Despite signs that rural students complete high school at higher rates, fewer enrolled finish their degrees than their urban and suburban counterparts. Some of the biggest reasons for this are the lack of colleges in rural areas (which have become dubbed “education deserts”), the lack of understanding of the application process and the few technological resources available to rural students to learn new trades.

However, advancements made by the Biden administration and other higher education leaders point to the country’s revitalization in rural student recruitment. Students equipped with today’s digital skillsets can perpetuate innovation in the communities they left behind for college.

“Kids could take that money and go back to their communities in rural areas and spend that there. The spending that happens in rural communities affects everyone so I think there’s a lot of power there,” said Chris Sanders, director of the Rural Technology Fund, according to The Hill. “I think kids from rural areas in tech jobs stand to make a lot of people’s lives better.”

More from UB: President moves: Some are homegrown, others served public departments

Federal programs closing the “digital divide”

The USDA announced last week that it is awarding more than $700 million in broadband funding across 19 states to bolster rural connectivity and development across the country.

“High-speed internet is a key to prosperity for people who live and work in rural communities,” Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said in a statement. “We can ensure that rural communities have access to the internet connectivity needed to continue to expand the economy from the bottom up and middle out and to make sure rural America remains a place of opportunity to live, work, and raise a family.”

Additionally, Under Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Federal Communications Commission has slashed household internet bills, discounted computer purchases, and partnered with internet service providers to service high-speed internet plans under the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). To boost Americans’ enrollment in ACP, the Department of Education partnered with over 300 organizations last week to raise Americans’ awareness of the administration’s commitment to democratizing high-speed internet connection.

“Access to high-speed internet is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity to fully participate in today’s society. Still, many students and families go without high-speed internet because of the cost, while others are forced to cut back on other essentials to pay their monthly internet bill,” read the press release.

The Small Town and Rural College Network

Sixteen of some of the country’s most prestigious colleges and universities have joined a program dedicated to realizing the potential of small-town and rural students’ education opportunities. Fueled by a $20 million philanthropic investment, the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network oversees and facilitates institutions’ different efforts to offer personalized programming and mentoring for these disadvantaged students. For example, Columbia University is establishing a fly-in program for STARS-eligible students to access the campus quickly. Financial aid will also be provided.

Other notable schools in this program are CalTech, MIT, Northwestern, University of Chicago, Yale and Vanderbilt.

The Rural Technology Fund

The Rural Technology Fund’s (RTF) official mission is to “help rural students recognize opportunities in technology careers, facilitate pathways to work in the computer industry, and provide equitable access to technology for students with disabilities.”

The organization recognizes that rural students are at a disproportionate disadvantage when entering careers in technology due to the lack of resources. To combat this, RTF has given out over $50,000 worth of scholarships and reached more than 170,000 students in more than 800 schools with educational opportunities in technology. Its goal is 250,000 students.

“Rural people are industrious and resilient and resourceful. And so I’m incredibly optimistic because I think that rural people have had to get things done in all kinds of ways and I think that will continue,” Azano said.

The post How college leaders aim to increase rural students’ share of 4-year degrees appeared first on University Business.

While the Supreme Court is readying to strike down affirmative action nationally, universities that have leveraged race-based admissions are concerned about how Black and Hispanic enrollment might fare. State and student demographic data collected by Data Commons and Data USA from 2012 to 2020 shows that while Black and Hispanic populations have substantially grown throughout California, Washington, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Arizona, New Hampshire and Oklahoma, the student body of those states’ flagship universities has not reflected that increase whatsoever.

For example, the Hispanic population has increased by 26% in states where affirmative action has already been banned. However, the average increase in the Hispanic student body across their flagship universities is only 4%.

Similarly, while these states’ overall Black population has increased by 14%, Black student enrollment has only increased by less than a percentage point on average at flagship universities.

Minority students weighing whether to enroll at a major university may be worried about finding others who share their cultural experience. Ultimately, those schools can lose out.

“Why would I go to U of M?” said Odia Kaba, a class of 2022 student who chose to remain at Eastern Michigan University to finish her studies, according to AP News. “I’m just going to be stuck with people that don’t look like me, can’t relate to me, and with no way to escape it.”

This article covers the first eight states to have banned affirmative action since their states’ Supreme Court denied its practice in or before 2012. On the other hand, Idaho struck down race-based admissions in 2020, so its long-term trends have not matured enough to analyze.

Percent demographic changes from 2012 to 2020: State vs. State’s flagship university

California

State population

• Black: unchanged (2.25 million in 2020)
• Hispanic: 10% increase (15.4 million)

University of California Berkeley

• Black: unchanged
  • 3% of the student body in 2020
• Hispanic: 5% increase
  • 17% of the student body in 2020

Washington

State population

• Black: 22% increase (290k in 2020)
• Hispanic: 29% increase (972k)

University of Washington – Seattle

• Black: unchanged
  • 3% of the student body in 2020
• Hispanic: 3% increase
  • 9% of the student body in 2020

Florida

State population

• Black: 12% increase (3.38 million in 2020)
• Hispanic: 29% increase (5.47 million)

University of Florida

• Black: 1% decrease
  • 6% of the student body in 2020
• Hispanic: 6% increase
  • 21% of the student body in 2020

Michigan

State population

• Black: 2% decrease (1.36 million in 2020)
• Hispanic: 19% increase (521k)

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

• Black: 1% increase
  • 5% of the student body in 2020
• Hispanic: 3% increase
  • 7% of the student body in 2020

Nebraska

State population

• Black: 12% increase (91.9k in 2020)
• Hispanic: 29% increase (215k)

University of Nebraska – Lincoln

• Black: 1% increase
  • 3% of the student body in 2020
• Hispanic: 3% increase
  • 7% of the student body in 2020

Arizona

State population

• Black: 24% increase (325k in 2020)
• Hispanic: 19% increase (2.26 million)

University of Arizona

• Black: 1% increase
  • 4% of the student body in 2020
• Hispanic: 6% increase
  • 27% of the student body in 2020

New Hampshire

State population

• Black: 37% increase (21k in 2020)
• Hispanic: 41% increase (52.8k million)

University of New Hampshire

• Black: unchanged
  • 1% of the student body in 2020
• Hispanic: 1% increase
  • 4% of the student body in 2020

Oklahoma

State population

• Black: 6% increase (288k million in 2020)
• Hispanic: 30% increase (431k)

University of Oklahoma

• Black: 1% decrease
  • 5% of the student body in 2020
• Hispanic: 4% increase
  • 11% of the student body in 2020

The post Minority enrollment at these flagship universities underwhelms compared to state population gains appeared first on University Business.

In a brief, unsigned order, the justices declined to take up the College of the Ozarks’s appeal of a lower ruling that found the school had no legal standing to move forward with its pre-enforcement challenge.

Read more from myChamplainValley.com.

The post Supreme Court won’t hear Christian college’s challenge to Biden ban on gender identity housing discrimination appeared first on University Business.

Cox has accepted a position with the Alabama Community College System as systemwide vice chancellor of instruction, research and development. Cox’s resignation as Shelton State’s president will go into effect in the early fall, according to a news release from the system.

Read more from Tuscaloosanews.com

The post Chris Cox to resign as president at Shelton State Community College appeared first on University Business.

In December of 2022, Birmingham Southern sought a $37.5 million government bailout, warning it was under risk of closure after years of declining enrollment and financial troubles.

Read more from Alabama Daily News.

The post Ivey signs distressed college loan program bill into law, rescuing Birmingham Southern appeared first on University Business.

However, Republican lawmakers in more than a dozen states believe that the office responsible for curating a rich, multi-dimensional campus is “fomenting radical and toxic divisions”: the office of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Conservative think tanks Manhattan Institute and Goldwater Institute have helped shape GOP lawmakers’ rationale against DEI. Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at Manhattan Institute, helped shape Florida Gov. Ron Desantis’ catalyzing piece of legislation against Critical Race Theory. He has since advised DeSantis through his dismantling of DEI across Florida’s state institutions.

As the ire grows against DEI and Critical Race Theory, which lawmakers usually associate with DEI for its capacity to “indoctrinate” students, opposing leaders have found different strategies to end its programming in higher education.

Most recently, Wisconsin lawmakers and the University of Arkansas are one legislative body and school leader to target DEI programs.

More from UB: Nearly 2,000 colleges aren’t requiring SAT or ACT scores for fall 2023

School strategies to end DEI

DEI office closure

On Wednesday, Chancellor Charles Robinson announced in an email that the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, would dissolve the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Staff members will be reassigned to different departments related to student success, student affairs, human resources and others with no layoffs planned.

Faculty Senate Chair Stephen Caldwell believes the campus is in a “post-DEI environment” that doesn’t require the values of DEI to be structured in a single office. Similarly, Robinson maintains the school has affirmed that equal opportunity, access and belonging are critical to our land-grant mission and university values,” according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The move most likely stems from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ executive order that “prohibits indoctrination and critical race theory in schools.”

Similarly, the private institution New College of Florida abolished its Office of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence and fired its top officer.

State strategies

Prohibit public institutions from using state, federal dollars on DEI initiatives

This strategy is the most popular DEI lawmakers use against DEI and may be the most effective. This strategy prohibits public colleges and universities from funding its programming whatsoever, suffocating it in the process. At least six states have proposed this legislation, with varying results.

• Arizona
  • Lost in the House after passing in the Senate.
•  Florida
  • Signed into law by Ron DeSantis
• Iowa
  • House bill referred to education committee as of May 4
• Kansas
  • Referred to appropriations committee as of March 23
• Oklahoma
  • Senate bill read on May 18
• Utah
  • Failed to pass

Order the closure of DEI offices

Texas became the second state behind Florida to dismantle DEI at the state level successfully. However, Gov. Greg Abbott’s signed bill forthrightly refuses public institutions from establishing or maintaining a DEI office instead of targeting their financial appropriations.

Nebraska is the only other state to try this method. However, lawmakers soon molded it into a study researching the benefits of DEI programs in higher education.

Slash schools’ DEI budget

Wisconsin’s top Republicans are looking to cut the University of Wisconsin system’s DEI budget by more than $32 million, according to CBS 58. They devised this specific cut after reviewing a public records request listing all DEI staff positions. With UW’s system spending $16 million a year on DEI, the state’s 2023-25 biennium budget will effectively kill all funding and appropriate it elsewhere.

​​”The university has gone from being an institute of higher education to an institute of indoctrination,” Senator Robin Vos said, according to The Center Square. “If they want to increase their funding, they have to show they can prioritize things to grow the economy, not grow the racial divide.”

The proposed state budget cut would affect 13 universities across the UW system.

The post 4 ways states and schools choose to dismantle DEI offices appeared first on University Business.

Also notable: An interesting trend among the latest new hires is that some have previous experience serving in either a federal or state position.

Hired

Dr. Michael P. Shannon – University of North Georgia

The Georgia Board of Regents has tapped retired U.S. Army officer, Georgia Tech’s current interim chief business officer and first-generation student Michael P. Shannon for the University of North Georgia’s top job.

A military thoroughbred, Shannon served in the army for over 20 years and subsequently advised the U.S. Department of Defense on nuclear technology. He then gained his research and teaching experience at West Point, serving in its physics and nuclear engineering department. Along with his president assignment, Shannon also serves on multiple boards, including the Georgia Tech Foundation, the Georgia Tech Athletic Association, Georgia Applied Technology Ventures Inc. and the Midtown Alliance, according to the University System of Georgia’s website.

Dr. Salvador Hector Ochoa – Texas A&M University – San Antonio

As the sole presidential finalist at Texas A&M University’s San Antonio campus, Salvador Hector Ochoa was selected as the third leader of the 24-year-old campus. “The University’s mission to improve educational outcomes and leverage the talents of historically underserved student populations mirrors my own personal and professional mission, and I am eager to join the dedicated faculty and staff of A&M-San Antonio in that important work,” Ochoa said in a formal statement.

Ochoa currently serves as the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at San Diego State University. However, SDSU President Adela de la Torre described Ochoa’s appointment as a true “homecoming” since he’s a South Texas native.

Dr. Koffi C. Akakpo – Kentucky State University

After being ordered to stop its president search for one year, Kentucky State University has finally found a new president in Koffi C. Akakpo, a veteran leader with experience across several institutions. Most recently, Akakpo led Bluegrass Community and Technical College as president and CEO. Before that, he served in three key positions at North Central State College: vice president for business, administrative, and student services, COO, and chief student services officer.

Paralleling Shannon’s federal employment experience, Akakpo’s state leadership experience includes being the department secretary and director of the Department of Natural Resources for the state of Ohio, according to Diverse.

Rodney Hanley – Northeastern State University (Oklahoma)

The Regional University System of Oklahoma Regents has selected Rodney Hanley to lead Northeastern State University starting August 1. Northeastern is a predominantly rural school, so it’s fitting Hanley previously served as president of Lake Superior State University, another rural university.

RUSO regent and president search committee chair Chris Van Denhende highlighted his commitment to work with local and regional community leaders as Hanley’s distinguishing attribute. For example, the Muskogee Phoenix noted Hanley’s extensive experience in tribal relations as one of his skill sets.

Hanley has over 35 years of leadership experience, including provost and vice president of academic affairs at Fisk University.

Retired

Kevin Satterlee – Idaho State University

An Idahoan native, Kevin Satterlee is calling his latest tenure as president of Idaho State University his last after serving 25 years in higher education—all in his home state. He served at Idaho State for five years. Before that, he worked for 17 years at Boise State University in various positions, including chief operating officer, vice president and special counsel to the president.

“It has been a privilege and an honor to serve this state and to serve our students. And I am beyond grateful to have been able to serve Idaho State University with our mission, a mission that resonates so deeply with me, and with a team that shows more dedication and grit than I could have ever imagined,” Satterlee said in a news release.

Stepping down

Carmen J. Walters – Tougaloo College (Mississippi)

June will be Carmen J. Walters’ last month at private HBCU Tougaloo College following a faculty “mass exodus,” a 40-year enrollment low of fewer than 700 students in 2021 and pressure from both students and alumni.

“There is discontentment among our ranks directly related to low student enrollment, a decrease in campus morale, horrid student living conditions, and questionable financial practices that have negatively impacted the college,” read one petition devised by a Tougaloo alumni group calling for Walters’ removal. The petition gained over 1,500 signatures.

The post President moves: Some are homegrown, others served public departments appeared first on University Business.

The legislation would also cap borrowing for graduate students, with the lawmakers arguing that generous loans have encouraged colleges and universities to ramp up their tuition costs.

The new plan comes at a crucial moment for the 43 million people with student debt.

Read more from CBS News.

The post With student loan forgiveness in limbo, here’s how the GOP wants to fix college debt appeared first on University Business.

Gupta now joins an elite class of just a few thousand other students accepted to Stanford this year. The school had a historically low acceptance rate of just 3.6% of incoming freshmen.

The increase in college applications has put pressure on admissions departments. Colleges are now receiving record numbers of applications, and they have to be more selective in order to admit the best students.

Read more from WCNC Charlotte.

The post As college becomes more selective, admission officers are looking for well-rounded students appeared first on University Business.

The surge in applications caused BU’s student body to balloon as well. The school enrolled about 17,500 full-time undergraduates in the Fall of 2022, compared to 16,635 in 2019. That compares with broad undergraduate enrollment at US colleges, which is down 7% from 2019, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s Spring 2023 estimates.

Read more Yahoo! Finance.

The post Boston University bucks higher ed woes with 30% application boom appeared first on University Business.