Tag: Student

  • Lerner Publishing Group Launches Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s Genius and Joy Curriculum

    Lerner Publishing Group Launches Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s Genius and Joy Curriculum

    MINNEAPOLIS, MN—Lerner Publishing Group, a leading publisher of K-12 educational materials, is proud to announce the launch of Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s groundbreaking Genius and Joy curriculum in Summer 2026. This new, all-in-one supplemental curriculum for Grades K–5 is grounded in Dr. Muhammad’s Five Pursuits Framework, a research-based educational model that enhances student engagement and intellectual growth.

    Within her research and scholarship in literacy development, English education and writing instruction, and culturally responsive pedagogies, Dr. Muhammad posed the question, “What if the purpose of schools and curriculum was to recognize and elevate the genius and joy of teachers and students?” The result is the Genius and Joy curriculum. This innovative curriculum prioritizes academic rigor by developing literacy skills, building subject area knowledge and centering students’ learning experience on joy. The curriculum is deep in content and thought while also practical and easy for teachers to use.

    Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s Five Pursuits framework of Identity, Skills, Intellect, Criticality, and Joy is a research-based instructional approach that enhances student engagement and achievement by focusing on literacy, identity development, and historical awareness. Its impact is evident in the Lemon Grove School District in California, where implementation of the framework has led to measurable gains: Black and African American students have consistently increased their academic achievement, even surpassing the overall student population in English Language Arts proficiency. Additionally, Multilingual Learners (MLLs) in the district have experienced a tripling in reclassification rates, reflecting the effectiveness of equity-centered, data-informed practices that align with the framework’s core tenets. Schools and districts across forty-three states have implemented the Five Pursuits Framework into their instructional practices, and have been clamoring for an official curriculum.

    “I wanted teachers to see curriculum as the stories we teach and tell, as the world around us, and as the legacy that we leave in the lives of our children,” said Dr. Gholdy Muhammad. “It is my hope that this curriculum is a genius and joy experience for youth and teachers alike. We all deserve a comprehensive curricular experience.”

    The Genius and Joy Curriculum

    • Celebrates Joy in Teaching and Learning: The Genius and Joy Curriculum provides easy-to-implement approaches and strategies that include space within the learning experience where students can live out and discover their fullest potential. Joy is a safe and creative space to be free—free to learn, free to dream, and free to be.
    • Recognizes the Genius Within Every Child: Through powerful stories and dynamic activities, every lesson is designed to spark curiosity, encourage inquiry, and build students’ confidence in their own unique brilliance.
    • Elevates Learning Through the Five Pursuits: Through innovative pedagogy, students explore more than simple skill building. The five pursuits—identity, skills, intellect, criticality, and joy—of the HILL model are intended to teach the whole student and honor the goals of genius and joy.

    “We know that true learning happens when students see themselves in the material, feel their voices are valued, and are encouraged to think critically about the world around them,” said Adam Lerner, Publisher and CEO of Lerner Publishing Group. “We are proud to partner with Dr. Gholdy Muhammad on Genius and Joy to create an environment where students can not only excel academically, but also engage with Lerner’s award-winning books in ways that help them grow as whole individuals.”

    Genius and Joy will be available for purchase through Lerner Publishing Group starting Summer 2026. The curriculum will be accompanied by professional development resources to help educators implement the framework effectively, ensuring that the values of joy and academic excellence reach students in classrooms across the country.

    For more information about Genius and Joy visit geniusandjoycurriculum.com.

    Click here to watch Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s webinar Celebrate the Genius and Joy of Every Student in Your Classroom.

    About Dr. Gholdy Muhammad
    Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad is the John Corbally Endowed Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has previously served as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, school district administrator, curriculum director, and school board president. She studies Black historical excellence in education, intending to reframe curriculum and instruction today. Dr. Muhammad’s scholarship has appeared in leading academic journals and books. She has also received numerous national awards and is the author of the best-selling books, Cultivating Genius and Unearthing Joy. She also co-authored the book, Black Girls’ Literacies. Her Culturally and Historically Responsive Education Model has been adopted across thousands of U.S. schools and districts across Canada. In 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, she was named among the top 1% Edu-Scholar Public Influencers due to her impact on policy and practice. She has led a federal grant with the United States Department of Education to study culturally and historically responsive literacy in STEM classrooms. In the fall of 2026, her first curriculum, entitledGenius and Joy, will be available to schools and educators.

    About Lerner Publishing Group™Lerner Publishing Group™ creates high-quality fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults. Founded in 1959, Lerner Publishing Group is one of the nation’s largest independent children’s book publishers with seventeen imprints and divisions: Carolrhoda Books®, Carolrhoda Lab®, Darby Creek™, ediciones Lerner, First Avenue Editions™, Gecko Press™, Graphic Universe™, Kar-Ben Publishing®, Lerner Publications, LernerClassroom™, Lerner Digital™, Millbrook Press™, Soaring Kite Books, Sundance Newbridge, Twenty-First Century Books™, Zest Books™, and Lerner Publisher Services™. For more information, visit www.lernerbooks.com or call 800-328-4929.                                  

    eSchool News Staff
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  • Survey Warns of Student Debt “Default Cliff”

    Survey Warns of Student Debt “Default Cliff”

    A new survey of federal student loan borrowers by the Institute for College Access and Success, a nonprofit focused on college affordability, found that about a fifth of borrowers are currently in either delinquency or default.

    “These findings bring even greater urgency to ongoing concerns about a looming ‘default cliff,’ where an unprecedented number of borrowers struggle so much to repay their loans that they default on their payments in droves,” Michele Zampini, TICAS’s associate vice president for federal policy and advocacy, wrote in a blog post.

    The Department of Education itself acknowledged a potential default cliff in an August data release, Zampini noted, writing that, although no new borrowers had defaulted since payments were paused in March 2020, many delinquent borrowers were in danger of defaulting after that pause ended.

    Zampini also wrote that student loan default “comes with severe and punitive consequences.”

    Just over half of respondents (52 percent) said their debt has negatively affected their ability to save for retirement, and 45 percent said the same about their ability to find and afford housing. Slightly fewer participants said that their student loan debt was “worth it”—41 percent—than said it wasn’t, at 48 percent. Advanced degree holders were more likely to consider their debt “worth it” than those with an associate or bachelor’s degree, as were male borrowers compared to female borrowers.

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  • Defining quality is a thorny problem, but we shouldn’t shy away from the Government’s intention to make sure every student gets the best deal

    Defining quality is a thorny problem, but we shouldn’t shy away from the Government’s intention to make sure every student gets the best deal

    Join HEPI for a webinar on Thursday 11 December 2025 from 10am to 11am to discuss how universities can strengthen the student voice in governance to mark the launch of our upcoming report, Rethinking the Student Voice. Sign up now to hear our speakers explore the key questions.

    This blog is kindly authored by Meg Haskins, Policy Manager at the Russell Group.

    You can read HEPI’s other blog on the current OfS consultation here and here.

    Quality is one of the most frequently used, yet least clearly defined, concepts in higher education. For decades, debates have rumbled on about how best to measure it, and yet the term continues to be used liberally and often vaguely. From university marketing promising a “high-quality student experience” to political critiques of so-called “Mickey Mouse courses,” the term is everywhere – but its precise meaning remains elusive.

    Quality matters: to students making significant financial and personal investments; to staff who take pride in their teaching and research; to funders and policymakers; and to the UK’s global reputation. If we’re asking students to take out significant loans and trust that higher education will act as a springboard into their futures, we must not only deliver quality but also demonstrate it clearly, transparently and in ways that support ongoing improvement.

    The OfS consultation is the sector’s golden opportunity to define how this is done.

    The Russell Group supports a more integrated and streamlined quality assessment system – one that reduces duplication, improves clarity and actively supports efforts to enhance quality further. But integration must not come at the expense of flexibility within the model. The system needs to make space for narrative contextualisation rather than reductive judgements.

    Heavy reliance on benchmarking is particularly concerning. It risks disadvantaging institutions with a historically strong absolute performance and limiting meaningful differentiation. To ensure fairness, absolute values must carry greater weight, and there should be transparency on benchmark thresholds and definitions of “material” deviation, especially outcomes which will have regulatory and funding consequences.

    So far, ministers have been light on detail about what change they’re actually expecting to see on quality assurance. Ideas of linking quality measures to recruitment numbers or fee levels have caused concern, which is understandable given that the system for measuring quality is untested. But we shouldn’t fear greater scrutiny. Students, taxpayers and the public deserve clarity about what quality looks like in real terms – and reassurance that it is being delivered at a high level and consistently.

    Demonstrating quality is something Russell Group universities have always taken seriously, and is now under increasing public scrutiny in the face of rhetoric from certain political quarters about “rip-off degrees”. As such, our universities have taken steps to measure and robustly evidence the quality of our provision. Beyond regulatory metrics, graduate outcomes surveys, the TEF and professional body accreditations, our universities embed quality assurance through multiple levels of governance, including academic boards and senates, independent audits, annual and periodic module and programme reviews, and student feedback mechanisms. This has led to continuous improvement and enhancement of quality at our universities, reflected in the strength of their outcomes.

    Crucially, high quality is not about selectivity or league tables. The Secretary of State is rightly clear in her ambition for all young people to have a wide range of excellent options across different institutions, levels and qualification types. But this choice needs to go hand-in-hand with quality, which is why we need baseline expectations across all institutions and swift regulatory action where these standards aren’t met.

    If the sector embraces greater scrutiny in this way, then metrics must be robust, transparent and fair. Streamlining and clarifying processes should reduce duplication and burden, while maintaining a strong focus on enhancement.

    The regulator has both carrots and sticks at its disposal. While it is positive to see an intention to reward high-quality provision, benchmarking that obscures excellence could inadvertently punish those delivering the strongest outcomes – surely not the government’s intention.

    Particularly worrying is the idea that the OfS could start deriving overall ratings from a lower individual aspect rating. This compresses results and risks obscuring examples of high-quality provision, adding little value for students. Even more concerning is the proposal to reclassify the Bronze ratings as a trigger for regulatory intervention. This could redefine the baseline for compliance as a form of failure in quality, and blur the line between judgements of excellence and regulatory compliance – a muddled message for providers and confusing for students.

    Ultimately, the goal must be a more outward-facing quality model – one that strengthens public and ministerial trust, reinforces the UK’s global credibility, and upholds the reputation for excellence that underpins our higher education sector.

    By positioning higher tuition fees as one side of a “deal,” the Government is challenging the sector to demonstrate, clearly and confidently, that students are receiving both a high-quality experience and high-quality outcomes in return. That deal will only be credible if quality is defined fairly, measured transparently, and assessed in ways that support enhancement as well as accountability.

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  • Teaching might be synchronous, but learning is always happening asynchronously

    Teaching might be synchronous, but learning is always happening asynchronously

    Key points:

    The bell rings at 10:00 a.m. A teacher begins explaining quadratic equations. Some students lean forward, pencils ready. Others stare at the clock. A few are still turning yesterday’s lesson over in their minds. On the surface, it’s a standard, well‑planned class period. But here’s the catch: Learning doesn’t always happen on schedule.

    Think about your own class last week. Did every student learn exactly what you were teaching? Or did some of them circle back a day or two later with new questions, fresh insights, or sudden understanding?

    Across the country, laws and regulations attempt to define and balance synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Some states fund schools based on seat time, measuring how long students sit in classrooms or log into live online sessions. Here in Indiana, recent legislation even limits the number of e‑learning days that can be asynchronous, as if too many days without live teaching would somehow shortchange students. These rules were written with the best of intentions–ensuring students are engaged, teachers are available, and learning doesn’t slip through the cracks.

    Over time, “asynchronous instruction” has picked up a troubling reputation, often equated with the idea of no teaching at all–just kids simply poking through a computer on their own. But the truth is far more nuanced. The work of teaching is so difficult precisely because all learning is, at its core, asynchronous. The best teachers understand the enormous variance in readiness within any group of students. They know some learners grasp a concept immediately while others need more time, multiple exposures, or a completely different entry point. Giving them space beyond the live moment is often exactly what allows learning to take hold.

    Devoting resources to well-designed asynchronous learning, such as recorded lectures available for rewatch, self-paced learning modules, project-based activities, and educational games, allows students to immerse themselves in instructional materials and gain a better understanding of content on their terms. Instead of helping students catch up during class time, teachers can focus on whole-group instruction and a deeper analysis of curriculum content.

    When we’re measuring butts in seats or time in front of a screen with an instructor on the other end, live, we’re measuring what’s easy to measure, not what’s important. Real student engagement happens in the head of the learner, and that is far harder to quantify.

    That’s why I can’t help but wonder if some of these mandates, while well‑intentioned, actually get in the way of real learning, pushing schools to comply with a regulation rather than focus on the conditions that actually help students grow.

    What if, instead of focusing so much on the ratio of synchronous to asynchronous minutes, we asked a better question: Are students being given the time, space, and support to truly learn? Are we creating systems that allow them to circle back and show growth when they’re ready, not just when the bell rings? As an administrator, I know our district is still figuring out the complexities of putting these goals into practice.

    Instead of tying funding and accountability to time in a seat, imagine tying it to evidence of growth. Imagine policies that encourage schools to document when and how students show understanding, no matter when it happens. Imagine giving educators the freedom to design opportunities for students to revisit, rethink, and re‑engage until the learning truly sticks.

    The teaching might be synchronous. But the learning is always happening asynchronously, and if we can shift our policies, practices, and mindsets to honor that truth, we can move beyond compliance and toward classrooms where students have every chance to succeed.

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  • The Higher Education Inquirer is requesting all emails from the US Department of Education regarding selling off the student loan portfolio.

    The Higher Education Inquirer is requesting all emails from the US Department of Education regarding selling off the student loan portfolio.







    Higher Education Inquirer : The Higher Education Inquirer is requesting all emails from the US Department of Education regarding selling off the student loan portfolio.




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  • How to Find a Cosigner for a Student Loan

    How to Find a Cosigner for a Student Loan

     

    If you applied for a private student loan and were notified that you need to apply with a cosigner, you’re not alone. Over 90% of private student loans include a cosigner, which is an individual — usually a parent or guardian — who is willing to take equal responsibility for the loan alongside you, the primary borrower.

    Why do I need a cosigner?

    To assess your ability to repay your student loan, private lenders typically require a credit and income check. Given that most student loan borrowers are fresh out of high school or in their early twenties, many do not have sufficient credit history, or if they do, their credit score is low.

    Credit history is built over time through credit cards, mortgages, car loans, etc., and many students have not yet encountered these responsibilities. As a result, student borrowers are often prompted to apply with a cosigner, who has an established income and a history of repaying debts on time.

    Who can be a cosigner?

    When considering who can cosign your loan, the most important trait is reliability and good credit. This will not only help you secure your loan, but possibly lower your interest rate, as well.

    A lower interest rate can make a big difference in the amount of money you’ll owe, overall.

    How can I find a cosigner?

    When thinking about how to find a cosigner, consider this question: “Who do I know will be sitting at my graduation, cheering me on as I walk across the stage to receive my diploma?”

    By starting here, you will identify individuals who are invested in your success and achievement. Parents and guardians are a great place to start. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, or older siblings can also be good options.

    Once you identify the person who can be a cosigner, gather and organize all of the information about the loan in preparation for any questions your cosigner might have.

    Here are a few they might ask:

    • Why are you applying for this loan?
    • How much are you applying for?
    • Who is the lender?
    • Why do you need a cosigner?

    When approaching someone to cosign your loan, be sure to communicate that you intend to be trustworthy and repay your loan on time. Your cosigner is equally responsible for your loan, so any missed payments by you will also negatively affect their credit history.

    If they ask why you’re applying for this loan, it would be a good idea to show them your school of choice, the cost of attendance, and any other financial aid you’ve already received, and the remaining balance you need the loan to cover. This will keep your cosigner informed and will help them understand why the loan is necessary. Opening up about your finances to a person you trust could be helpful — they may be able to offer advice on how to best navigate repaying the loan and life beyond college.

    At College Ave, we can provide you with an email that you can send directly to your cosigner. This email contains useful information about applying for a student loan as a cosigner, but we recommend first having an in-person discussion with the individual you plan to ask.

    Why Undergraduates and Graduates May Need Cosigners

    Private lenders, like College Ave, rely on credit scores, proof of income, repayment history, and other factors to determine whether a borrower is eligible for a loan and will be able to repay it.

    Undergraduate students usually have little to no credit history and limited income. This makes it hard for a lender to assess if they’ll be able to repay their loan on their own. A cosigner can improve odds of getting an application approved, secure a lower interest rate, and more favorable terms. Cosigning a loan also enables the undergrad to establish and build their credit history.

    Graduate students may also need or want a cosigner to secure a private student loan for the same reasons listed above — improved approval odds, favorable rates and terms, etc. Though graduate students are older, they may still have limited credit and/or high existing debt from undergrad loans or other living expenses.

    Remember, you might need a cosigner for other things too—like renting an apartment. That same person could be a great option to help cosign your undergraduate or graduate private student loan.

    How do I know if my cosigner will qualify?

    At College Ave, we offer a credit pre-qualification tool that will tell you if your credit qualifies for a loan and what interest rates you can expect. This can be filled out prior to applying. After asking your cosigner, it is a good idea to have that individual use the pre-qualification tool, too, to see if their credit qualifies.

    For more information on cosigners, check out: What is a Private Student Loan Cosigner?

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  • Data-Driven Student Success & Retention Solutions

    Data-Driven Student Success & Retention Solutions

    Student success in higher education is still measured by one dominant metric: whether students stay. On many campuses, it’s the only metric anyone talks about. Retention matters, of course. It’s the foundation of student success. But it is not the definition of success.

    Families aren’t asking whether a student will stay enrolled. They’re asking whether the investment will pay off. With rising costs, declining public trust, and growing scrutiny of degree value, the conversation has shifted. Students want what every investor wants: a clear, credible return.

    Here’s the piece many campuses overlook—retention and ROI aren’t competing priorities. They are connected. When students see a path to meaningful work, build skills employers need, receive strong academic and professional support, and prepare for a purposeful life, they stay. They finish. And they graduate into careers that validate the investment.

    The institutions that will stand apart in the next decade won’t treat retention as an endpoint. They will show a seamless arc from persistence to career readiness to long-term economic mobility and a thriving life. And the campuses that communicate this value with transparency and conviction will earn the trust of students and families.

    So what should you do about it?

    1. Clarify Accountability for Student Success

    For too long, “student success” has been everyone’s job, and therefore no one’s job. Responsibility is often diffused across student affairs, academic leadership, the provost’s office, advising, and career services, with no single owner empowered to drive an institution-wide strategy.

    Recent research reinforces this gap. In national surveys, fewer than half of student success leaders report that their institution is highly effective at making student success a priority or collecting the data required to measure progress. The fragmentation is real—and costly.

    To deliver on ROI, institutions need a senior, empowered Student Success Leader (VP or Associate Provost level) who:

    • Owns the vision from enrollment through career launch
    • Coordinates cross-campus efforts across academic affairs, student affairs, advising, and career services
    • Aligns outcomes, data, and interventions across the full learner lifecycle
    • Measures, reports, and continuously improves operational and performance outcomes

    Student success is a shared responsibility, but true progress requires an empowered and accountable leader.

    2. Build the Right Data Infrastructure

    A strong ROI story is impossible without strong data. Tracking retention and graduation alone won’t explain value to students or help leadership improve it. Institutions need a data-driven student success strategy that captures outcomes across the full learner lifecycle.

    Essential data includes:

    • Post-graduation earnings and income trajectories
    • Job placement outcomes, including role relevance, time-to-employment, and satisfaction
    • Employer demand and alignment between programs and labor-market needs
    • Experiential learning pathways such as internships, co-ops, research, and apprenticeships
    • Career engagement metrics: mentorship usage, career services engagement, skills gaps
    • Cost, debt, and net price data tied to long-term value
    • Outcomes for non-degree pathways, including certificates, stackable micro-credentials

    Institutions should use this data to inform academic planning, enrollment strategy, employer engagement, advising, and marketing. Without data-driven student retention insights, institutions cannot meaningfully improve outcomes—or communicate their value with confidence.

    3. Create a Holistic Roadmap to Career Readiness

    A forward-looking higher ed ROI strategy requires coordinated effort across curriculum, student supports, employer engagement, and technology. Students need a clear path from classroom learning to career launch, and institutions need a roadmap that makes that path visible and consistent.

    A strong career-readiness framework includes:

    • Curriculum + Competency Alignment: Define the competencies students gain in every program and connect them to real career pathways. Liberal arts institutions, in particular, have an opportunity to better articulate how critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, and adaptability translate into skills employers value.
    • Integrated Professional Development: Career readiness must be embedded across the learner journey, not relegated to a final-semester workshop. This includes employer partnerships, alumni mentorship, experiential learning, resume and interview preparation, digital portfolios, and networking support.
    • Proactive Data and Continuous Improvement: Use predictive data to anticipate student needs, identify risk early, and guide students toward high-value pathways. Advising and support structures should reflect real-time insight, not end-of-term surprises.
    • Leveraging AI for Scalable Career Support: The emergence of AI presents transformative opportunities for institutions to scale personalized career development. Examples include:
      • AI-powered interview simulators that provide real-time feedback
      • Skill-gap analytics that help students understand where they need development
      • Career-exploration engines mapping pathways based on interests, competencies, and market demand
      • AI-enabled advising assistants that extend the reach of human advisors

    When institutions implement these elements cohesively, students receive consistent, individualized support that strengthens persistence, confidence, and long-term career outcomes.

    4. Make Career Readiness a Market Differentiator

    Students and families want clear evidence that an institution can help them launch a career successfully. Recent Gallup findings show that Americans see career-relevant, practical education as the most important change colleges can make to strengthen confidence in higher education. They are looking for visible support, real outcomes, and a system that connects education to employment. In a crowded market with rising expectations, this is no longer optional.

    Institutions should weave their career-readiness strategy into admissions and recruitment by:

    • Showcasing investments in career services, professional development, and employer partnerships
    • Demonstrating the infrastructure that supports learners from day one through career launch
    • Highlighting success stories, alumni career trajectories, and employer relationships
    • Communicating results clearly by sharing employment rates, salary bands, and experiential learning participation

    When institutions share this work consistently, they differentiate their value and give prospective students what they need most—confidence that the investment will lead somewhere.

    Student Success Solutions We Offer

    Carnegie partners with higher ed institutions across the country to strengthen data-driven student success and ROI strategies with support that drives measurable outcomes. We focus on ensuring you are keeping the promises you make to students, all students.

    Our Services Include:

    • Student Success Assessment: Identifies structural gaps, opportunities, and strategic priorities across your advising, data systems, curriculum alignment, and career readiness ecosystem.
    • Strategy Session (1 Hour): A working session with Carnegie’s Student Success team to help leadership teams rapidly assess where they stand—and what steps to take next.

    And looking ahead, one of the key focus areas at the Carnegie Conference in January will be how institutions can design and operationalize an ROI-focused student success strategy. It’s an ideal opportunity for leaders who want to go deeper, compare notes with peers, and leave with a concrete action plan.

    Partner With Us

    In an era where students and families demand clear returns, the institutions who align success and career outcomes now will be the ones who stand out, compete, and thrive. Carnegie is here to help you lead the way.

    FAQ: Student Success, Retention, and ROI

    What data can help predict student dropouts?

    Predictive indicators include early academic performance, LMS engagement, advising frequency, financial stress markers, and participation in support services. Institutions that integrate this data through analytics systems can identify risk earlier and intervene proactively.

    How can institutions improve student success rates?

    A holistic student success strategy should align academic support, advising, career services, and early-warning analytics. Clear institutional ownership and cross-department coordination improve outcomes significantly.

    Which metrics matter most when measuring student ROI?

    Beyond retention and graduation, key ROI metrics include job placement rates, post-graduation earnings, salary growth, employer demand alignment, and debt-to-income outcomes.

    What role does career readiness play in retention and long-term ROI?

    Students who see clear career pathways—supported by internships, mentorship, and employer partnerships—are more likely to persist, graduate, and achieve strong employment outcomes, reinforcing institutional value perception.

    How can AI support scalable student success initiatives?

    AI tools can provide interview simulations, skills assessments, personalized advising prompts, and career exploration pathways at scale. This expands advisor capacity and helps students make informed, confident decisions.

    What services does Carnegie offer to support student success and retention?

    Carnegie provides a Student Success Assessment to identify institutional gaps and opportunities, along with one-hour Strategy Sessions to help leadership teams clarify priorities and build an actionable plan for improving outcomes and ROI.

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  • Alabama Ends Black-, Women-Focused Student Magazines

    Alabama Ends Black-, Women-Focused Student Magazines

    The University of Alabama has ended two student magazines, citing “legal obligations.”

    Carmen K Sisson/iStock/Getty Images

    The University of Alabama has ended publication of two student-run magazines, one focused on women and the other on Black students, in order to comply with legal obligations, officials say.

    Local and student media reported that Steven Hood, the university’s vice president for student life, said that because the magazines target specific groups, they’re what the Department of Justice considers “unlawful proxies” for discrimination. Both publications received university funding.

    The women’s magazine, [Alice], just celebrated its 10th anniversary last month, while Nineteen Fifty-Six, named after the year the first Black student enrolled in the university, says it was created in 2020. [Alice] managing editor Leslie Klein told Inside Higher Ed that university officials told her magazine’s editor in chief Monday that the magazines were being canceled because they’re identity-based.

    “I think it is ridiculous,” Klein said. She said it seems like a decade of history is being “put down the drain.”

    The university pointed to a July memo from Pam Bondi, in which the U.S. attorney general provided “non-binding best practices” to avoid “significant legal risks.” She wrote that “facially neutral criteria” that “function as proxies for protected characteristics” are illegal “if designed or applied” to intentionally advantage or disadvantage people based on race or sex.

    But Bondi’s memo didn’t specifically say that a media outlet focusing on an audience it defines by race or sex is illegal. DOJ spokespeople didn’t respond to Inside Higher Ed’s questions Tuesday about whether the department considers the Alabama magazines unlawful.

    Marie McMullan, student press counsel for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said in an email that the university’s “unlawful proxy” claim is “nonsense.”

    “These publications have the First Amendment right to be free of viewpoint-based discrimination, but UA is explicitly citing their viewpoints to justify killing their publications,” McMullan said. “No federal antidiscrimination law authorizes the university to silence student media it dislikes.”

    Mike Hiestand, senior legal counsel for the Student Press Law Center, said he knows of no other university that has used the memo to target a student publication. He said anyone is allowed to write for these magazines.

    “A student publication is not a DEI program,” Hiestand said. He said the memo says “absolutely nothing about denying students the right to talk about topics that are important to them” and “I don’t know what the university is thinking here.”

    “That looks a lot like viewpoint discrimination to me, which the Supreme Court has said repeatedly is off-limits,” he said.

    The university didn’t provide Inside Higher Ed an interview Tuesday or answer multiple written questions. In an emailed statement, the university said the magazines’ editors and contributors “were informed of the decision to suspend the magazines effective immediately, with the Fall 2025 issue as the final issue.” It added that “staff hope to work with students to develop a new publication that features a variety of voices and perspectives to debut in the next academic year.”

    “The University remains committed to supporting every member of our community and advancing our goals to welcome, serve, and help all succeed,” the university said. “In doing so, we must also comply with our legal obligations. This requires us to ensure all members of our community feel welcome to participate in programs that receive University funding from the Office of Student Media.”

    This was Klein’s fourth year with [Alice]. “It really just breaks my heart,” she said.

    Tionna Taite, who founded Nineteen Fifty-Six, said in a statement to The Alabama Reflector that both magazines are pivotal to the minority experience at the university.

    “I am beyond disappointed in the regression UA has made since I created 1956 Magazine,” Taite said. “In 2020, UA made promises to be more diverse, inclusive and equitable. Five years later, I do not see any progress and their decision regarding both magazines confirms this.”

    These magazines aren’t the first university student publications that administrators have curtailed in 2025. Purdue University said it would no longer distribute papers for The Purdue Exponent, an independent student newspaper, or allow it to use the word “Purdue” for commercial purposes. The university said it’s inconsistent with “freedom of expression, institutional neutrality and fairness to provide the services and accommodations” to “one media organization but not others.”

    Indiana University also fired Director of Student Media Jim Rodenbush and canceled printing of the Indiana Daily Student newspaper before relenting and again allowing a print edition. Rodenbush remains separated from the university.

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  • Hearing Your Student Evaluations Differently? – Faculty Focus

    Hearing Your Student Evaluations Differently? – Faculty Focus

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  • How one school reimagined learning spaces–and what others can learn

    How one school reimagined learning spaces–and what others can learn

    Key points:

    When Collegedale Academy, a PreK–8 school outside Chattanooga, Tennessee, needed a new elementary building, we faced a choice that many school leaders eventually confront: repair an aging facility or reimagine what learning spaces could be.

    Our historic elementary school held decades of memories for families, including some who had once walked its halls as children themselves. But years of wear and the need for costly repairs made it clear that investing in the old building would only patch the problems rather than solve them. At the same time, Southern Adventist University–on whose land the school sat–needed the property for expansion.

    Rather than cling to the past, we saw an opportunity. We could design a new, future-focused environment on our middle school campus–one that reflected how students learn today and how they will need to learn tomorrow.

    Putting students first

    As both a teacher and someone who helped design our middle school, I approached the project with one condition: every design choice had to prioritize students and teachers. That philosophy shaped everything that followed.

    My search for student-centered design partners led us to MiEN. What impressed me most was that they weren’t simply selling furniture. They were invested in research–constantly asking what classrooms need to evolve and then designing for that reality. Every piece we chose was intentional, not about aesthetics alone, but about how it could empower learners and teachers.

    Spaces that do more

    From the beginning, our vision emphasized flexibility, belonging, and joy. Every area needed to “do more,” adapting seamlessly to different uses throughout the day. To achieve this, we focused on designing spaces that could shift in purpose while still sparking curiosity and connection.

    Community hubs reimagined: Our cafeteria and media center now transform into classrooms, performance stages, or meeting spaces with minimal effort, maximizing every square foot.

    Interactive, sensory-rich design: An interactive wall panel with a ball run, sensory boards, and flexible seating encourages students to collaborate and explore beyond traditional instruction.

    Learning everywhere: Even hallways and lobbies have become extensions of the classroom. With mobile whiteboards, soft seating, and movable tables, these spaces host tutoring sessions, small groups, and parent meetings.

    Outdoor classrooms: Students gather at the campus creek for science lessons, spread out at outdoor tables that double as project workspaces, and find joy in spaces designed for both inquiry and play. Walking into the building, students immediately understood it was made for them. They take pride in exploring, rearranging furniture, and claiming ownership of their environment. That sense of belonging is priceless and drives real engagement in the learning.

    Supporting teachers through change

    For teachers accustomed to traditional layouts, the shift to flexible spaces required trust and support. At first, some colleagues wondered how the new design would fit with their routines. But once they began teaching in the space, the transformation was rapid. Within weeks, they were moving furniture to match their themes, discovering new instructional strategies, and finding creative ways to engage students.

    The beauty of this approach is that it doesn’t dictate a single method. Instead, it enables teachers to adapt the space to their vision. Watching colleagues gain confidence and joy in their teaching reinforced our original intent: create an environment that empowers educators as much as it excites students.

    A partnership that mattered

    No school leader undertakes a project like this alone. For us, partnership was everything. The team that supported our vision felt less like outside vendors and more like collaborators who shared our dream.

    They weren’t just delivering products; they were helping us shape a culture. Their excitement matched ours at every step, and together, we turned ideas into realities that continue to inspire.

    Immediate and lasting impact

    The outcomes of the project were visible from day one. Students lit up as they explored the new features. Teachers discovered fresh energy in their classrooms. Parents, many of whom remembered the old building, were struck by how clearly the new design signaled a commitment to modern learning and to prioritizing their children’s futures.

    Financially, the project was also a smart investment. Multi-purpose areas and durable, mobile furnishings mean that every dollar spent generates long-term value. And because the spaces were designed with flexibility in mind, they will remain relevant even as instructional practices evolve.

    Looking ahead

    The success of our elementary project has created momentum for what’s next. Collegedale is already planning high school renovations guided by the same student-first philosophy. The excitement is contagious, not just for our community but for how it models what schools can achieve when they align design with mission.

    For me, this project was never just about furniture. It was about creating a culture where curiosity, creativity, and joy thrive every day. With the right partners and a clear vision, schools can build environments where students feel they belong and where teachers are empowered to do their best work.

    As education leaders consider their own building projects, my advice is simple: design for the learners first. When students walk into a space and know, without a doubt, that it was built for them, everything else follows.

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