Earlier this month, colleges, universities, non-profits and other business leaders around the country gathered to answer President Obama’s call to action to expand college opportunity. At the summit, President Obama and the First Lady were joined by 140 higher education leaders at the White House for a daylong summit on college access. Together, these leaders made over 100 commitments to take action improving low-income student access to higher education.
The president described the event as a part of his administration’s effort to spur change, despite deadlocks in Congress. “I’ve got a pen to take executive actions where Congress won’t, and I’ve got a telephone to rally folks around the country on this mission,” he said. “And today is a great example of how, without a whole bunch of new legislation, we can advance this agenda.”
To attend the invitation-only summit, participants were asked to submit commitments in four broad areas:
- Connecting more low-income students to the college that is right for them and ensuring more graduate
- Increasing the pool of students preparing for college through early interventions
- Leveling the playing field in college advising and SAT/ACT test preparation
- Strengthening remediation to help academically underprepared students progress through and complete college
One of the guests invited to attend the summit was Dr. William Serrata, President of El Paso Community College and Conference Director of the AACRAO Strategic Enrollment Management Conference. El Paso Community College committed to becoming a co-development partner for the Texas New Mathways Project in collaboration with the Charles A. Dana Center of the University of Texas at Austin. EPCC commitments also focused on remediation and completion with an ambitious goal of issuing 100,000 degrees and certificates by 2025.
“It was certainly an honor to be invited to represent El Paso Community College at the White House Summit on College Opportunity,” said Serrata. “Personally, it was my first trip to the White House grounds. I applaud the Administration for bringing together a diverse group of leaders of higher education of the country to focus on expanding college opportunity for the lowest-income quartile.”
Click here to view the White House report on Increasing College Opportunity for Low-Income Students. Click here to view the list of Commitments to Action on College Opportunity.
See how other institutions are tackling issues in access and affordability at AACRAO’s 100th Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, March 30-Apr. 2. Preview the registration brochure here.