Here are some new resources and news for the field of higher education.

Presidents Divided on Community College Bachelor’s Degrees  The Inside Higher Ed survey asked a broad set of questions about community college bachelor’s degrees at a time when half the states have now enabled two-year institutions to award such degrees. The survey found that 75 percent of community college presidents would like to see their campuses offer bachelor’s degrees, even though only one in 10 reported offering four-year degree programs on their campuses. (Inside Higher Ed)

Purpose as Well as Paycheck  “This ‘purpose gap’ is a glaring problem for the younger work force, as millennials place a higher priority on purpose in their lives than previous generations, and they look to work more than other sources to find it,” A. Clayton Spencer, president of Bates, said in a statement. “The purpose gap is also a challenge for employers because of a strong correlation between employees’ purpose and engagement and an organization’s bottom line.” (Inside Higher Ed)

Community Colleges to Add New Apprenticeships to Work Force  AACC will select 80 community colleges to help develop the apprenticeships with employers and expects each college to train 150 apprentices annually over the three-year period. The group has also identified four community college and business partnerships that are expected to produce 1,000 apprenticeships each, Worth said. (Inside Higher Ed)

How Colleges Can Help Their Students Out-Compete Robots  As the labor market demands different and evolving skills, what does that mean for higher education?

Higher Education Act Recommendations  Higher Learning Advocates is working to shift federal policy from higher education to higher learning—education and training beyond high school that leads to a degree, credential, or employment. While more students are participating in higher education than ever before, there is a vast and growing disconnect between federal policy and the needs of today’s students, employers, and communities. Check out our Higher Education Act recommendations to learn how we suggest policymakers update federal policy to best serve today’s students.

Policy Toolkit for Today’s Students Higher Learning Advocates released an updated Policy Toolkit for Today’s Students that includes fifteen common-sense policy recommendations that lead to increased success for today’s students. These bipartisan policy solutions are designed to better serve the changing demographic of students pursuing higher education and offer supports to meet the needs of this new generation of learners by breaking down financial barriers and increasing access to student supports.

MA – Bill Would Boost College Funding, Freeze Tuition  State lawmakers are set to hear a plan that would boost state funding for public colleges and universities while freezing tuition and fees for the next five years. (Associated Press via Boston Herald)

Report: KY on Track to Meet Education Goal  A postsecondary education council says Kentucky is on track to reach its educational attainment goal of 60% of the working-age population having a certificate or degree by 2030. (Associated Press)

Do Colleges Measure What They Value?  Study examines what colleges say they want students to learn and how they are measuring that learning.

State Lawmakers, University Officials Warn of Higher Ed Cuts Without New Revenue  Representatives of the state’s public universities made an impassioned request for the restoration of investment in higher education after deep damage from the state’s past budget woes.