Timeline & Commitment
Start date: November 2017
End date: April 2019
Throughout this period the group can expect to meet regularly by telephone and for two mandatory in-person meetings (dates below).
Composition
- Members:
- President
- Anne Kress, President, Monroe Community College
- Daniel Phelan, President/CEO, Jackson College
- Patricia McGuire, President, Trinity Washington University
- Provost/Dean
- Catherine Bishop, Chief Student Success Officer, Augsburg University
- Sonny Calderon, Dean of the College, New York Film Academy
- Yesenia Madas, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs; Former Campus Dean, Brookdale Community College
- Chancellor
- Douglas Kristensen, Chancellor, University of Nebraska at Kearney
- Susan Borrego, Chancellor, University of Michigan-Flint
- Governing Body
- Connie Hornbeck, Trustee, Iowa Western Community College
- System Head
- Stephanie Huie, Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives, The University of Texas System Administration
- James Kennedy, Associate Vice President, University Student Services and Systems, Indiana University
- General Counsel
- Anne Cartwright, Attorney, Husch Blackwell LLP
- Beverly Ledbetter, Senior Counsel; Former Vice President & General Counsel, Brown University
- Gregory Haile, President, Former General Counsel and VP of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Broward College
- Ombudsman
- Kimberly Jackson Davidson, Ombudsperson, Oberlin College
- Jennifer Hudson, Assistant Ombudsperson/Director, Student Conflict Resolution Center, University of Oregon
- Enrollment Management
- Angel B. Perez, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success, Trinity College
- Angela Johnson, Vice President of Access and Completion, Cuyahoga Community College
- Chuck Knepfle, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, Clemson University
- Consuela Perez, Director of Enrollment Resources, Southern Methodist University
- Dan Mann, Interim Associate Provost for Enrollment Management, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Financial Aid
- Billie Jo Hamilton, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Planning and Management, University of South Florida
- Bob Collins, Vice President of Financial Aid, Western Governors University
- David Sheridan, Director of Financial Aid, School of International & Public Affairs, Columbia University
- Mary Nucciarone, Director of Financial Aid, University of Notre Dame
- Maureen Amos, Executive Director of Financial Aid, Scholarships & Student Employment, Northeastern Illinois University
- Registrar:
- Todd Hynson, UNM, HSC Registrar and Student Services Officer, The University of New Mexico, Health Sciences Center
- Admissions
- Dean Clark, Executive Vice President, Southwestern College
- Jon Westover, Associate Vice Provost & Director of Admissions; Former Senior Associate Director of Admissions, UMass Amherst
- Business
- Caleb Cornelius, Senior Associate Vice President of Student Financial Services, Broward College
- Kayla Guilford, Compliance Analyst, Lackawanna College
- Student Affairs
- Cheryl Green, Interim Chancellor, University of Wisconsin Whitewater; Former: Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
- Jade Agua, Associate Director for Learning & Organizational Development of the University of Sothern California’s Race and Equity Center; Former Director, Cross-Cultural Center, University of California, Irvine
- Normah Salleh-Barone, Vice President, Student Development, Moraine Valley Community College
- Disabilities/Equity & Diversity
- Joanne Woodard, Vice President, University of North Texas
- Marilyn Mobley, Vice President for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity, Case Western Reserve University
- Amber Lange, Executive Director, Office of College Preparation and Outreach, Clemson University
- IT
- Victoria Kindon, VP for Strategic Operations and CIO, Longwood University
- Institutional Research
- Ellen Peters, Director of Institutional Research and Retention, University of Puget Sound
- Soon Flynn, VP, Effectiveness and Accountability, Austin Community College
- Human Resources
- Erik Seastedt, Director of Human Resources, St. Bonaventure University
- Susan Kaneshiro, Associate Director of Human Resources, Biola University
- Online Learning
- Fred Lokken, Professor of Political Science, Truckee Meadows Community College
- Faculty
- Jeffrey Sun, Professor & Department Chair, University of Louisville
- Victoria Bowman, Adjunct Professor and Student Success Coach, Mercer County Community College
- Student:
- Benjamin Rice, Student, President, Student Government Association, Student Board Member, University of Louisiana System, Louisiana Tech University
- Taylor Dumpson, American University Student Government President, American University
NASFAA Staff Liaisons:
- NASFAA Policy and Federal Relations Staff
- NASFAA Research Department Staff
- Project Manager: Charlotte Etier, Assistant Director of Research and Grants
Background
During the Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization process, proposals abound from various entities that have a stake in higher education. While there are many voices weighing in on reauthorization discussions, there is a particularly strong need for thoughtful, innovative ideas for the future of federal student aid that come from institutional voices. It is imperative to show lawmakers that institutions of higher education are interested, invested, and believe in student equity, success, and outcomes. As the HEA reauthorization process may finally begin slowly moving forward in 2018, the time is ripe for this type of innovative thinking.
NASFAA will be overseeing the formation of the Higher Education Committee of 50, a group comprised of various leaders from institutions of higher education (e.g. presidents, enrollment managers, admissions staff, financial aid and bursar leaders, members of governing boards) that are committed to finding innovative, forward-thinking policy solutions related to access, affordability, transparency, and accountability.
The group will operate as a coalition. While members will come from various institutions, represent various roles, and may have affiliations with multiple groups and/or associations, they will be expected to work together and to coalesce around and support the recommendations put forth by the group.
Purpose
The primary purposes of the Higher Education Committee of 50 are to:
- Identify emerging policy issues that impact students and the higher education landscape, with a specific focus on access, affordability, transparency, and accountability;
- Create practical solutions and recommendations for members of Congress, which will be available to the broader policy community for review and comment prior to finalization;
- Coalesce around the passed recommendations and present a united front when speaking about them publicly; and
- Elevate the principles and positions put forward by the Higher Education Committee of 50 after the grant has ended.
Indicators of Success & Outcomes
The group will develop a series of three to four white papers on each pre-identified umbrella policy area, within the (access, affordability, transparency, and accountability).
After the white papers are released the group will work with NASFAA staff to elevate the pieces above. Activities may include, but are not limited to:
- Sharing the work of this group on their respective campuses;
- Submitting conference proposals to present the work of this group at their professional conference (statewide, regional, or national).
Task Force Members’ Duties & Responsibilities
- Attend both in-person committee meetings and participate in the deliberation;
- Adhere to deadlines for submission of committee assignments;
- Review all agenda items and background documents prior to each meeting and come prepared for the discussions;
- Utilize the most economical means of transportation when attending a meeting and promptly file a travel reimbursement request;
- Participate in report release event in Washington, DC, if available; and
- Acting as subject matter experts, aid in the creation of blog posts on issues related to access, affordability, transparency, accountability, and the general work of the Higher Education Committee of 50. These blog entries will be posted on this site and the hope is that each member, whether writing jointly or writing alone, will write content for one short blog entry at some point over the course of the grant.
- Provide NASFAA communications staff with a headshot, short professional biography, and answers to a few provided questions. Bios for all Higher Education Committee of 50 members will be posted to this site.
- Where possible, engage with key lawmakers on social media about the work of the Higher Education Committee of 50. NASFAA’s communications staff will provide a hashtag and sample tweets for Twitter.
- Working with institutional communications offices where needed, engage with members of the media regarding the work of the Higher Education Committee of 50 when requested.
