Notes in the Margins: Guns, gap years and government focus

Winona State higher ed summit focuses on change Tight budgets, rising tuition and a changing student body will make the next years challenging for Minnesota colleges and universities. How higher education deals with these challenges was the focus of the Sustainable Higher Education Summit on Wednesday night at Winona State University. (Winona Daily News)

Victor Schwartz: Disaster 101: Guns on College Campuses Several states are currently dealing with well-organized efforts to loosen regulations prohibiting or limiting the ability to carry firearms on college campuses. (Huffington Post)

Early Morning Fire In Apartment Near 'U' Campus Investigators are trying to figure out what sparked an apartment fire on the University of Minnesota campus. It happened around 4 am in the Stadium Village. (google.com)

U freezes space allocation to collect group feedback Seeking more time to collect feedback on space allocation in Coffman Union, the University of Minnesota Board of Governors on Thursday recommended freezing second-floor space allocation. (mndaily.com)

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Perry Binder: Lessons of Justice for College Students: Grandpa versus Big Coal While the media insults and labels the youth of every generation like an X or Y or Z, I instead see college students bringing energy and a common message of hope to the table: to make a difference in their lives and those of others. (Huffington Post)

A Gap Year for College Graduates Taking a "gap year"—typically a year off between high school and college—has long been common in other countries and is becoming more so in the United States as well. However, there is another type of gap year, and it is becoming more common among recent college graduates. (Speakeasy - Wall Street Journal)

Phi Kappa Sigma returns to the U after 60 years Phi Kappa Sigma is returning to the University of Minnesota after 60 years, and it’s hiring a professional recruitment service to gain members. (mndaily.com)

To Improve Degree Completion, Scholars Suggest Focus on Metro Areas and Prior Learning The federal government should get more involved in the country's degree-completion agenda by creating policies that would allow easier transfer of students' prior credits and learning experiences, according to scholars who spoke at a forum on Thursday about improving educational attainment. (chronicle.com)

Community Colleges Labor To Beef Up Retention This program, along with condensed remedial (also known as "developmental") classes, is helping students stay in school throughout the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system. (google.com)