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Toward A New Beginning

by William E. Kirwan , August 31, 2009

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“We will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal:  by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.”

— President Barack Obama, Feb. 24, 2009

 

“I challenge state, college and university leaders to put affordability front and center as they chart a path forward. I challenge them to follow the example of the University [System] of Maryland, where they’re streamlining administrative costs, cutting energy costs, using faculty more effectively, making it possible for them to freeze tuition for students and for families.”

— President Obama, April 24, 2009

 

With these two statements, President Obama articulated two key challenges that the higher-education community faces: completion and affordability. The global recession has highlighted the vital nature of these concerns. It’s universally accepted that the U.S. must improve educational attainment if it wants to rank among the world’s leaders in creativity and innovation in the knowledge economy. At the same time, the recession has also underscored the clear correlation that exists between the two. For many, the cost of pursuing a college degree can short-circuit their progress toward that goal.

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Comments posted here may be reprinted in Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine, and may be edited for purposes of clarity and/or space.



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