Policy & Research

A number of studies, articles and blog posts in recent years have hinted that campuses are figuratively hanging off of a mental health cliff. Kate Wolfe-Lyga and Marcus Hotaling write that while numerous factors that have likely contributed to this increase in need, the main concern is whether colleges and universities have the capacity to support their students’ mental health.

Shared equity leadership can help dismantle the systems that perpetuate inequities by drawing upon the strengths of a range of campus stakeholders rather than the perspective of a single leader.

With vaccines now available and campuses preparing for a return to “normal,” higher education leaders must ask what we have learned about our institutions’ capacity for change and how we will incorporate that learning into a post-COVID future, not just in terms of teaching and learning but also in considering equity and inclusion.

Research shows that students are more likely to persist and complete when they see themselves reflected in faculty, staff, and leadership on campus. How can we ensure that diversity in leadership extends to LGBTQ+ professionals, particularly at community colleges?

With Pell Grant access restored, we can now move forward with more postsecondary programs in prison, which are an evidence-based way to shatter many of the inequities and obstacles associated with reentry that people with low-incomes and communities of color face—the very communities that colleges and universities are strive to serve better.

The time has come to make the structures, practices, and policies in STEM departments work better for underserved students, writes Vanderbilt professor Ebony McGee.