The Taskforce on Higher Education and Opportunity: Taking action for our communities

An instructor holding a sheet of paper talks to a student wearing safety glasses.

This unique and challenging moment inspired a group of presidents and chancellors of higher education institutions to launch the Taskforce on Higher Education and Opportunity, opening new opportunities to collaborate, share insights, and scale impact.

 

Call to Action

Before the pandemic, higher education was being destabilized by a variety of forces (e.g., demographic shifts, automation and Future of Work trends, financial sustainability crises), many of which have been intensified by the COVID-19 crisis, which in turn has brought about its own set of challenges, such as the economic downturn.

The impact of this crisis is not spread evenly, exacerbating inequality for many students and communities. The higher education sector has an opportunity to accelerate existing efforts and recommit to supporting students entering the workforce, partnering with our communities, and delivering accessible, applicable, and high-quality education. Together, we can expand higher education's contribution to society.

The Taskforce is a collective of 37 organizations representing 2.4 million students across the United States,

including 4-year, 2-year, Public, Private, and Historically Black Colleges & Universities

Member Exec. Committee Member Partner Organization

Arizona State University

Member Institution
Arizona State University (ASU) Sunburst logo
Quick Facts
Tempe, Arizona
128,815 Students
Michael M. Crow, President

Baylor University

Member Institution
Baylor University
Quick Facts
Waco, Texas
19,297 Students
Linda A. Livingstone, President

Boston University

Executive Committee Member
Boston University
Quick Facts
Boston, Massachusetts
32,718 Students
Robert A. Brown, President

College of Southern Nevada

Member Institution
CSN (College of Southern Nevada)
Quick Facts
Las Vegas, Nevada
Federico Zaragoza, President

Dallas College

Member Institution
Dallas College
Quick Facts
Dallas, Texas
74,318 Students
Joe May, Chancellor

Duke University

Member Institution
Duke University
Quick Facts
Durham, North Carolina
15,800 Students
Vincent E. Price, President

George Mason University

Member Institution
George Mason University
Quick Facts
Fairfax, Virginia
39,174 Students
Gregory N. Washington, President

Georgia Institute of Technology

Executive Committee Member
Georgia Tech
Quick Facts
Atlanta, Georgia
40,000 Students
Ángel Cabrera, President

Georgia State University

Member Institution
Georgia State University
Quick Facts
Atlanta, Georgia
54,000 Students
Mark P. Becker, President

McKinsey & Company

Partner Organization
McKinsey & Company logo
Quick Facts
New York, New York
André Dua, Senior Partner

Michigan State University

Member Institution
Michigan State University
Quick Facts
East Lansing, Michigan
49,695 Students
Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., President

New York University

Member Institution
New York University (NYU)
Quick Facts
New York, New York
58,678 Students
Andy Hamilton, President

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Member Institution
AT logo (North Caroline Agricultural and Technical
Quick Facts
Greensboro, North Carolina
12,754 Students
Harold L. Martin, Sr., Chancellor

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA)

Executive Committee Member
NOVA, Northern Virginia Community College
Quick Facts
Annandale, Virginia
53,091 Students
Anne M. Kress, President

Portland Community College

Member Institution
Portland Community College
Quick Facts
Portland, Oregon
60,000 Students
Mark Mitsui, President

Rio Salado College

Member Institution
Rio Salado College, a Maricopa Community College
Quick Facts
Tempe, Arizona
37,086 Students
Kate Smith, President

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)

Member Institution
Southern New Hampshire University
Quick Facts
Manchester, New Hampshire
170,000 Students
Paul LeBlanc, President

Spelman College

Executive Committee Member
Spelman College, A Choice to Change the World
Quick Facts
Atlanta, Georgia
2,106 Students
Mary S. Campbell, President

Strada Education Network

Partner Organization
Strada Education Network
Quick Facts
Indianapolis, Indiana
Ruth V. Watkins, Incoming President of Strada Impact

The City University of New York (CUNY)

Executive Committee Member
CUNY (City University Logo)
Quick Facts
New York, New York
270,000 Students
Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor

The University of Arizona

Executive Committee Member
The University of Arizona
Quick Facts
Tucson, Arizona
45,311 Students
Robert C. Robbins, President

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Member Institution
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Quick Facts
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
30,092 Students
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Chancellor

The University of Texas System

Executive Committee Member
The University of Texas System
Quick Facts
Austin, Texas
240,000 Students
James B. Milliken, Chancellor

The University of Utah

Member Institution
The University of Utah
Quick Facts
Salt Lake City, Utah
33,047 Students
Taylor R. Randall, President

University of California, Davis

Member Institution
UC Davis (University of California, Davis)
Quick Facts
Davis, California
40,032 Students
Gary S. May, Chancellor

University of Maryland

Member Institution
University of Maryland
Quick Facts
College Park, MD
40,709 Students
Darryll J. Pines, President

University of Minnesota

Member Institution
University of Minnesota block 'M' logo
Quick Facts
Twin Cities, Minnesota
66,793 Students
Joan T. A. Gabel, President

University of Montana

Member Institution
University of Montana
Quick Facts
Missoula, Montana
9,808 Students
Seth Bodnar, President

University of Oregon

Member Institution
University of Oregon
Quick Facts
Eugene, Oregon
22,587 Students
Michael H. Schill, President and Professor of Law

University of Pittsburgh

Member Institution
University of Pittsburgh
Quick Facts
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
33,321 Students
Patrick Gallagher, Chancellor

University of Rochester

Member Institution
University of Rochester
Quick Facts
Rochester, New York
6,522 Students
Sarah C. Mangelsdorf, President

University of Southern California

Executive Committee Member
USC, University of Southern California
Quick Facts
Los Angeles, California
46,107 Students
Carol L. Folt, President

Utah Valley University

Member Institution
Utah Valley University
Quick Facts
Orem, Utah
40,936 Students
Astrid S. Tuminez, President

Virginia Tech

Member Institution
VT, Virginia Tech
Quick Facts
Blacksburg, Virginia
34,440 Students
Timothy D. Sands, President

Wake Technical Community College

Member Institution
Wake Tech Community College
Quick Facts
Raleigh, North Carolina
70,000 Students
Scott Ralls, President

Washington University in St. Louis

Member Institution
Washington University in St. Louis
Quick Facts
St. Louis, Missouri
16,291 Students
Andrew D. Martin, Chancellor

Western Governors University

Executive Committee Member
WGU (Western Governor's University) stylized owl logo
Quick Facts
Salt Lake City, Utah
130,156 Students
Scott D. Pulsipher, President

We are 35 higher education presidents and chancellors representing

  • 97
    Institutions
  • ~2.4M
    Students
  • ~500K
    Pell Grant recipients
  • ~490K
    Hispanic or Latino students
  • ~320K
    African American students
  • ~470K
    Employees

A Shared Commitment

Each Taskforce member commits to take action through three initiatives aligned with each Taskforce goal. With a large and diverse population of institutions, the Taskforce will achieve tangible results that are specific to each institution’s unique mission and context.

Prepare our most vulnerable students and graduates of 2020-2023 for security and success in the post-pandemic economy

Support and partner with our communities and government in an inclusive recovery through and after COVID-19, focusing on displaced workers, adult learners, PK-12 systems, economic development, community health and COVID-19 support

Re-imagine the Future of Higher Education in terms of how we deliver quality and accessible education, and how we evolve our programs to prepare for the future of work and for a post-pandemic world

It All Starts Now

Taskforce members are launching Goal 1 initiatives to prepare the graduates of 2021-2023 for security and success in the post-pandemic economy. Schools are focusing on building bridges to a career, expanding applied learning and work-based learning experiences, and providing students with coaching and mentorship to guide career choices.

Goal 1 initiatives will include efforts like connecting students to internships and co-ops, subsidizing professional credentialing exam fees, and partnering with regional employers to develop certificates for students to gain before they graduate.

Learn more about these initiatives and how they'll impact students and graduates around the country.

More to Come

We invite you to explore this website, meet our members, and learn more about our work together.