USNH Chancellor Calls for Additional National Efforts to Encourage Students to Go to College

Chancellor Reno speaks on behalf of six New England states before the national Commission on the Future of Higher Education

March 21, 2006 – Lee, NH – University System of New Hampshire (USNH) Chancellor Stephen Reno used his opportunity to speak before the U.S. Secretary of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education to highlight regional efforts to support college readiness and share resources. (Read his testimony ) Chancellor Reno, speaking on behalf of the leaders of public higher education systems in New England, voiced support of the new “College Ready New England” effort and on ways the federal government could help increase access to higher education.

Yesterday’s public hearing in Boston was one of four public hearings that are being held to gain input from educational leaders and the general public. The 19-member Commission was established by US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings to develop a comprehensive national strategy for postsecondary education that will meet the needs of America's diverse population and also address the economic and workforce needs of the country's future. It includes college presidents, CEOs from the business sector, policymakers, and researchers.

“My hope in addressing you is that we find common ground and affirm a common purpose,” Chancellor Reno said. “Access, affordability, accountability, and quality are issues that not only characterize this and the other public hearings you are holding across the country, they are also the oft-expressed concerns of policymakers, business leaders, the media, parents, and students of all ages.”

The morning session featured several Massachusetts college presidents representing Boston University, the University of Massachusetts, Tufts University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Bunker Hill Community College among others. Chancellor Reno demonstrated his concern over the fact that only 25 out of 100 ninth graders in New England wind up with a four year college degree by taking a picture of a large group of students and ripping it to visually show how many students drop out of the education process between high school and college.

“Of every 100 first year high school students in New England, only 75 make it to graduation and possess a diploma that is worth less than it was a decade ago. Of these 75 high school graduates, only 44 immediately enter college, this despite the fact that we in New England have an especially high density of colleges. Of these 44 entering college students, only 34 will be enrolled in their sophomore year. And finally, please look carefully at the 25 faces of those who will actually earn a college degree. While we may congratulate those who have graduated, we must be shamed by the talent that has fallen by the way side,” Chancellor Reno told the Commission.

Chancellor Reno and Connecticut Commissioner of Higher Education, Valerie Lewis, represented the six New England state systems of higher education. They spoke in support of a new effort being rolled out by the New England Board of Higher Education called College Ready New England and how many of the regional collaborative efforts planned as part of this initiative that parallel the purpose of the national commission. They called on the Commission to help the New England region address access, affordability, accountability, and quality in several ways, including the following:

Provide financial aid to low- and lower-income students;
Support the establishment of a national student unit record system (with fail-safe privacy safeguards);
Provide incentives to higher education to partner with business leaders and policy makers to increase graduates in critical shortage areas; and
Continue the dialogue with higher education and with students as an ongoing effort to set a common agenda

The Commission is required to report out its findings by August 1, 2006. For more information on the Commission, go to www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/index.html

About the University System of New Hampshire:
The mission of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) is to serve the higher educational needs of the people of New Hampshire. Through its sister institutions (University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, Keene State College, and Granite State College), USNH presently serves almost 30,000 students.

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