HARRISBURG – Gov. Edward G. Rendell and Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak announced that U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will be among those taking part in Pennsylvania’s first statewide conference on higher education.
The Governor’s Conference on Higher Education: Pathways to College Success will be held from March 16 – 18 at the Penn Stater Conference Center in State College. The conference will provide a forum for state and national higher education leaders to address the growing crisis in college access, affordability and success.
“Higher education has never been more important to the economic well-being of our citizens and our state,” Rendell said. “During this time of economic downturn and shrinking state budgets, it is critical that we think creatively about how to ensure everyone can attend and succeed in college.”
As part of his budget for 2009-10, Rendell proposed a landmark Tuition Relief Act that, if enacted quickly by legislators, could provide relief this fall to thousands of Pennsylvanians who want to attend any one of the commonwealth’s 14 state universities or 14 community colleges. The governor’s plan would make college tuition more affordable for every Pennsylvania family earning less than $100,000 a year and help more than 170,000 students once in place.
“A college education has become increasingly out of reach for too many Pennsylvania families,” Zahorchak said. “Governor Rendell understands the urgent need to provide help. His emergency tuition relief would aid families who have worked hard send their children to college, and adults who have lost their jobs and need college coursework to retool their skills and be competitive in this tough job market.”
In addition to discussing college affordability, the conference will:
-Provide a forum for state and national experts to speak about emerging challenges and opportunities in the higher education arena.
-Create an opportunity for Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities to share best practices and build collaborative projects.
-Highlight state initiatives focused on improving college access and success.
Rendell and Zahorchak will join college and university presidents, faculty, and administrators from across Pennsylvania to discuss access to higher education with an impressive slate of invited speakers, including:
· U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan
· Hilary Pennington, Director of U.S. Special Initiatives at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
· Molly Corbett Broad, President of the American Council on Education
· Patrick Callan, President of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
· Jamie Merisotis, President of the Lumina Foundation for Higher Education
· Patrick Terenzini, Distinguished Professor of Higher Education, the Pennsylvania State University
· Judith Eaton, President of the Council on Higher Education Accreditation
Along with plenary sessions, the conference will include 25 different breakout sessions, each addressing critical issues related to the theme of the conference.
For more information, please visit the Governor’s Conference on Higher Education Web site. For more information on the Tuition Relief Act, visit the Department of Education Web site. For details about Rendell’s proposed budget, click here.