James Kvaal, the quiet force behind President Obama’s push for free community college, is trading politics for academe.
Mr. Kvaal, deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council, is leaving the White House on Friday for the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he will be a "policy maker in residence."
As Mr. Obama’s top higher-ed adviser, Mr. Kvaal has played an important role in shaping one of the most ambitious presidential higher-ed agendas in years. He drove efforts to develop a college-ratings plan (ultimately settling for a revamped College Scorecard), and he helped plan two College Opportunity summits, persuading dozens of colleges to commit to expanding access.
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/key-education-dept-official-steps-down/109377