Insights & Outlooks
Mysia Perry – University of Richmond & LEDA Policy Corps Member
On March 2, 2020, I first learned that COVID-19 would impact me personally before it became the pandemic that worried many Americans into emptying stores out of the essentials. I was doing final preparations for my first trip abroad; I was going to Cape Town with an organization on campus. As American Studies majors/minors and…
Adrian Williams – Wright State University
The COVID-19 pandemic has become an international crisis that has significantly altered every facet of my life. As a student leader, it has also been the most difficult thing I have dealt with during my tenure. The pandemic hit like a flash flood—one day we were going about business as normal and the next we…
Caylonna Perdue – University of Central Florida
As a graduating senior at the University of Central Florida (UCF), my favorite part about being on campus is getting to network with a group of students that are all in the same walk of life as me. This is extremely evident at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management that I have been so lucky…
Zenani Johnson – University of West Florida
For many college seniors, we are often asked, “what’s next for you?” Now more than ever it is an overwhelming and loaded question. Not having an exact plan can be both scary and frustrating. This question that makes students feel anxious and alone is now a shared one. A question many are asking themselves around…
Now More Than Ever, Higher Education Matters
When I was hired to lead Kentucky’s public higher education system in 2018, I asked my staff to design a logo incorporating the words “Higher Education Matters.” Armed with charts and graphs, I embarked on a statewide listening tour to share the benefits of a college credential and hear how higher education could better meet…
Post-COVID: Building the Better Education System That We’ve Long Needed
“Don’t waste a crisis” is wise advice that can be hard to remember when you’re actually living through one. And right now, our national response to COVID-19 is a mess. To come out of the crisis as quickly and with as little long-term damage as possible we need a lot more coordination among federal, state,…
3 Ways Federal Policy Solutions Can Level the Playing Field in Higher Education and the Economy
Education and the economy are two of the top five issues for 2020 voters. So, it’s no surprise that presidential hopefuls are offering plans to reduce college costs and forgive student debt. Or that Republicans and Democrats in Congress are currently trying to overhaul the long-expired Higher Education Act, which President Johnson signed into law...
Indigenous Higher Education: Asserting an Inherent Right to Education
Often when I speak before an audience, I start with a land acknowledgement, recognizing that all land on which the U.S. was built is indigenous land and calling attention to the particular people on whose land we are convening. This very act exemplifies the difference between Native American students and other racial and ethnic groups.…