On Campus Radio Esteban Bustillos

Access to college is not a given for everyone. Money and geography can both play a role in locking some people out of the promise of a higher education.

With several presidential campaign candidates pushing the idea of free college, On Campus Radio looks at how this idea is playing out in places where it’s already being offered.

We'll visit Tennessee -- a state that allows all new high school graduates to enroll in a post-secondary associate or certificate program without having to pay out of pocket for tuition.

We'll also go to Rhode Island, where the Ocean State is in the middle of a four-year pilot for a similar program.

Then, we'll hear from Matthew Chingos, who directs the Urban Institute's Center on Education Data and Policy, about how free college proposals really work and why it isn't always easy as it sounds.

All that and more on this month's episode of On Campus Radio.

The new year is often a time for reflection and looking back. But on the latest episode of On Campus Radio, we'll be looking forward at what issues the world of higher education is facing.

First, we'll review what stories you may have missed, from a lawsuit levied against Betsy DeVos by one of the nation's largest teachers unions to updates on the Varsity Blues case.

Then, we'll have an in-depth conversation with Helen Drinan, the current president of Simmons University, who will be stepping down at the end of the semester. She'll talk about the issues facing higher education, including how institutions can remain credible to the public and how schools can make the experience better for students.

Then, we'll take a look at college athletics. We'll take another look at how states student-athletes may be getting more rights to their name, image and likeness and what that means for college sports.

We'll then hear from Joseph Cooper from UMass Boston who will give insight into how he thinks this and other topics will play out in college athletics over the coming years.

You'll hear all that and more on this month's episode of On Campus Radio.

Mental health issues have reached crisis levels among college students.

From anxiety to depression, kids are feeling the pressure, in some cases from birth.

What's contributing to it? And how are schools responding?

That's what we're looking into on this month's episode of On Campus Radio.

First, we'll hear about the series "Stressed and Depressed on Campus" from WGBH News Higher Ed Reporter Kirk Carapezza. He'll explain how stress on students often starts at birth, how high achieving students often experience the most pressure, what happens to first-generation college students who are dealing with specific problems and what colleges are doing to respond to demands for action.

After that, we'll hear from Pam Eddinger, president of Bunker Hill Community College, about what community colleges are doing to keep their students mentally healthy.

Then, we'll talk to Marjorie Malpiede from the Mary Christie Foundation, which focuses on the health and wellness of teens and young adults. She'll talk about a recent study the foundation did that found a majority of parents and college students are concerned about mental health on campus, and what campuses can do.

Finally, we'll hear from Laura Horne from Active Minds, a national organization that focuses on mental health and has more than 450 chapters at high schools and colleges across the nation. She'll speak about what students are saying about mental health and what they say they need from their schools.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call the *National Suicide Prevention Lifeline** at 800-273-TALK (8255) or use the Crisis Text Line by texting “Home” to 741741. More resources are available at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.*

Earlier this month, in a case that drew national attention, a federal judge ruled that Harvard does not discriminate against Asian-Americans.

Now, the world of higher education is reacting to the ruling and preparing for the next steps. We'll discuss it all on this month's episode of On Campus Radio.

First, we'll hear from WGBH News' Kirk Carapezza, who was in the courtroom everyday, about why Judge Allison Burroughs ruled the way she did and what higher ed leaders thought of the performance from the plaintiffs and the defense.

Then, we'll talk to Ted Shaw, a professor of law at the Univesity of North Carolina, and Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, about what they saw in the trial, where they differ in their opinions on the use of race in admissions.

Then, we'll go back to some of our past reporting on diversity on campus and the discussions about what it means, why it's important and how we should achieve it.

Finally, WGBH News' Ken Cooper will bring his perspective about the case and the history of race on campus in America.

It's fall already, and that means colleges across the country are back in full swing. And, On Campus Radio is back with another episode.

First, we look at one of the biggest misconceptions about college — that "college students" are full-time, four-year students at big state or private schools.

In reality, four in 10 students are enrolled part-time, and many are working, commuting and struggling to finish coursework for their degrees.

We examine the struggles of these students and talk to Davis Jenkins from Teachers College at Columbia University about how colleges and states are tying to improve outcomes for part-time students.

Next, we look at restrictive voting laws and how they impact students. We'll talk to Daniel Block, an editor at Washington Monthly, to talk about hurdles students face if they try to vote from where they go to college.

Then, we'll turn our attention to California, where a new bill that aims to allow student athletes to be compensated for their names, images and likenesses is drawing serious heat from the NCAA and has the potential to reshape the college sports landscape. We'll speak to Andrew Zimbalist, an economist at Smith College, about the politics that go into college athletics and why the NCAA holds on so dearly to amateurism.

All that, plus updates on the Varsity Blues case as a federal judge in Boston begins handing down sentences.

It's August and the dog days of summer are coming to a close. And although school is just starting back up, the stories in higher education haven't come to a stop.

First, we'll take a look into student housing, both in Boston and beyond. First, we'll re-visit the On Campus's trip to Barcelona earlier this year to look into how that city is dealing with finding homes for that city's large student population.

Then, we'll take what we learned there and apply it to Boston's own struggle to find affordable housing for undergraduates. We'll talk to Emma Goodwin, a recent grad from Emerson College, who wrote an op-ed in The Boston Globe railing against the housing situation in the city for students and the wide-spread perception that college kids are the problem.

We then hear from Alicia Modestino, an economist at Northeastern University who breaks down what's driving the housing crunch in the city, how college students play into it and potential solutions.

Then, we're going to get out of Massachusetts for higher education stories around the country you may have missed.

We speak to Claire McInerny, the education reporter for KUT, the NPR member station in Austin, Texas. She tells us how a new law in Texas aims to get all graduating seniors to apply for federal or state student aid and what it will take to implement that legislation on a large scale.

Then, we'll go to the only state larger than Texas in landmass, Alaska, where the higher ed community has been on edge after the governor announced large cuts to the budget for the state's university system. We'll talk to Wesley Early, a reporter at Alaska Public Media, about how the situation has evolved and what it could mean for the future of education in the state.

Finally, we'll speak to Michael Roth, the president of Wesleyan University. In his new book, “Safe Enough Spaces: A Pragmatist's Approach To Inclusion, Free Speech And Political Correctness On College Campuses,” Roth tries to make sense of very confusing, polarizing times in American higher education.