Hi all,
You may have heard the term “enrollment cliff” in conversations about higher education — and if you haven’t, you will soon. This week, The Hechinger Report brings you the latest information on colleges that have already shut down due to falling enrollment. In the first nine months of 2024, 28 degree-granting institutions closed, compared with 15 in all of 2023 — information we’ll continue to update because it affects everything from the health of colleges to the future of our workforce, no matter who is elected president next month.
The election, of course, is top of mind for us as well, even though the candidates haven’t said much about education. Follow our coverage of what we know about where the candidates stand here, along with some surprising ways in which other election-year issues connect to the classroom. I’ll be moderating a remote discussion of election issues on Wednesday night, if you want to listen in.
In a similar vein, The Hechinger Report is taking a closer look at the lack of civics education in the U.S. We’ve found that students really want more of it, but educators are often fearful to teach it because social issues have become so divisive in our country — and, we haven’t made civics instruction a priority. As always, we welcome your thoughts.
Liz Willen, Editor
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 Main Idea |
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More colleges are shutting down as enrollment drops. Find out which institutions have closed.
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Lessons in Civics
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The Hechinger Report and Retro Report partnered to produce work about how students are participating in civic life and how they are being taught the significance of that activity.
Fear of controversy has fueled huge gaps in what students are taught, threatening the future of our democracy
Young people are the future of America, if they can hear their call to craft it
In our divided country, a staggering number of Americans struggle to grasp the fundamentals of our political system
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Reading List
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Pell Grant graduation rates are notoriously low, but a handful of universities have found keys to keeping these students on track
Norway wants a joyful childhood to be the norm. Child care is part of that plan
Credit environmentally conscious students — and a handful of state funding programs
Annual funding is $250 million less than what was promised, leaving campuses with outdated curricula, too few instructors and crumbling facilities
No other students should have to go through what I did when moving on to a four-year institution
The opportunity to learn basic data skills should not be reserved for a select group of students
⭐ Extra credit! You are allowed to repost or reprint our stories as long as you follow these guidelines. Questions? Email [email protected].
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Listen Up
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Presidents of colleges and universities serve for less than six years on average. For women and people of color, that tenure is even shorter – a full year shorter. So what’s going on?
College campuses have become battlegrounds in America’s culture wars, with diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the center of the debate. In at least 20 states, Republican lawmakers are pushing to limit or even ban DEI initiatives at public universities.
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