The College Crisis Initiative (C2i)

In a new research brief for the @BrookingsInst, #C2i student leader @sophieeldridge_ (@DavidsonCollege), C2i Research Affiliate @ProfitOfEd, and PhD Candidate @DannyKlinenberg (@ucsantabarbara) wrote about predictors of college responses to COVID-19. 1/2 brookings.edu/blog/brown-cen…

Victoria's favorite thing about Davidson: "I love Davidson for the people. The community way of life at Davidson is just amazing. And also the various opportunities for skill development and leadership, and the Hurt Hub."

Victoria's favorite part of working with C2i: "My favorite project so far has been on the test-optional admissions policy. It was fascinating seeing how Covid-19 and peer influence impacted the various schools and their test policies."

Meet Victoria Ochieng '27, one of our Summer 2024 student staff members! Victoria is from Nairobi, Kenya, and has been with C2i since she started at Davidson last fall.

Abby's favorite thing about Davidson: "I love all the friends I have made here and the future opportunities Davidson and its alumni provide."

Abby's favorite thing about C2i: "I love all the learning that comes with the work we do! I get to understand so much more about each topic I research."

Introducing our next summer student staff member, Abby Hulka '25! Abby is a rising senior Psychology major from Chapel Hill, NC, and has been working with C2i for one year.

Sarah's favorite thing about Davidson: "The supportive community of such awesome and wonderful people! Everyone is invested in each other's success and always excited to help you out or cheer you on."

Sarah's favorite thing about C2i: "I love the opportunity to be involved in exciting and impactful research as well as the access to excellent professional development opportunities. I feel incredibly supported by the C2i team and I learn something new every day!"

Introducing our second full-time summer staff member, Sarah Butchko '25! Sarah is a rising senior Educational Studies major, and has been working for C2i since March 2023.

RISE is such an impactful program at @DavidsonCollege, and many @C2Initiative students take part in it. I’m glad RISE is finally getting the national attention it deserves. insidehighered.com/news/student-s…

This week, we'll be introducing our summer student staff members, starting with Natalie Russell '25! Natalie will be with us all summer. She is a rising senior Communication Studies major from Durham, NC, and has been working with C2i since May 2023. Welcome, Natalie!

The @UNC_System Board of Governors has voted to end DEI programs on all of its campuses. I spoke with @ReubenJones1 of Spectrum News about what that means for higher education institutions in North Carolina.

3 in 5 unionization elections are organized by either the @SEIU or the @AFLCIO. These elections tend to be more common in union-friendly states and well-resourced institutions.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an uptick in the unionization of residence life and research employees, two groups which often include students.

The original C2i data collection used in this study is unique in that it includes all campus employees, not just faculty. Most previous research has ignored the unionization efforts of staff such as maintenance workers, food workers, and campus security.

This month, the @AnnenbergInst at @BrownUniversity posted a working paper on campus unionizations authored by C2i student Steve Mirabello '25, Assistant Director @Rylie_Martin_, and Founding Director @ChrisMarsicano. Check it out here: edworkingpapers.com/ai24-966

The study examines trends in unionization at private colleges and universities since 2007. It found that the majority of unionization elections were organized by staff (67.86%), followed by contingent faculty (~30%).

I enjoyed speaking with the good folks at @CNBC about the divestment movement on college campuses due to the Israel-Gaza conflict a few weeks ago. Here is the video that came out of that interview. youtube.com/watch?v=XeBman…

Divestment is not just an American protest request. Trinity College🇮🇪 recently agreed to divest from Israel. Protesters are pushing for the same at Cambridge🇬🇧. Want to learn more? Listen to this primer featuring yours truly on @BBCRadio4's AntiSocial: bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0…

This is one of many trends to keep an eye on as higher education evolves throughout the 21st century.

They predict that this trend may persist after the pandemic, particularly among marginalized groups. However, new data from the @NSClearinghouse show an increase in college enrollment among 21+ year-olds, suggesting that gap years may have become more popular due to COVID.

Highlighting more C2i publications from this semester! In January, a paper using C2i data was published in The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences. Read it here: muse.jhu.edu/pub/207/articl…