Today's Students, Tomorrow's Talent

Hundreds of colleges have closed or consolidated in recent years, including public and private, nonprofit and for-profit schools across the country.  These closures impact students, faculty, staff, communities, and our nation, especially when poorly managed.  In part one of our two-part series, we explore how one college closure left Unique Johnson with debt and no prospects of continuing her educ...

Our guests Scott Jenkins and Jesse O'Connell give a coast-to-coast roundup on politics and postsecondary policy.  Join us as we discuss which federal and state leaders to keep an eye on, how political party shifts may impact legislation and regulation, and what to expect from the 2020 election.  Scott Jenkins is Strategy Director for State Policy at Lumina Foundation. Jesse O'Connell is Strategy D...

As of 2016, the Latino population in the United States has reached nearly 58 million people.  Latinos now account for 18% of the population and are the second-largest racial or ethnic group in the United States. We have dedicated today's show to talk about those colleges and universities that are serving Hispanic students.  Known as Hispanic Serving Institutions, we explore what they are, how they...

The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world with more than 2 million Americans incarcerated at any point in time.   Each year, our prison system releases nearly 600,000 individuals back to their families and communities. Our guests today are focused on ensuring that all those impacted by incarceration – the individual, family, community, and America broadly – have the supp...

Across the country, leaders in education are working to make college accessible and affordable—not only for traditional students but for adults who want to go back to school to complete the degrees that in many cases they started years ago. Join us as we talk with Dr. Shanna Jackson, president of Nashville State Community College, Dr. Rachelle Sharpe, deputy director of the Washington Student Achi...

For many, the speed of change in academia is too slow, and the process too exclusionary.  Students themselves are often left out of these important conversations - that is until they insert themselves through organizing and advocacy to make sure their voices are heard. Our guests today are no strangers to inserting student voice into important policy and practice decisions. Through their efforts,...

Over 30 million working-age adults lack a high school diploma. There are few employment opportunities in today's economy for these Americans as most jobs require some kind of education or training after high school, there are even fewer pathways for adults who were failed by the K-12 system to earn their high school diploma, let alone a postsecondary credential. The Goodwill Excel Centers are chan...

There are 1,200 majority-black places in the United States.  Each community has economic, social, and political strength, yet lacks investments commensurate with its assets. Dr. Andre Perry, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, explains that it is not talent the prevents black communities from thriving; It's inequity.