Idaho lawmakers are considering a measure that would eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses.

Critics say it could keep potential students from attending school in the state. Senate Bill 1357 would prohibit the use of state funds for DEI, and DEI offices from operating at colleges and universities.

Nick Koenig is a PhD student in geography at the University of Idaho.

"These positions that are trying to be taken away from this bill are specifically to foster student success on campus," said Koenig, "not just for students from marginalized groups but also just the totality of the campus community."

Lawmakers supporting the bill say eliminating DEI programs would save the state more than $3 million.

But Koenig said the consequences of eliminating these positions will have ripple effects. He said he spoke with the LGBTQ office at the University of Idaho before deciding to attend.

"The person I originally chatted with before coming to this university," said Koenig, "if her position was just not there, I would not have come to this university at all."

Koenig said the legislation would also make it hard to recruit people to colleges and universities in Idaho.

"People go to school say that they can see themselves as COOs or as teachers or as sociologists or as geographers, like in my case," said Koenig, "and if I saw that they're actively trying to remove me as a queer person from the state then, yeah, why would I want to spend four years in a state that wants to remove me as a person?"

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.



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Amid a severe teacher and staff shortage, school support workers and their union allies rallied Tuesday in Harrisburg for a better living wage.

The group said House Bill 777 would raise wages for more than 41,000 school staff members. More than 100 people gathered on the Capitol steps and met with lawmakers to gauge their support for the bill.

Aaron Chapin, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said it would raise the pay for support staff in public schools to a living wage of at least $20 per hour.

"About 45% of our colleagues that are support professionals would benefit from raising the wage to $20 an hour," Chapin reported. "And unfortunately, so many of our educational support professionals, they're not able to make ends meet with the current salaries that they have. Many of them have a second job."

The House bill has 22 cosponsors, all Democrats. Chapin pointed out it would raise support staff wages by about $3 an hour. A survey by the association last fall found four of five Pennsylvania voters would support a $20 minimum wage for school support staff.

Marc Howshall, vice president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association's Education Support Professionals Division and a custodian for the Bangor Area School District, said better wages and working conditions are crucial. He supports the new push for higher pay and argued it is key to keeping workers in the profession.

"A living wage would coexist with $20 an hour, and it would impact more members," Howshall emphasized. "Through the surveys and talking to people, it came to fruition that's the case. It will help a lot more members to be able to survive, to be able to live a little more comfortable, instead of just at -- really, in some cases -- the edge of poverty."

Rudy Burruss, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association's Education Support Professionals Division and a paraprofessional for the State College Area School District, works with students with disabilities and said he has had to juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet. While most workers he has spoken with said they chose the field for the love of the kids, Burruss stressed a raise would help them breathe a little easier.

"We've been working, we've been doing the job. We haven't been paid what we should be, but we work because we love the kids, and what we're doing," Burruss explained. "This will help ease some of that financial burden. People are making choices between loving their profession and loving the work they do, and trying to make ends meet."

A Missouri university is stepping up as America works to revive semiconductor manufacturing by helping train people to do the work.

It is estimated 300,000 engineers will be needed by 2030. Semiconductors power technology in health care, transportation, artificial intelligence and defense. Industry experts said a worker shortage leaves the U.S. dependent on foreign suppliers, which could threaten supply chains and national security.

Michael Moats, chair of the material science and engineering department at Missouri University of Science and Technology, said in response, the university is launching a new degree program.

"We're going to be starting a new semiconductor engineering program to train engineers who are specifically, have the skill sets to hit the ground running and work in these facilities," Moats explained.

Classes for the new program start this fall. The industry is seeing a major investment shift. President Donald Trump and the CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, recently announced a $100 billion expansion at the company's Arizona chip manufacturing site, boosting its total investment to $165 billion.

In addition, President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act in 2022, allocating $50 billion to revitalize U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and strengthen supply chains. Moats thinks students who decide to explore a career in the semiconductor industry will have plenty of options.

"We've been told by the companies, the kids -- the graduates for these programs -- are going to come out and have 10 job offers," Moats reported. "I think it's going to be an exciting time, and I think we're positioning our students well to be sought after when they graduate."

The semiconductor industry was valued at more than $600 billion in 2023 and is projected to surpass $1 trillion by 2030.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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Tennessee is working to get more people into college and career training programs, which the state says will be needed for good jobs in the future. And there's a lot more work to be done.

Tennessee ranks 46th among states for the percentage of working-age adults who have degrees or post-high-school career credentials.

Lumina Foundation, which tracks states' progress on higher ed, thinks 75% of adults will need degrees or credentials by 2040.

Steven Gentile, Ed.D, executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, said the state must improve to strengthen its workforce and drive economic growth. He points to several initiatives to help put college completion within reach.

"We have Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, providing tuition-free education," said Gentile. "The governor announced the Tennessee Works scholarship, which will provide tuition-free education for our students at technical colleges."

The Lumina report found in 2023, just over 38% of the Tennessee labor force had a post-high school degree, certificate or certification, and wages at least 15% above the median earnings of a high school graduate.

Seventeen years ago, Lumina Foundation's first goal was for 60% of working-age adults to earn a degree or certification by 2025.

Tennessee's goal for this year has been 55%. But Gentile said the pandemic was a big setback that affected college enrollment nationwide.

"So, will we make 55%? I'm hopeful," said Gentile. "But we also knew that we were not going to stop with 2025 -- we need to be focused on attainment for 2030, 2035 as well."

Gentile said Tennessee leads the nation in per student funding for financial aid. The commission also has advisors out in the field helping adult learners navigate their way back to college.

"So, any adult who wants to retool - go back to college and get that first credential - they can do so and have it be tuition free, and making that happen," said Gentile. "And so, it's just continuously making sure that potential students know it's available."

Lumina has said reaching the 2040 goal will mean states doing more to make college more affordable, improve financial aid, and ensure that schools provide clear value to students and communities.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




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