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What's New at the DHE
Aundrea Kelley Appointed Acting Commissioner of Higher Education
On September 5, 2008, the Board of Higher Education voted unanimously to appoint Aundrea E. Kelley as Acting Commissioner of Higher Education. Kelley is well known within the Massachusetts higher education community, having worked at the Department of Higher Education for 12 years, including the past four years as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Policy.
Kelley replaces Dr. Patricia F. Plummer, who served as Commissioner and Chancellor of the Board of Higher Education for the last two years. On September 1, Dr. Plummer moved to a position at the University of Massachusetts as Senior Advisor for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and International Relations.
Kelley will serve as Commissioner for six months while the search for the next Commissioner continues.
Board of Higher Education Meeting: April 25
The Board of Higher Education met on April 25, 2008. Among the Board's business was:
- Nine academic program approvals, three at independent institutions and six within the University of Massachusetts system. The majority of the programs address critical workforce needs in the health care sector, including three Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at University of Massachusetts campuses in Boston, Lowell, and Worcester.
- A presentation on and acceptance of the Report on the Review of State College Business Programs.
- Discussion of the current crisis in the student loan market, including a presentation by Thomas Graf, executive director of the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority.
Board of Higher Education Meeting: June 25
The Board of Higher Education met on June 25, 2008. Among the Board's business was the acceptance of two reports:
- Campus Violence Prevention and Response: Best Practices for Massachusetts Higher Education, prepared by the consulting group Applied Risk Management, LLC. The study focuses on prevention and multi-departmental cooperation in ensuring the safety and security of students, faculty, and staff at any institution of higher education.
- Final Report from the Commonwealth Transfer Advisory Group, a Board of Higher Education task force. As student transfer is becoming more common across the nation, the report outlines recommendations to improve and streamline the process of transferring credits within Massachusetts public higher education.
All other Board meeting materials are available in the Policy and Report Library.
Board of Higher Education Meeting: April 25
The Board of Higher Education met on April 25, 2008. Among the Board's business was:
- Nine academic program approvals, three at independent institutions and six within the University of Massachusetts system. The majority of the programs address critical workforce needs in the health care sector, including three Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at University of Massachusetts campuses in Boston, Lowell, and Worcester.
- A presentation on and acceptance of the Report on the Review of State College Business Programs.
- Discussion of the current crisis in the student loan market, including a presentation by Thomas Graf, executive director of the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority.
Student Leadership Conference Features Congresswoman Niki Tsongas as Keynote Speaker
The Department of Higher Education's seventh annual Student Leadership Conference was held on Friday, March 28, 2008, at Framingham State College. The event featured a keynote speech by U.S. Congresswoman Niki Tsongas. The annual student leadership conference is held each spring to provide a forum for students to identify issues of importance regarding campus life and the public higher education experience and to share these issues with leaders in higher education and state government.
For more information on the conference, see www.mass.edu/SLC2008.
Education Reorganization Takes Effect
On March 10, 2008, Governor Deval L. Patrick's reorganization of the education bureaucracy in Massachusetts took effect. As of that date:
- Executive Office: The new Executive Office of Education was created to coordinate policy across all sectors of education—early education and care, K-12 and higher education. Paul Reville, the president of the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, was named Secretary of Education and will accept the post on July 1, 2008.
- Higher Education: The staff of the Board of Higher Education was renamed the Department of Higher Education. The Board itself remains the Board of Higher Education, but the number of members was increased from 11 to 13.
- K-12: The agency overseeing K-12 education, formerly the Department of Education, was renamed the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
. The subsequently renamed Board of Elementary and Secondary Education was increased from 9 to 11 members. - Early Education: The Department of Early Education and Care and its Board retained their original names.
More information on the reorganization is available on the Governor's website .
State-Level School-to-College Report Released
The Massachusetts School-to-College State Level Report was released in February 2008. A result of collaboration between the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education and the Massachusetts Department of Education, the report provides detailed information on how Massachusetts public high school graduates perform in the Commonwealth’s public colleges and universities. The report is intended to serve as a catalyst for discussion and action—statewide, within regions, and at high schools—about the academic preparation and performance of the Commonwealth’s public school students and was produced in part with the financial support of the National Governors Association and the Nellie Mae Foundation. The full report is available in the Policy and Report Library.
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