Ashley A. Smith
Ashley A. Smith covers higher education and other student success reforms for EdSource. She joined the publication in July 2019 after covering community colleges, for-profit schools and non-traditional students for Inside Higher Ed, in Washington D.C. Her work has appeared in the Fort Myers News-Press, the Marshfield News-Herald, The Flint Journal, USA Today and the Detroit Free Press. Ashley grew up in Detroit and is a 2008 graduate of Michigan State University. In 2020, Ashley was selected to join the first class of journalists in the ECMC Foundation Higher Education Media Fellowship at the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, to report on career and technical education.
All articles by Ashley A. Smith
California's Assembly Higher Education Committee chairman reflects on last term
California Assemblyman Jose Medina sat down with EdSource to reflect on his years as Higher Education Committee chairman and outline his priorities for his last year in office.
Ashley A. Smith
January 3, 2022
New report: California must address imbalance of too many eligible students and not enough slots at UC and CSU
A new report urges California to take steps to create more spaces at UC and CSU for qualified students, especially Black and Latino students who are underrepresented among enrolled students.
Ashley A. Smith
December 14, 2021
California State University adopts new approach to entice students back
With the pandemic resulting in enrollment loss across the CSU system, Chancellor Joseph Castro embraced a new strategy to get students to come back.
Ashley A. Smith
November 29, 2021
Lifting the veil on college admissions amid the pandemic
EdSource roundtable panelists discuss how the college admissions process has changed amid the pandemic.
Ashley A. Smith
October 27, 2021
CSU graduation rates steadily improve despite pandemic; equity concerns remain
CSU reports an uptick in graduation among first-time and transfer students despite the coronavirus pandemic but concerns remain to improve rates for low-income and students of color
Ashley A. Smith
October 22, 2021
Few completions, more dropouts as Calbright College continues to struggle
President of California's online-only college, Calbright, says it needs more time to work out its problems.
Ashley A. Smith
October 21, 2021
Long wait for students to enroll in some community college nursing programs
As California faces a nursing shortage, students are pushing for changes in how candidates are selected for limited community college nursing slots.
Ashley A. Smith
October 12, 2021
Newsom signs bills to ease college transfer and improve student housing
Gov. Newsom signed additional bills Wednesday advancing college funding, transfers and affordability.
Ashley A. Smith
October 6, 2021
Cal State presidents to begin seeing pay increases
CSU executive compensation lags behind other comparable universities nationally.
Ashley A. Smith
September 15, 2021
In State of the University address, a vastly different Cal State from 18 months earlier
The 23 campuses of California State University have shown resilience and courage over the past 18 months, says new Chancellor Joseph Castro.
Ashley A. Smith
September 14, 2021
How California’s state universities are tracking campus Covid-19 cases
Some campuses tracking vaccination rates, quarantines and weekly testing. While others only offer the number of positive Covid cases on-campus.
Ashley A. Smith And Michael Burke
September 9, 2021
Union and health care provider join to offer training to fill worker gaps in California health care
A new approach to educating allied health care workers is helping to redefine higher education to quickly move and meet demand.
Ashley A. Smith
August 31, 2021
Cal State's incoming freshman Class of 2025 key to meeting system's graduation goals
Efforts by CSU to improve graduation rates face questions over the long-term effects of the pandemic, especially on this year's freshmen.
Ashley A. Smith
August 30, 2021
California universities reopen in person; will delta variant push students back to Zoom?
The Cal State, UC campuses are prepared to keep students and staff as safe as possible during the pandemic, but uncertainty continues to exist.
Ashley A. Smith And Michael Burke
August 23, 2021
How Daisy Gonzales went from foster care to the top of the nation's largest system of higher education
California's new acting chancellor is optimistic for the future of the community colleges despite the coronavirus pandemic and enrollment losses.