, or NSCRC, show that fall 2022 enrollment dropped even further from 2021 levels.  It was not the rebound many experts expected. “Of high school graduates who didn’t enroll in their first fall 2020 and didn’t enroll…

[education30and40blog]

Undergraduate credentials earned hit four-year low in 2021-22 academic year

See on Scoop.it - Education 2.0 & 3.0

The drop stemmed from a loss of first-time graduates, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found.

[foreverlogical]

Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2021 fell 3.1% over the last year, or by approximately 465,300 students, compared with the previous year, according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

Why it matters: College enrollment has been on the decline for nearly a decade, but the pandemic is accelerating the trend, raising concerns about a possible generational shift in attitudes about higher education.

By the numbers: Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a 6.6% — more than 1 million students — decline in undergraduate enrollment, per the report.

Public two-year colleges remain the hardest hit sector since the pandemic began, with a 13.2% drop since 2019.

Students seeking associated degrees dropped sharply, with enrollment falling 6.2% this year and 14.1% over the last two years.

Freshman enrollment stabilized in fall 2021 after seeing a sharp decline in 2020. Still, enrollment among first-year students remains 9.2% lower than pre-pandemic levels.

Enrollment in each of the five largest majors — business, health, liberal arts, biology and engineering — fell sharply this year, with liberal arts declining the most, with a 7.6% drop.

Graduate student enrollment dropped 0.4%, or 10,800 students.

The big picture: While college enrollment has plummeted throughout the pandemic, it had been on a downward trajectory since 2012.

That's driven in part by changing demographic patterns that mean fewer college-age adults.

What they're saying: "Our final look at fall 2021 enrollment shows undergraduates continuing to sit out in droves as colleges navigate yet another year of COVID-19," Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, said in a statement.

"Without a dramatic re-engagement in their education, the potential loss to these students’ earnings and futures is significant, which will greatly impact the nation as a whole in years to come."

Go deeper: The swoon in college enrollment

[newstfionline]

Friday, May 27, 2022

A move toward less interdependence and more uncertainty (Gazeta Wyborcza/Poland) For half a century, the grand strategy of the democratic and capitalist West against competing systems has been to build bridges and create interdependence. Russia sells us raw materials, and we sell them machines. We have the technologies and the Chinese have the factories. That created global supply chains. There are parts in the Airbus A380 that come from 40 different countries. COVID-19 vaccine components are supplied by nearly 100 companies from every continent except Antarctica. Now sanctions are blowing up those bridges built over the years. In the West, there is nothing not only for Russian and Belarusian politicians and oligarchs, but also for sportsmen and artists. The EU’s Territorial Agenda 2030 calls for the repatriation of factories from Asia to Europe. Fuels from Russia are to be replaced in the EU by green energy and nuclear power. Eighty-five percent of Europeans and almost all governments want this. When Russia prevented the export of Ukrainian grain, everyone started looking for food self-sufficiency. We had gotten accustomed to living in a world that has become increasingly connected. Now the world is disconnecting. China’s New Silk Road is collapsing in Asia and Africa, where its infrastructure is going bankrupt. The winds are changing, affecting our lives to a broader extent than we can even grasp today.

College Enrollment Drops, Even as the Pandemic’s Effects Ebb (NYT) The ongoing enrollment crisis at U.S. colleges and universities deepened in spring 2022, raising concerns that a fundamental shift is taking place in attitudes toward the value of a college degree—even as the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted operations for higher education. The latest college enrollment figures released on Thursday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center indicated that 662,000 fewer students enrolled in undergraduate programs in spring 2022 than a year earlier, a decline of 4.7 percent. Graduate and professional student enrollment, which had been a bright spot during the pandemic, also declined 1 percent from last year. Doug Shapiro, the center’s executive director, noted small gains in first-year, first-time students. However, he suggested that the numbers and the breadth of the declines indicate an underlying change, as students question whether college is the ticket to the middle class and a good-paying job. “That suggests it’s more than just the pandemic to me; it’s more than just low-income communities that are primarily served by community colleges,” Dr. Shapiro said during a conference call with reporters. “It suggests that there’s a broader question about the value of college and particularly concerns about student debt and paying for college and potential labor market returns.” Prospective college students may be weighing the relative value of jobs that require or expect a college degree against equally attractive opportunities that do not, he said.

U.K. ‘Partygate’ report blames No. 10 for boozy lockdown parties (Washington Post) A long-awaited internal investigation squarely blamed the top leadership in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government for lockdown-breaking parties in and around Downing Street, including a string of bashes with “excessive alcohol consumption.” Senior civil servant Sue Gray’s report, released Wednesday, offered striking details of the culture of work and play within Johnson’s government in periods when covid restrictions limited mixing between households and kept people from visiting nursing homes or attending funerals. While pubs across Britain were closed for business, the report suggests Downing Street served as a kind of after-hours joint for staffers, with some parties going until nearly dawn. The 59-page report covered 16 gatherings—held between May 15, 2020, and April 16, 2021—at the prime minister’s Downing Street office, his official residence upstairs or the nearby cabinet office. “Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen,” the report concluded. Gray wrote: “The senior leadership at the center, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture.” She added that some of the more junior civil servants “believed that their involvement in some of these events was permitted given the attendance of senior leaders.”

Russia slams sanctions, seeks to blame West for food crisis (AP) Moscow pressed the West on Thursday to lift sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, seeking to shift the blame for a growing food crisis that has been worsened by Kyiv’s inability to ship millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products due to the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tried to put the blame squarely on the sanctions. “We accuse Western countries of taking a series of unlawful actions that has led to the blockade,” he said in a call with reporters. Russia also is a significant grain exporter, and Peskov said the West “must cancel the unlawful decisions that hamper chartering ships and exporting grain.” Britain immediately accused Russia of “trying to hold the world to ransom,” insisting there would be no sanctions relief, and a top U.S. diplomat blasted the “sheer barbarity, sadistic cruelty and lawlessness” of the invasion.

Russians look to Iran for lessons on life under long-term sanctions (Washington Post) Independent Russian journalist Alexey Pivovarov wondered what life under years of economic sanctions could come to look like. So he went to Iran to find out. He found sky-high inflation, a bewildering system of multiple exchange rates, an expansive black market and entrepreneurs developing apps and alternatives for nearly everything. The resulting 80-minute episode for his Russian YouTube channel, Redaktsiya, posted last month, racking up more than 8.3 million views. It’s not hard to see why Russians are interested: In a matter of months, Russia has outstripped Iran as the country under the most sanctions. Moscow appears to be on track to keep that title, barring any radical change in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. “The question is not whether one can survive under sanctions for long. Of course, one can!” Pivovarov told his Russian-speaking audience. There are ways around sanctions. Governments and their cronies create front companies to obtain and trade goods, use criminal groups as middlemen and money launderers, and transfer embargoed oil off-the-grid. Iran has perfected the art: Oil tankers meet on the high seas, where other countries are loath to intervene, turn off their tracking radar, transfer Iranian oil and cover their tracks. In early May, Iran said it had doubled its oil exports since August. “History tells us that [Russia] will likely bend and find ways around those sanctions and learn to live with them,” one analyst said. “Iran is a perfect example of that.”

Russia takes steps to bolster army, tighten grip on Ukraine (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an order Wednesday to fast track Russian citizenship for residents of parts of southern Ukraine largely held by his forces, while lawmakers in Moscow passed a bill to strengthen the stretched Russian army. Putin’s decree applying to the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions could allow Russia to strengthen its hold on territory that lies between eastern Ukraine, where Moscow-backed separatists occupy some areas, and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014. The Russian army is engaged in an intense battle for Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, known as the Donbas. In a sign that the Kremlin is trying to bolster its stretched military machine, Russian lawmakers agreed to scrap the age limit of 40 for those signing their first voluntary military contracts. A description of the bill on the parliament website indicated older recruits would be allowed to operate precision weapons or serve in engineering or medical positions.

Problems in Pakistan (Reuters) Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Imran Khan disbanded a protest march by supporters earlier today after clashes with police outside parliament the previous evening, but he warned that they would return unless an election was called within six days. Khan has said that the confidence vote that toppled him and ushered in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shabhaz Sharif last month was the result of a U.S. conspiracy, and he is demanding a fresh election to show he has national support. “I’m giving you six days. You announce elections in six days,” Khan said from atop a truck after he and thousands of his supporters reached Islamabad, adding that the parliament should be dissolved to hold the fresh elections in June. He warned the government that he will march on the capital again if it didn’t meet the demands.

Hemmed in by COVID curbs, Beijingers seek respite in urban outdoors (Reuters) On a hot, sunny day, children and adults splashed in the cool run-off of the Yongding River in a park on the western outskirts of Beijing, a city under near-lockdown in China’s head-on battle with COVID-19. While gatherings are discouraged and many parks in the sprawling city of 22 million are shut, Beijingers—like others across China with limited travel options—have taken up outdoor pursuits such as camping and picnicking after more than two years of strict and often claustrophobic pandemic curbs. Li Xiaoming, manager of Sanfo Outdoor, the largest outdoor equipment store in west Beijing, told Reuters sales of camping products had quadrupled from a year earlier since the Tomb Sweeping holiday in early April. Customers, typically middle class urbanites, snap up camp chairs, canopies and tents, Li said. Near the banks of the Yongding, high school student Huang Xiaowen played guitar and sang as she and two friends sat on a plaid picnic cloth before getting up to play volleyball. Huang, whose classes have moved online, said she often visits the park on weekends to relax with her classmates to escape hemmed-in city quarters and enjoy the quiet. “Camping makes everyone relax a little bit.”

China pushes Pacific deal (AP) China is trying to get 10 small Pacific nations to endorse a sweeping agreement covering everything from security to fisheries in what one leader warns is a "game-changing" bid to take control of the region. A draft of the agreement shows that China wants to train Pacific police officers, team up on "traditional and non-traditional security," and expand law enforcement cooperation. It also wants to jointly develop a marine plan for fisheries (which would include the Pacific's lucrative tuna catch), increase cooperation on running the region's internet networks, and set up cultural Confucius Institutes and classrooms. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price warned China "has a pattern of offering shadowy, vague deals with little transparency or regional consultation in areas related to fishing, related to resource management, development, development assistance and more recently even security practices." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a 20-person delegation began a visit to the region this week.

CNN alleges reporter was shot by Israeli forces (Bloomberg) Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist and American citizen who had covered the conflict in the Occupied Territories for decades, may have been intentionally killed by Israeli forces on the morning of May 11, according to an investigation by CNN. Abu Akleh, 51, wearing a bright blue flak jacket and helmet, both labeled press, was shot in the head. CNN said it reviewed almost a dozen videos of the attack as part of its investigation. Israel, which denied the report’s allegation, has yet to open a criminal probe of her murder. Members of the US Congress have urged the Biden administration to independently investigate the American’s killing.