Miami Dade College Provost to Participate in Harvard University’s Panel Discussion of President Obama’s 2020 College Graduation Goal
Dr. Rolando Montoya, College Provost.
Miami, April 20, 2012 - Dr. Rolando Montoya, longtime educator, community leader, and College Provost at Miami Dade College (MDC), has been invited to participate in a panel discussion to evaluate President Barack Obama’s 2020 College Education Goal, on Monday, April 30, at Harvard University.
Dr. Montoya will join three other influential leaders in higher education to discuss President Obama’s 2020 Goal of America to double the number of college graduates. Currently, only 50 percent of college students graduate with a degree.
"A world-class education is the single most important factor in determining not just whether our kids can compete for the best jobs but whether America can out-compete countries around the world,” President Obama said last July during an announcement regarding four major commitments to education. “America's business leaders understand that when it comes to education, we need to up our game. That's why we’re working together to put an outstanding education within reach for every child."
In response, the President has set the goal to have all Americans enroll in at least one year of higher education or job training to better prepare our workforce for a 21st century economy. The administration has proposed a restructuring of the federal financial aid program with the goal of making it simpler, more reliable, and more efficient for students, and has sought to identify and support promising practices that improve the outcomes of students. This roundtable discussion will examine current issues in college access and retention, and what it will take to reach the 2020 Goal of America.
Other panel participants include: Martha Kanter, under secretary, U.S. Department of Education; and Hilary Pennington, former director of education, postsecondary success, and special initiatives at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The panel moderator is Bridget Terry Long, Xander professor of education and economics at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.
For more information about this event, contact Amber DiNatale, amber_dinatale@gse.harvard.edu.
Media-only contacts:
Juan Mendieta, 305-237-7611, jmendiet@mdc.edu, MDC communications director
Tere Estorino, 305-237-3949, testorin@mdc.edu, MDC media relations director
Tarnell Carroll, 305-237-3359, tcarroll@mdc.edu, media specialist
Alejandro Rios, 305-237-7482, arios1@mdc.edu
Sue Arrowsmith, 305-237-3710, sue.arrowsmith@mdc.edu, media specialist