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SCHEV & HIGHER ED NEWS

VMI names Wins as first Black superintendent as college navigates racism probe

"Virginia Military Institute has chosen Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins as its first Black superintendent to guide the nation’s oldest state-supported military college as it reckons with allegations of systemic racism and its complicated historic ties to the Confederacy. VMI’s board of visitors selected Wins, a 1985 graduate of VMI who retired from the U.S. Army in 2019 after a 34-year career, in November to lead the college on an interim basis. The board voted unanimously Thursday to keep him on as the permanent superintendent," reports The Roanoke Times.

Photo: Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins (VMI)

How College Admissions Have Changed During Covid

"After the pandemic forced most schools to adopt test-optional admission policies, applications soared at the nation’s most selective schools ... In their admissions announcements, schools touted the increased number of nonwhite students they had accepted and the number qualified to receive government Pell grants, awarded to students from low-income families ... The message to students this year is mixed. In theory they have had a greater chance to reach the pinnacle of college admissions and get into a highly selective school that promises to meet students’ full financial need. But at Harvard more than 95% of applicants were rejected. Which means that tens of thousands of aspiring Ivy Leaguers are coping with disappointment and defeat," reports Forbes.

Photo: Harvard University's iron gate in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (GETTY)

Virginia establishes tuition-free community college for high-demand fields

"Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation Monday establishing tuition-free community college for low- and middle-income students studying for jobs in high-demand fields. The program targets students pursuing degrees in such industries as healthcare, computer science and early childhood education within the Virginia Community College System," reports Higher Ed Dive.

Photo: Gov. Ralph Northam signs legislation on March 30, 2021. (Governor's office)