Our Voice Must Be Heard
BY GWENDOLYN JORDAN DUNGY
Executive Director, NASPA
With the marathon election season finally over and a new administration entering the White House, it is impos-
sible for me to write about anything other than the implications of this change for higher education.
When the majority of the populace voted, the impact of the
new administration on higher education was probably not the
first thing in many minds. Current economic uncertainties
have shifted many national priorities, and education has fallen
farther down the list.
As Barack Obama assumes the presidency, it is important that the higher education community note the distinct
components of his education platform and any specific points
made in public speeches that related to higher education.
It is also informative to note any comments made by lead
education advisers, including Secretary of Education nominee
Arne Duncan.
One common theme expressed by Obama has been his support of what he called the American Opportunity Tax Credit
to make higher education more affordable for low-income
families. As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions Committee, Obama also worked to increase
the maximum Pell Grant amount from $4,050 to $5,400 by
2012. Compared with rising tuition costs, the slight increase
in the maximum Pell Grant to $4,731 for 2008-09 does little
to close that widening gap for a large number of our students.
As your professional association, we will work closely with
other associations and colleges and universities to rally the
support needed to keep campaign promises about higher
education high on the agenda of the new president, who walks
into the Oval Office with an unprecedented to-do list.
The first step to this end occurred in late December, when
senior administrators and leaders representing various types
of institutions joined me in meeting with the presidential
transition team for education policy. On behalf of NASPA
and those in the student affairs profession, we offered comments and recommendations on how the government may
better promote postsecondary student success. The hour-long
discussion focused on three significant components of student
success: access and affordability, innovative partnerships, and
strong support services. Making our voices heard by the new
administration was an important reaffirmation that federal
support of postsecondary education is essential in these
critical times.
This meeting confirmed for us that the most important
goal for higher education is that of preparing a productive and
innovative workforce to address the competitive challenges of
a global economy in the 21st century. It is critically important
that higher education leaders help the new administration and
Congress understand exactly what this means. It means that
we give students the tools to make solid, ethical decisions and
solve problems that will continue to confront our complex
society. It means that we must teach students the most essential communication, critical-thinking, and decision-making
skills and help them develop the ability to adapt and respond
to a range of situations. Higher education understands
this. It is now our job to make sure that the Department of
Education understands this. It is our job to educate anyone
within our sphere of influence to the fact that classroom learning combined with intentional educational experiences outside
the classroom is the best model for deep learning.
Bringing Our Goals to the Forefront
Let’s not make the mistake of thinking that because there
has been a change in the White House and some changes in
Congress that accountability in higher education is no longer
a priority. We must not lose sight of the fact that many of our
current legislators were among those who took five years to
reauthorize the Higher Education Act. We must not lose sight
of the fact that it will be the new Department of Education
that must write the rules for implementing the new laws
and regulations in the Act. So while all eyes are on the new
president, we need to be in the trenches, taking our message to
legislators and to the Department of Education.
We must continue to partner with the president to keep the
goals of higher education and the ways to achieve those goals
in the forefront of our communications with the administration, legislators, and the Department of Education.
In the months to come, become familiar with the public
policy representative in your region and make use of the public policy section of the NASPA website. Tell us what you need
from the NASPA office and where NASPA’s voice needs to
be heard. Just as the new president has an urgent and lengthy
to-do list, so do we. LE
For more details on the transition meeting, please see
the public policy section of the NASPA website.
Documents submitted are also available publicly on the
presidential transition website, www.change.gov
