Education
They conquered gloom and Zoom: 2024 college grads on what comes next
Five college graduates reflect on their unique college experience and look forward to their early career plans.
California colleges are seeing a rise of conservative voices. Some classes are tense
Turning Point chapters continue to grow on California campuses months after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Campuses are seeing tensions rise as conservative students become more vocal both in and out of the classroom.
Tribes want Cal State to return Native remains and artifacts. Here’s why it’s not so easy
Cal State campuses have mixed records in returning Native remains and artifacts to tribes. Campus officials say they are working diligently to follow legal mandates but the process can be arduous, especially for non-federally recognized tribes.
For asylum seekers, the path to a California education is costly
Asylum seekers going to college in California can pay much higher nonresident tuition and are often excluded from financial aid, at great cost to them and their families as immigration cases spend years in limbo.
Cal State struck a deal with OpenAI. Some students and faculty refuse to use it
California State University’s $17 million contract with ChatGPT’s maker OpenAI is up for renewal. Some students and faculty say equal access to AI is important for preparing students for the workforce. Others say the implementation of AI tools has been confusing and opens the door to cheating. Some faculty have banned AI from their classes altogether and even started a petition to end the contract deal.
Jennifer Burger
Editor
Michael Lozano
Assistant Editor
Alina Ta
San Jose State
Aliza Imran
Sacramento State
Andrea Baltodano
San Joaquin Delta College
Angel Corzo
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Brittany Oceguera
Cal State Bakersfield
Chrissa Olson
UC Berkeley
Ella Carter-Klauschie
UC Berkeley
Kahani Malhotra
Claremont McKenna College
Khadeejah Khan
UC Davis
Martin Romero
East Los Angeles College
Phoebe Huss
UCLA
Sophie Sullivan
USC
College Beat
Black leaders provide roadmap to reparations in California
Panelists discuss the importance of acknowledging and apologizing for California’s racist policies during CalMatters’ Ideas Festival.
Higher Education
Raising kids in California? They may have college savings accounts you don’t know about.
The state is directly investing money for low-income students and all newborns to attend college. After two years, the program is still not widely known by the students who need the most financial assistance.
Higher Education
Hispanic Serving Institutions rely on federal funding to support Latino students. What happens when the money ends?
Once federal grant funding ends many resources and opportunities at Hispanic Serving Institutions continue only through student and faculty efforts. Experts say campuses must maintain programs to better serve Latino students.
Higher Education
Hundreds arrested and suspended: How California colleges are disciplining faculty and students over protests
Students and faculty protesting the Israel-Hamas war at universities throughout California are facing a range of consequences from arrests to suspensions and bans from campus. Meanwhile, students and faculty have also had to endure campus closures, canceled events, and classes moving online. What are the academic and legal costs of civil disobedience for California’s college protesters?
Higher Education
UC’s president had a plan to deescalate protests. How did we get a night of violence at UCLA?
The University of California’s campus safety plan was designed to calm protests by limiting law enforcement. Yet as tensions grew to violence against a UCLA student encampment erected in protest over the war in Gaza, many are criticizing law enforcement’s initial lack of intervention.
College Beat
Native American students get free tuition to attend the UC. Why it isn’t enough.
The UC Native American Opportunity Plan seeks to make the system a viable option for Native students in California by offering them free tuition. But Native students enrolled at UC campuses report that strains on their budgets along with insufficient resources and faculty representation have been obstacles to academic success.
College Beat
California’s disabled students left behind during emergencies: ‘They just weren’t ready for someone like me’
After bringing his story all the way to the University of California Board of Regents, a disabled UC Berkeley student has prompted the UC to ensure emergency evacuation chairs are in every multi-storied building in the 10-university system.
College Beat
California colleges have to slash emissions. Here’s why decarbonization is complex and costly.
California’s three public university systems are either setting or reworking their climate plans to fall in line with the state’s goal for carbon neutrality by 2045, all while striving to expand in size and scope. New plans do away with a large reliance on carbon offsets, making an already difficult and costly process of reducing emissions even harder.
Education
California universities struggle to graduate Black students. Cultural centers aim to help
While graduation rates for Black students are the lowest in California universities, cultural centers can help address equity issues. Centers for Black students create a safe space to foster community while connecting with academic resources and Black faculty.