When Back To School Meets Stay At Home
Students typically flock to higher education institutions amid a recession, but the COVID-19 pandemic has created a host of new financial and health challenges for those who intended to enroll in a program in the fall. A new analysis, When Back to School Meets Stay at Home, from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce shows that 75% of households in which at least one member intended to take postsecondary classes responded to the pandemic by changing their plans. Some completely canceled them, while others changed the number of classes they took, enrolled in a different program or institution, or took classes in a different format. Taking classes in a different format was the most common change in fall postsecondary plans, experienced by 39% of households with postsecondary plans. More than one-third of households (37%) with such plans, however, reported that a household member had canceled a plan entirely. Postsecondary plans were most likely to be canceled in households in which individuals intended to take classes in certificate or associate’s degree programs. Lower-income households also were more likely to have individuals who canceled their postsecondary plans in response to the pandemic. The analysis can be obtained here.
Equity-Minded Faculty Workloads: What Can And Should Be Done Now
Recent social movements have revealed the systemic ways that racism and sexism remain entrenched in academic cultures. Faculty workload is taken up, assigned, and rewarded in patterns, and these patterns show important yet overlooked areas where inequity manifests in academe. Faculty from historically minority groups are disproportionately called upon to do diversity work and mentoring, while women faculty do more teaching and service. These activities are vital to the functioning of the university, yet are often invisible and unrewarded, leading to lower productivity and decreased retention. The COVID19 pandemic, which disproportionately has affected the lives and careers of women and faculty from historically minority groups, makes calls for equity-minded workload reform critical. A report from the American Council on Education summarizes findings and insights learned from the Faculty Workload and Rewards Project (FWRP), a National Science Foundation ADVANCE-funded action research project. The FWRP worked with 51 departments and academic units to promote equity in how faculty work is taken up, assigned, and rewarded, drawing from theories of behavioral economics and the principles of equity-mindedness. The report then makes recommendations for how academic units can promote workload equity by identifying the following six conditions linked to equitable workloads: Transparency, Clarity, Credit, Norms, Context, and Accountability. The report can be obtained here.
2021 Federal Health Insurance Exchange Weekly Enrollment
According to a report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), approximately 8.3 million individuals selected or were re-enrolled automatically in plans using the HealthCare.gov platform during the 2021 Open Enrollment period. That’s about the same number as last year, although two fewer states are using the federally facilitated platform for 2021 enrollment. While the number of new consumers declined by 3.6%, the number actively renewing coverage increased by 13.2% and the number automatically re-enrolled increased by 4.4%, increasing total plan selections by 7% of all plan selections during the 2020 Open Enrollment Period. These snapshots provide point-in-time estimates of weekly plan selections, call center activity, and visits to HealthCare.gov or CuidadoDeSalud.gov. The final snapshot reports new plan selections, active plan renewals, and automatic renewals. It does not report the number of consumers who paid premiums to effectuate their enrollment. The report, which shows plan selections in each of the 36 states using HealthCare.gov under the Affordable Care Act for 2021 open enrollment that began on November 1 and ended December 15 can be obtained here.
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When Back To School Meets Stay At Home
Equity-Minded Faculty Workloads: What Can And Should Be Done Now
2021 Federal Health Insurance Exchange Weekly Enrollment Read More
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