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More than half of all college students in the U.S. are first-generation college students, according to recent findings from Forbes Advisor.
Sarah E. Whitley
First-generation college students – defined in the report as students whose parents are without four-year college degrees – make up 56% of the nation’s postsecondary students, the report found.
These students are distinct in other ways as well. They are more likely to come from low-income or minority backgrounds and more likely to be a parent, caregiver, veteran, or first-generation American. They are also less likely to use career-planning services and to engage in formal leadership roles, research with faculty, paid internships, and study abroad opportunities.
The publication also breaks down the demographic in terms of categories such as race, sex, immigration, and age.
Report authors found that, overall, historically marginalized groups were more heavily represented among first-gen students, with less than half of these students (46%) identifying as white – 61% of continuing-generation students identified as such. A quarter of the first-gen population identified as Hispanic, 18% as Black or African American, and 6% as Asian, according to data from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).
And looking at specific racial and ethnic groups revealed stark numbers of first-gen students among certain communities. For instance, most Hispanic or Latino students (60%), Black or African American students (59%), and American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (54%) students were first-gen.
Meanwhile, for white students, only 36% were first-gen.
A solid portion (28%) of first-gen students are 30 or older. And, as of 2016, the majority of first-gen students are female (60%), compared to 52% of continuing-gen students, according to NASPA.
As for immigrant status, the report found that 10% of first-gen students are first-generation immigrants and 23% are second-gen – at least one parent is foreign-born.
Tracking by school type, first-gen students at nonprofit four-year schools enrolled more frequently at lower-cost, less-selective public schools, but support and outcomes are often better for the demographic at more selective ones, the report found.
Given that many in the first-gen student population come from disadvantaged backgrounds, future earnings are a significant consideration. According to the report, the effects of being first-gen doesn’t end after college. Income disparities between first-gen and continuing-gen students often persisted even after school.
Looking at heads of household with degrees as of 2019, those with bachelor's-graduate parents earned a median annual income of $135,800, but those with parents without degrees made a median $99,600, according to the Pew Research Center.
“As more institutions identify and support first-generation students, they are increasingly recognizing the substantial assets these individuals bring to campus: grit, ambition, fresh viewpoints that enhance the broader academic community,” said Sarah E. Whitley, vice president of NASPA initiative Center for First-Generation Student Success. “We must ensure that we’re putting the same effort into supporting first-generation students on campus as we do getting them to campus. This is how we can change outcomes for these students – helping them to graduate and gain success after graduation.”
Kansas City University (KCU) has launched its Harry M. Cornell Center for Dental Education, a response to addressing a growing dentist shortage, particularly in southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, northwest Arkansas, and northeast Oklahoma.
"We know poor oral health leads to poor overall health," said KCU President Dr. Marc B. Hahn. "In fact, poor oral health has been found to promote a host of other illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even Alzheimer's. KCU is proud to lead an effort to erase disparities in oral health care and improve health outcomes for people in rural areas."
Missouri has an estimated shortage of more than 700 dentists, Oklahoma 166, and more than 100 each for both Arkansas and Kansas.
Instruction at the center – located on KCU’s McIntire-Farber Campus – will focus on integrating basic sciences with clinical knowledge so students are prepared sooner to care for patients.
Students will have access to technology such as simulated patients, virtual reality, 3-D printing, intra- oral camera, digital teeth-scanning, and an Oral Health Center for hands-on learning through giving dental services under faculty supervision.
"Students will be treating patients in their second year of study," said Dr. Linda Niessen, founding dean of the College of Dental Medicine. "Faculty members share a strong desire to serve our community right away and will soon see individuals who have had difficulty obtaining needed dental care through referrals with local nonprofit agencies."
The Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has concluded its investigation into a Montgomery College professor accused of sexually harassing multiple female students, Fox 5 reported.
"We appreciate the thorough investigation conducted by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights in regards to this matter. The College fully supports the determinations and resolutions outlined in its final report, made public this week," a Montgomery spokesperson said.
The three-month investigation found that the community college professor created a hostile environment – at the school’s Takoma/Silver Spring campus – by asking at least 11 female students to remove their shirts down to their sports bras in some sort of class demonstration and commented on their breasts, "ostensibly to demonstrate a medical assessment despite the fact that the assessment did not require the clothing removal, or the bodily commentary."
The professor was later placed on administrative leave and never taught there again, according to college officials. The school also helped a student who failed the course allegedly due to harassment re-enroll for free; gave tuition reimbursement; or paid for some students to retake the course.
But it is unclear whether the issue was referred to police and why the professor and class remain unnamed.
"I wouldn’t expect anybody to release anyone’s name until there’s been an investigation,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “If it’s not a police matter, if it’s like discipline, a personnel matter, personnel things don’t get discussed."
Montgomery County councilmember Will Jawando, chair of the council’s Education Committee, said the professor should be named and will push for that.
Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy will become the first woman president of Wayne State University, effective Aug. 1.Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy
Espy – a licensed clinical psychologist – is currently provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Previously, she was senior vice president for research at the University of Arizona; vice president for research and innovation and dean of the graduate school at the University of Oregon; and faculty at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
“Wayne State University is a national model for student success, is recognized for its community impact, and is respected across the nation and around the world for its scholarship and health services, particularly in addressing health disparities in major cities,” Espy said. “I am honored that the board has chosen me to be this university’s next leader, and I am excited to begin charting the journey we will all take together to continue to create and advance knowledge for our community and our world.”
She is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Psychological Association and has been a board member for organizations such as the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) and the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable. In 2022, Espy was a San Antonio Business Journal Women’s Leadership Award winner.
Espy holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Rice University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology from the University of Houston.
Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling against President Biden’s student debt relief program, his administration is still putting forth other efforts to support borrowers.President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Dr. Miguel Cardona
These efforts come in the form of a rulemaking process for an alternative path to debt relief; a new repayment plan; and a 12-month repayment “on-ramp” – Oct. 1, 2023 to Sep. 30, 2024 – so that borrowers who miss monthly payments during this period are not considered delinquent.
There will be a virtual public hearing Jul. 18 about the rulemaking effort, where individuals can submit written comments.
The repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), will half the amount undergraduate loan borrowers have to pay a month from 10% to 5% of discretionary income; make it so that borrowers earning under 225% of the federal poverty level won’t have to make monthly payments under this plan; forgive loan balances after 10 years of payments for those with original loan balances of $12,000 or less; and not charge borrowers with unpaid monthly interest.
The plan will be open to borrowers this summer before monthly payments are due.
A Tarleton State University doctoral student and U.S. Army veteran Nicole Burkett has recently been named the inaugural recipient of the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation’s 6888th Scholarship, The Flash Today reported.Nicole Burkett
The $2,500 award is in honor of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion – nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight” – a Women’s Army Corps (WAC) regiment of 855 women, primarily Black but some Hispanic, who deployed during WWII to sort and route millions of pieces of unprocessed mail the Army could not get to front-line troops.
The 6888th – the only all-female unit in Army history – was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in March 2022.
Burkett’s scholarly work traces the trajectory of Black women in the military. Pursuing an Ed.D. in educational leadership with an emphasis on higher education, Burkett wants to advocate for unheard voices and share stories of the vulnerable and underrepresented.
“As women veterans, sometimes we are not considered ‘real veterans’ because it is a mostly male-dominated organization,” Burkett said. “Additionally, as a Black woman in the military, you are sometimes seen as a commodity because of what you can do and not as a person because of who you are. Combat exposure has a way of changing your mindset to survive and also detach you from those you love.
“There is a preponderance of research about male veterans and some about women veterans; however, there is limited research about Black women veterans and even less about combat Black women veterans. In a growing culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, these stories have to be shared. The goal is to help more understand and see them as real people, not commodities.”
During her 24 years in the military, Burkett was stationed in countries including Korea, Japan, and Afghanistan.
Burkett holds three degrees, including a degree in healthcare administration and public administration with an emphasis on human resources. She also holds an associate degree in supply chain logistics.
Two Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) – Crossville and McMinnville – have earned VETS Campus certification, signaling commitment to efforts to help veterans succeed academically.
The 2014 Tennessee Veterans Education Transition Support (VETS) Act – which established the VETS Campus program – requires schools to meet a set of seven programs, requirements, and qualifications to be certified by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
Such requirements include efforts such as mentoring and support programs; assessments of prior learning that gives academic credit to veterans for training and experience from military service; annual surveys of student veterans’ perspectives and needs; and special orientation programs.
“We’re delighted that TCAT Crossville and TCAT McMinnville have achieved this important milestone and made their campuses even more welcoming to our veterans than ever,” said Regina Watkins, director of veteran enrollment and benefits in the College System of Tennessee’s Office of Student Success. “It is an honor to have veterans at our institutions. We have a duty to serve them as they served us.”
These two recent certifications mean that 17 colleges in the College System of Tennessee are VETS campuses. The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and the Office of Student Success aim to get all TBR colleges certified by the end of 2023.
The U.S. Air Force has eased body fat restrictions for recruits as of April 1, The New York Post reported. The percentage of body fat allowed has increased from 20% to 26% BMI (Body Mass Index) for males and 28% to 36% for females. These changes will allow up to 100 more recruits to join the Air Force a month.
The new body fat standards are part of several the Air Force initiatives to appeal to more candidates without lowering the branch’s standards, Air Force Recruiting Service spokeswoman Leslie Brown said.
“The Air Force is looking to open the aperture on qualifying a broader pool of young Americans for service in the Air Force. These changes bring the Air Force in line with DOD (the Department of Defense) policy,” Brown said.
The military has been facing issues with recruitment given national body weight trends. One out of three adults ages 17-24 is too overweight to enlist, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.. And since 2018, 71% of U.S. adults are not eligible to enlist due to weight, level of education, or criminal record.
“The military has experienced increasing difficulty in recruiting soldiers as a result of physical inactivity, obesity, and malnutrition among our nation’s youth. Not addressing these issues now will impact our future national security,” retired Army Lt. General Mark Hertling said.
To note, of U.S. active-duty service members, 19% of military personnel were reported to be obese in 2020, according to the CDC. It costs the DOD almost $1.5 billion annually to address obesity-related healthcare costs of service members and their families, including replacing military personnel removed from service due to their weight.
Col. John P. Lloyd, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) North Atlantic Division (NAD), signed the updated Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering (AMIE) program management plan April 6.Col. John P. Lloyd
AMIE is a diversity-promoting non-profit that USACE has been partnered with since 1996.
“The update to the AMIE program management plan shows a continued top-down commitment from NAD,” said Keysha Cutts, AMIE enterprise program manager and program manager with the military integration division at the South Atlantic Division. “This will serve as the enterprise template for the other divisions to actively recommit and reengage.”
The update focuses on campus engagement and presence, incorporates human resources best practices, and includes partnership alliance goals.
“Diversity in the workforce brings diversity of thought,” Lloyd said. “We need people who can relate and have the engineering background to solve problems in all types of communities. This partnership takes all of us to work, and I thank everyone for dedicating their time outside of their regular duties to do this. I look forward to seeing the good work we do and the great engineers we can support and work with.”
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory are partnering with University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras (UPRRP) to expand UPRRP’s environmental sciences program and attract minority students underrepresented into the atmospheric and Earth system sciences and new energy workforce.Dr. Yan Feng
The four-year project is one of the four awards selected by the Biological and Environmental Research program as part of DOE’s 2023 Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) Initiative, which aims to support historically underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering ,and mathematics and diversify American leadership in energy and climate. To that end, it supports internships, training programs, and mentorship opportunities at historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions.
“The two national laboratories bring significant expertise to this collaboration,” said Dr. Yan Feng, a principal atmospheric and climate scientist from Argonne’s Environmental Science division. “Argonne is bringing to the table our work on the aerosol and Earth system modeling. Brookhaven is bringing their strong experience in atmospheric aerosol and cloud measurements. We are excited to help prepare the undergraduate and graduate students at UPRRP, a minority-serving institution that is predominantly Hispanic, for careers where they can contribute to and address the science challenges of DOE programs.”
Argonne and Brookhaven researchers will visit UPRRP annually to teach workshops, help set up the observational site, aid faculty in designing two new courses – one on aerosol modeling and data science and one on atmospheric aerosol instruments.
“We plan to introduce the students and faculty to the DOE high performance computing capabilities at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, and to the Advanced Photon Source for imaging particles. We will also train students to operate the instruments and use the long-term atmospheric datasets available at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement user facility,” Feng said. “The UPRRP faculty and students are excited for the opportunity to have hands on experience at these world-class facilities.”
Applications for the second round of FY2023 funding for DOE RENEW is open until April and May 2023.
The Colorado Community College System has announced transfer agreements with two historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs): Saint Augustine’s University and Texas Southern University .
Come Fall 2023, this partnership will make SAU and TSU the only two HBCUs and first out-of-state transfer options in the community college system's Bridge to Bachelor’s Degree Program, which gives new, first-time students admission to participating four-year institutions upon associate degree completion.
Program participants get access to early advising from their college of choice, academic counseling, and financial aid, while not having to face specific tests or transfer application fees.
SAU will also offer scholarships to Bridge to Bachelor’s students.
This agreement also creates SAU’s third national HBCU Urban Access Hub.
“I am thrilled to collaborate with Chancellor Joe Garcia and open new pathways for CCCS graduates to access opportunities offered at Saint Augustine’s University,” said Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail, SAU's president. “Through the creation of the SAU HBCU Access Hub at CCCS, our institutions will successfully bridge the geographical access gap and bring the HBCU experience to Colorado students.”
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has released a notice of proposed rule-making (NPRM) regarding Title IX athletic eligibility and participation of transgender students in school sports.
Under the proposed rule – it applies to public K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and other institutions receiving federal funding – policies that categorically ban transgender students from participating on sports teams consistent with their gender identity would be in violation of Title IX. However, the rule allows for policies that impose limits to the participation of trans students.
“The proposed rule would provide schools with a framework for developing eligibility criteria that protects students from being denied equal athletic opportunity, while giving schools the flexibility to develop their own participation policies,” according to an ED fact sheet, U.S. Department of Education's Proposed Change to its Title IX Regulations on Students' Eligibility for Athletic Teams.
Such criteria will have to account for the type of sport, level of competition, and grade or education level. And they will have to “minimize harms to students whose opportunity to participate on a male or female team consistent with their gender identity would be limited or denied," ED stated.
ED aims to give schools flexibility to make rules that serve “educational objectives,” such as fairness in competition or preventing sports-related injury, according to the department's fact sheet.
“Taking those considerations into account, the Department expects that, under its proposed regulation, elementary school students would generally be able to participate on school sports teams consistent with their gender identity and that it would be particularly difficult for a school to justify excluding students immediately following elementary school from participating consistent with their gender identity,” the fact sheet stated. “For older students, especially at the high school and college level, the Department expects that sex-related criteria that limit participation of some transgender students may be permitted, in some cases, when they enable the school to achieve an important educational objective, such as fairness in competition, and meet the proposed regulation’s other requirements.”
This comes as some states have implemented policies on sports participation of trans students in recent years. Nineteen states, such as West Virginia, have banned trans student athletes in the last three years, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The NPRM will be open for public comment for 30 days from date of publication in the Federal Register.
Earlham College senior Marisol Cora-Cruz has been selected as one of 42 U.S. undergraduates for the Watson Fellowship for the 2023-24 academic year, making her the 44th person from Earlham to be chosen.Marisol Cora Cruz
The fellowship – from the Thomas J. Watson Foundation – gives those selected a $40,000 stipend for independent international travel and research.
For Cora-Cruz, her project is “Understanding Maternal Healthcare Around the World.”
Cora-Cruz said the project will entail an exploration of access and quality of maternal healthcare and social impacts of care delivery in countries with different healthcare models, Bolivia, England, and Germany.
“Quality of life is a human right. It means having all the necessary components to live a healthy, peaceful, and long life without extraneous barriers, including having access to quality healthcare,” said Cora-Cruz, a senior neuroscience major. “This level of care requires evidence-based, people-oriented and safe services to be delivered in a timely, integrated and efficient manner at the disposition of all individuals.”
Dr. Xavier A. Cole will become president of Loyola University New Orleans, effective Jun. 1, making him the first person of color, the first Black person, and second layperson in the role.Dr. Xavier A. Cole
Cole is currently vice president for student affairs at Marquette University. Before Marquette, Cole was vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Washington College and assistant vice president at Loyola University Maryland.
“Dr. Cole is a uniquely experienced higher education administrator who has dedicated his career to the study and preservation of Jesuit, Catholic institutions in America, and to the service of their students,” said Stephen Landry, chair of the Loyola University New Orleans board of trustees.
Cole also serves as chair of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education Executive Doctorate Alumni Board.
Cole holds a bachelor’s in history from the University of Mississippi, a master’s in history from Miami University (Ohio), and a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania.
The Rutgers University Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) will host a Mid-Program Convening for its MSI Aspiring Leaders program in Philadelphia, Pa., for cohort building and skill development.Dr. Marybeth Gasman
The event will take place Mar. 24-25. Sessions will cover topics such as balancing athletic and academic priorities, strengthening CVs, presidential fundraising skills, and negotiating presidential salary packages.
“This convening brings together Aspiring Leaders and presidential mentors to nurture and build on existing relationships,” said Dr. Marybeth Gasman, executive director of the CMSI and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair at Rutgers. “The skill building and in-person mentorship is vital to making the MSI network stronger for the next generation of leaders.”
The MSI Aspiring Leaders is a two-year program from the CMSI that helps prepare mid-career aspiring leaders from education, non-profit, and business sectors to become minority-serving institution (MSI) presidents.
Johanna Bond will become dean of Rutgers Law School, effective Jul. 3, pending board approval.Johanna Bond
Bond is currently the tenured Sydney and Frances Lewis Professor of Law at the Washington and Lee University School of Law and an affiliate faculty member in the university’s Africana Studies and the women’s, gender, and sexuality studies programs.
“An accomplished legal scholar and a strong academic administrator, Professor Johanna Bond is uniquely qualified to serve as the dean of Rutgers University Law School,” said Dr. Antonio Tillis, chancellor of Rutgers University-Camden. “Professor Bond brings an intellectual trajectory that complements the scholarly focus of law faculty in Camden. As an academic administrator, she has a proven track record with leading a diverse faculty, financial management, pedagogical innovation, fundraising, and alumni development. Further, her commitment to a student-centric approach to legal education and focus on civically engaged and experiential learning aligns well with the values of Rutgers-Camden. I look forward to welcoming Professor Bond to campus.”
Previously, she was associate dean for academic affairs and chair of the Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion at Washington and Lee.
Author of Global Intersectionality and Contemporary Human Rights, Bond’s scholarly work centers on women’s rights in sub-Saharan Africa, women’s rights in the United Nations, and critical race feminism in human rights.
She has also been awarded the Lewis Prize for Excellence in Legal Scholarship and the Ethan Allen Faculty Award for Scholarship.
“Bond clearly appreciates the prominence of social justice in the history of our law school and in the ongoing centering of inclusive education, practice, scholarship, and engagement as an anchor institution in and of the City of Newark, and its resonance well beyond our borders,” said Dr. Nancy Cantor, chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark. “We look forward to her leadership as we move collectively to promote the public good, and to train the next diverse generation of changemakers.”
Bond holds a B.A. from Colorado College, a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School; and an LLM from Georgetown University Law Center.
String Theory Schools (STS), an education management nonprofit group, is looking to help Philadelphia’s educational system through a $1 billion offer to fix up the city’s schools and build new ones.Dr. Jason Corosanite
STS Co-founder Dr. Jason Corosanite recently made the announcement at a mayoral forum on education, innovation, and technology, saying that he was committed to the dollar amount.
"We can go as fast or as slow as the communities want, but we have the ability, I don't think the limitation is on the money-side,” Corosanite told Diverse, adding that the $1 billion amount was flexible, based on the needs and requests of the school communities. “It's really about the communities that want to build schools."
The School District of Philadelphia’s (SDP) older facilities have “aged components that are beyond their service life, obsolete or no longer energy efficient,” according to a 2017 SDP Facility Condition Assessment. The report also documented 11,480 deficiencies worth $4.5 billion.
STS currently manages two charter schools, the Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School (K-12) and the Philadelphia Charter School for the Arts & Sciences at H.R. Edmunds (K-8). The schools are tuition-free and offer a wide-range of programming in the arts and sciences, including vocal and instrumental music, ballet, visual arts, and technology.
The two schools – they span four campuses right now – also employ a majors-based approach to education that allows students to choose what their specific academic pursuit and focus will be, said Anthony Miller, chief of climate and culture at Philadelphia Performing Arts.
“When you major in something, you do better overall,” Miller said. “We are one of the few schools in middle and high school that offers majors-based programming for students. So you can come and study anything from instrumental music to vocal music to fine arts or digital arts to robotics. We have a host of majors that students can choose here, and they can focus on that major for four to eight years. And we've seen successful results because of this model. They're more excited to be high-performers in their academic classes because they're pursuing something they're passionate about."
Miller is also focused on STS’s diversity efforts when it comes to student population. STS’s Vine Street campus (grades 6-12) has a total enrollment of 1,379, of which 38.9% identified as Black or African American, 32.6% as White, 11.2% as Asian, and 8.3% as Hispanic..
“We want our students to go here and get a sense of how the world works,” Miller said. “And a part of that means ensuring a population that looks like the world or looks like America."
If school communities decide to take String Theory up on its offer to help, then the organization will devote resources into building new String Theory charter schools or renovate pre-existing schools into ones with String Theory programming, Corosanite said.
Anthony Miller
But STS’s offer has not been taken as of yet, Corosanite said, primarily attributing the lack of interest to “local politics” and claiming there has been a “moratorium on charter schools” for approximately the last 8-10 years.
STS is looking to expand, Corosanite said. It’s now just a matter of where they do so, a decision that may hinge on the upcoming mayoral election in November. In Philadelphia, the mayor appoints the school board of Philadelphia, which then has final say over charter schools, Corosanite added.
Philadelphia currently has 83 charter schools, according to the SDP website.
"My preference is to [duplicate ourselves and build more schools] in Philadelphia,” Corosanite said. “We're facing a mayoral election. So the onus for us coming out now is to say, 'Hey, the city's going to have a choice and we think that who they choose as mayor … is going to make a difference.'
Governmental leaders from across the U.S. have inquired about getting STS in their districts, Corosanite said.
“We're at a point where we've waited and held back on school expansions as much as we can,” Corosanite said. “It's kind of a last hurrah for do we continue to do this here or do we do this in Miami? Do we do it in Nashville? Do we do it in Oakland?"
Manhattan College has established a new School of Health Professions (SoHP), which will officially launch Jul. 1.
The school will offer in Fall 2023 pre-existing undergraduate programs in physical education, allied health, exercise science, nuclear medicine technology, radiation therapy technology, health care informatics, public health and graduate programs in marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, and school counseling. Come Fall 2024, it intends to launch a nursing program.
On the postgraduate level, the SoHP will give access to opportunities in fields such as osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant, occupational therapy, and pharmacology through agreements where Manhattan graduates get preferential admission at certain institutions.
SoHP plans to create additional programs in the future, such as in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy/audiology, surgical technology, pharmacology, and physician assistant.
“We are proud and excited to announce the establishment of the new School of Health Professions at Manhattan College,” said Brother Daniel Gardner, president of Manhattan College. “By training the next generation of nurses, physical therapists, surgical technicians and other highly specialized health professionals, SoHP will continue the College’s tradition of providing service for the greater good. It will offer our students the chance to pursue in-demand careers that are also highly compensated. It also allows the College new opportunities for successful enrollment and donor support.”
The U.S. Department of Labor Statistics (DLS) estimates a 52.2% increase in demand for nurse practitioners (NP) and a 21% increase in demand for physical therapists between 2020 and 2030, with similar expectations for physician assistants, speech language pathologists, athletic trainers, mental health counselors, and health service managers.
Candace Byrd-Vinson, Calhoun Community College head women's basketball coach, is the school’s first African American female basketball coach, FOX 54 reported.Candace Byrd-Vinson
This comes as Calhoun returns to men's and women’s basketball after a 21-year hiatus.
Byrd-Vinson – a Tanner, Alabama native – was a 4-time All-State player and 2A State Player of the Year at Tanner High School in Limestone County and played at the collegiate level at Birmingham-Southern College. She then coached at East Lawrence High School and R.A. Hubbard High School, leading Hubbard to a Class 1A State Championship in 2017.
"Well, I began playing basketball at an early age, and once I saw that I was decent in the sport, I decided to try out for the basketball team at Tanner High School,” Byrd-Vinson said. “I just have a passion for basketball, you know. I love the sport. I love everything about the sport."
The 2018 Limestone County Sports Hall of Famer has also been named "Coach of the Year" for the northern division by The Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC).
"My final message to women, whether it's here or all across the country or wherever, is to make sure that you believe in yourself,” Byrd-Vinson said. “Even if others don't believe in you, you believe in yourself, and you can do anything you put your mind to. But you know you must work at it, you know? And as a woman, just holding your head high, having, you know, high self-esteem and confidence and surrounding yourself around people who are going to be your cheerleaders and who's going to encourage you."
Dr. D’Andra Mull will become vice chancellor for student affairs at University of Colorado Boulder, effective Jun. 1. In this role, she will report to the provost.Dr. D’Andra Mull
“As educators, we must deliver a multifaceted and innovative supportive structure for our increasingly diverse student population through creative, strategic and innovative leadership if we are to prepare the next generation of students to learn, live and lead in an evolving global community,” Mull said.
Mull previously was vice president for student life at the University of Florida and held leadership roles at The Ohio State University before that. She has also been on student affairs executive committees for organizations such as the American Association of Universities (AAU) and the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU). She is a board member of the Dr. Melvin C. Terrell Educational Foundation.
“I was immediately drawn to this position at CU Boulder because of the university’s commitment to enhancing the student experience by providing unparalleled service and support while striving to enable each student’s pathway to success,” Mull said. “I couldn’t be more honored and more excited to be a part of this university that is so deeply committed to supporting the development and success of each student.”
Mull holds a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University, a master’s degree from Michigan State University, and a doctorate from Ohio State.
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