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Forbes
17 minutes ago
- Forbes
Regional Public Universities Drive Social Mobility. Rankings Need To Catch Up
What makes a college great? For too long, that question has been answered by rankings based o Regional public universities drive social mobility, a story that's often missing from the most cited ... More rankings. n a narrow and outdated formula that includes variables like how many applications a college denies, how high their admitted students' test scores are, and how large their endowment is. But that definition of excellence doesn't serve students—or America. If we care about long-term student success and national competitiveness, we need to focus on the institutions that deliver social and economic mobility at scale. And by every meaningful measure, public universities—especially regional public universities—do this best. Yet these institutions often trail their peers in the most widely cited rankings, like U.S. News & World Report. While that publication is to be commended for placing a 'greater emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduates' in its 2024 rankings, more change is needed for rankings systems that are still dominated by wealth and selectivity. The colleges doing the most to change lives still struggle to gain appropriate recognition. This is problematic because, despite their limitations, rankings still matter. Students and families use them to decide where to apply. Prospective faculty and staff include them in their consideration of competitive offers from other institutions. But rather than introducing students who may be the first in their family to attend college, working adults, or those from lower-income backgrounds to institutions best positioned to prepare them for success, many rankings instead potentially skew the perceptions of the colleges that are most worthy for these students. That's why this moment—when higher education is facing unprecedented criticism and challenges, and the percentage of young people choosing to pursue a four-year degree is dropping—matters. We can't just dismiss and drop out of flawed rankings. We need to elevate and value better rankings, rankings that reward the kind of positive, lifelong impact higher education has always delivered. The Social Mobility Index, Third Way's Economic Mobility Index, and Washington Monthly rankings prioritize affordability, completion, post-college earnings, and access for students. These tools highlight a much clearer picture of institutional value—for individuals, communities, and the broader economy. And they reveal a truth that other rankings obscure: the institutions delivering the greatest return for students and society are regional public universities. Regional public universities educate not only large numbers of Pell-eligible and first-generation students, but also the majority of American students seeking a public four-year undergraduate degree. They prepare graduates for high-demand fields, support local economies, and create upward mobility across generations. They don't measure success by who they exclude—they measure it by who they uplift. This is not just a matter of fairness—it's a national economic imperative. According to a 2024 report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, 72% of jobs in the U.S. will require postsecondary education or training by 2031, and 62% of good jobs will require a bachelor's degree or higher. As the population of traditional college-aged students shrinks, meeting future workforce demands will depend on bringing more low-income, underrepresented, and first-generation students into—and through—college. The importance of this work is increasingly being recognized. The newly revised Carnegie Classification system now includes a Social and Economic Mobility category. Ninety-seven percent of all public four-year universities achieving the new Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation are regional public universities. That's a meaningful signal—but more is needed. If we want higher education to continue to be the powerful force for equity, for economic growth, and for national competitiveness that it has long been proven to be, we need to realign our incentives and our recognition. Rankings must meaningfully measure and reward outcomes that matter: not endowment size, but social mobility; not exclusivity, but economic impact. A truly great college isn't one that preserves privilege. It's one that creates opportunity. Regional public universities are delivering what the country needs most, at a time when talented and prepared citizens are needed more than ever. The rankings—and the nation—need to catch up.
Associated Press
17 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Christian broadcasters ask listeners to tune in to the fight for AM radio
(RNS) — Faith Radio president Scott Beigle's quest for Christian radio started with 1070AM, a former CNN news station in Tallahassee, Florida. After moving from northern Alabama to the Florida Panhandle with his wife and three kids, Beigle, who is Baptist, noted the lack of Christian radio stations in the area and felt compelled to change that. Months later, on Oct. 6, 1997, that calling became a reality as the Faith Radio Network's blend of evangelical Christian music and teachings hit the airwaves on 1070AM. Nearly three decades later, the nonprofit network has grown to include 12 other Christian radio stations. Their flagship station, 1070AM, has been converted to a Spanish-language Christian station to meet the needs of Latino Christians in the region — 'there was no one doing that in our area,' Beigle told RNS. But in recent years, the future of 1070AM has become uncertain, even as Beigle said its message has become more vital. 'A lot of them, especially now with the immigration and all, they're scared,' Beigle said of 1070AM's Spanish-speaking listeners. 'And we understand they're scared to go out — but they're not scared to listen, to turn that AM radio on to hear their language, and to hear how God can change their life.' ___ This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ___ In recent decades, AM radio, known especially for talk radio, has faded in popularity with the arrival of the clearer but more limited reach of FM signals, in addition to streaming and satellite radio. A 2025 survey from Barna Group and the National Religious Broadcasters found listeners access Christian radio from multiple sources, with 68% saying they listen to FM stations, 57% a website or app, 38% satellite radio and 37% AM stations. While AM stations remain a smaller but consequential part of America's radio landscape — the National Association of Broadcasters reports 80 million Americans still listen to AM radio each month on over 4,000 AM stations — AM radio now faces an existential threat: removal from cars. Citing dwindling audiences and technological clashes with electric vehicle equipment, automakers such as Ford, Volkswagen, Tesla and BMW have begun phasing out AM radio in some newer vehicles. A diverse coalition of stakeholders linked with conservative talk shows, foreign language stations and religious broadcasters is teaming up in the halls of Congress, advocating to salvage AM radio's spot on the nation's dashboards, at least temporarily. For many Christian stations, the legislative effort has spiritual stakes. 'We're in the hope business — to see their lives changed,' Beigle said. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act is the latest iteration of a bill that would require United States automakers to include AM receivers in new vehicles for the next 10 years. Though the bill has already gained broad bipartisan support — with at least 218 co-sponsors of the House version and 61 of the Senate — the House version is still in committee, while the vote on the Senate version has yet to be scheduled. 'We have more than enough votes to pass it in the House right now, but to make it a priority in a moment where there's just a whole lot of four- and five-alarm fires you have to put out, it's hard to do something that's more of a long-term concern,' said Mike Farris, legal counsel for the National Religious Broadcasters, a multimedia association founded by evangelical Christian broadcasters in the 1940s. The NRB, which has more than 120 AM stations among its members, has been one of several groups advocating for the legislation. Proponents of AM radio say the medium has long been a key source of emergency communication. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's warning system relies on AM stations for emergency alerts, and local AM stations are known for distributing critical updates in a crisis — particularly in more rural areas, where AM is sometimes the only signal available. Carolyn Cassidy, a regional general manager for Christian media conglomerate Salem Media Group, said her stations give AM listeners in Tampa, Florida, information on how to prepare for, ride out and recover from severe storms during hurricane season. 'It's a First Amendment issue, it's a religious issue, but it's also a public safety issue, because AM radio is the backbone of the Emergency Alert System,' said Nic Anderson, vice president of government affairs for Salem. He said he fears that excluding AM radio from cars is a move toward giving automakers control over what drivers can listen to. Known for promoting Christian and conservative values, Salem Media Group owns and operates roughly 80 stations, 84% of which fall on AM, Anderson said. The group also has about 3,000 affiliate stations that are owned locally but carry Salem programs — of those, 900 are AM stations. In addition to advocating on Capitol Hill, Salem has been raising awareness among listeners by distributing prerecorded, pro-AM radio public service announcements from evangelical Christian leaders and influencers such as Focus on the Family President Jim Daly and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. 'For generations, AM radio has brought the hope of the gospel, biblical teaching and encouragement right into our homes and cars, especially in times of crisis,' Kirk said in one of the announcements. 'But now, some automakers want to eliminate AM radio from new vehicles. Let's stand together and protect this ministry lifeline.' Broadcasters say one reason Christian stations are especially available in the AM format is because it's a more affordable option than FM, making it more accessible to smaller, niche stations of all stripes, including farming and foreign language stations. 'AM allows for certain formats that can't command the bigger dollars from agencies. They have more of a local appeal,' said Orlando Boyd, general manager of The Gospel Nashville, which offers a mix of music and talk shows that cater to Christian audiences. 'It's really to get that foot in the door … for people trying to break into the radio business.' Boyd said The Gospel Nashville began as an AM station and later added an FM translator, which 'piggybacks' on the AM station to play the same content on an FM frequency. But the AM station is still a key part of the branding and reach. It's vital, he said, for listeners in remote settings and is often the first choice for those over age 40. Sheila Brown, who owns two AM radio stations — WUFO (1080AM) in Buffalo, New York, and WIGO (1570 AM) in Atlanta — said listeners on the east side of Buffalo and the south side of Atlanta especially depend on these stations' unique blend of R&B, gospel and talk shows to reflect their interests and experiences. 'We're running our own narrative when it comes to our talk shows, our music, our format. No one else in either city has the formats that we have,' Brown said. Brown started her career in an entry-level position at WUFO in 1986 and worked her way up to become owner and CEO in 2013. She went on to purchase WIGO in 2022. While WUFO in Buffalo has since added a translator to air its content on an FM signal, WIGO in Atlanta is a standalone AM station. Brown's stations feature daily gospel music and sermon segments, and on Sundays, they play religious content all day. That's why for the lifelong member of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Buffalo, the fight for AM radio is a matter of faith. 'You have so many people that are sick and shut in, who can't get out to their churches like they used to,' Brown said. 'But when they turn to us, they'll get the same singing, ministry, preaching that they would if they would be at their church.'
Associated Press
17 minutes ago
- Associated Press
First US center to train Catholics on canonization process to open in 2026
(RNS) — The first formation center for canonization in the United States is scheduled to open at St. Patrick's Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California, in early 2026. The Center for Sainthood, commissioned by San Francisco's Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone in an April 14 decree, aims to train sainthood enthusiasts on the inner workings of canonization. Announced earlier this month, the seminary's six-day, in-person certification course promises to teach 'how to honor deserving candidates and expedite their path to sainthood in the Vatican,' according to the center's website. Fifty years after the canonization of the first U.S.-born saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, the founders of the center said they hope to ignite a stronger saintly American culture. As causes to canonize laypeople and Black American saints have sparked interest among Catholics, what's been missing is a better understanding of the yearslong process, the center's founders said. Michael McDevitt, a spokesperson for the new center who has worked on the cause of Servant of God Cora Evans since 2012, said fellow volunteers could have used training when they started her candidacy. The cause for the Utah-born Catholic convert, raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is now under review at the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. 'It seems complex in one sense because there's these many different steps, but once you learn how to move forward … it's not that it's difficult, it's just that it's unknown,' McDevitt told Religion News Service. ___ This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ___ Despite being eager to start causes, many volunteers are deterred by the process seeming out of reach, he said. For this reason, the center's course will focus on the work required at a diocesan level, before petitions are sent to Rome. It includes interviewing historians and theologians, as well as compiling proofs of miracles. McDevitt said he thinks the initiative could appease divisions among American Catholics. 'It'll help encourage people to come back who have drifted away,' he said. 'These are beautiful stories. These are wonderful people that are also ordinary.' Outside of Rome, where the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints offers a one-semester course on the topic in Italian, canonization remains obscure for most Catholics, explained Emanuele Spedicato, an associate professor of canon law at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University. In February, Spedicato, the canon lawyer assigned to Evans' cause, will fly to California to teach the center's first cohort of 50 students. 'Outside of Rome and of Italy, where there is a stronger formation from the Vatican, the biggest challenge is really the formation of the people involved in a cause of canonization,' he said. The first part of the course will introduce participants to the Catholic Church's sainthood culture, highlighting how the canonization process has evolved from the ages of martyrs to present day. The training will also include the theological aspect of canonization and will detail the three reasons for which a cause can be started: a person dying in martyrdom, one exercising heroic virtues or one offering their lives in the exercise of their ministry. An entire day will be dedicated to miracles — 'a (key) element in a process of canonization' — Spedicato said. Miracles refer to events that occurred 'by the Grace of God through the intercession of a Venerable, or Blessed, which is scientifically inexplicable,' according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' website. For Kathleen Sprows Cummings, an American studies and history professor at University of Notre Dame in Indiana and the author of 'A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics Become American' (2019), the St. Patrick's Seminary initiative signals an interesting shift in the American Catholic Church's approach to sainthood. After despairing about not seeing more American-born saint candidates and decades of volunteers vying for more attention to their causes, Sprows Cummings said faithfuls creating networks and working side by side is a new strategy. 'This is a sign that those days are over — that there's actually many candidates from the United States who are being considered, and that it's in their interest to cooperate rather than compete,' she said. 'It's not a zero-sum game. The popularity of some saints spills over into making others more popular.' The way American Catholics work on causes has also evolved, she noted. Instead of religious order members working full time on causes, now many involve part-time volunteers for whom training can be invaluable. And in recent years, a number of causes for lay Catholics have gained traction among Americans, she said, including those of 6 Black candidates. After George Floyd's murder by a police officer in Minneapolis in 2020, interest in the causes of Black candidates increased. 'In a time when the United States is trying to reconcile with the legacy of racism, and the Catholic Church is asking what its part was in that, these stories have a lot of appeal,' Sprows Cummings said. Waldery Hilgeman, the postulator, or person guiding the causes, for three Black saint candidates – Servant of God Julia Greeley, Mother Mary Lange and Venerable Henriette DeLille – will teach classes at the center alongside Spedicato. As Catholics, in America and across the world, await signs of what Pope Leo XIV's approach to saint-making will be, Sprows Cummings said she believes the pope will be compelled to walk in the steps of his predecessors, two 'energetic saint-makers,' as a number of causes are already underway at the dicastery. The new pope, she said, could potentially 'be very interested in … a broader representation of a diversity of the world's Catholics represented as saints.'
