As the Obama administration held what could be the last in a series of gatherings about stimulating innovation in higher education, Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell made it as clear as he could (without actually saying so) that it may be up to college leaders and others to ensure that efforts to expand postsecondary opportunity -- and experimentation with new ways of delivering it -- remain central for the next four years.
In comments to a White House-sponsored event Tuesday and in an interview with reporters, Mitchell -- citing "protocol and etiquette in service of a strong transition" -- noted repeatedly that he was "not in a position to speculate" about how an administration led by Donald J. Trump might approach higher education policy.
Mitchell acknowledged that the election was the "elephant in the room," and that fact gave the event the feel of a valedictory -- and at times a wake. With many advocates for postsecondary access and success concerned that their issues will (best case) be a low priority for the new administration, or (worst case) that it might roll back much of what the current administration has done to spur college-going and experimentation with new models of education and training, Mitchell exhorted them to take things into their own hands.
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/11/16/whats-future-federal-push-higher-education-innovation