2011 National Summit on Near Completion

A sizeable proportion of adults no longer enrolled in higher education are either eligible to receive a postsecondary degree or are just shy of meeting degree eligibility requirements. These individuals have invested substantial resources—both time and money—in pursuing a college degree, at either the associate’s or bachelor’s level, but have left college within striking distance of that degree. The Institute for Higher Education Policy refers to this phenomenon as “near completion.”

In September 2011, IHEP convened a select group of key higher education stakeholders to participate in the National Summit on Near Completion and partner in bringing needed attention to this important issue. This event included high-level federal and state policymakers as well as diverse stakeholders from higher education organizations, colleges and universities, and various business sectors working together to add to the IHEP’s near-completion framework.

This National Summit on Near Completion is part of a broader IHEP initiative, funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, to elevate the issue of near completion nationally. In advance of the event, the IHEP convened a number of policy roundtables on the topic that contributed to a framing document for the national event. These activities culminated in a final publication that outlines ways key completion stakeholders can identify and graduate this important population and help move the needle on the national completion.

Keynote Speaker:

• Lee Fisher, President and CEO, CEOs for Cities

Panelists:

• Clifford Adelman, Senior Associate, IHEP
• Patrick Lane, Project Coordinator, Policy Analysis and Research, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
• Aaron Thompson, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

Facilitators:

• Sandy Baum, Senior Associate, IHEP
• Cheryl D. Blanco, Vice President for Special Projects, Southern Regional Education Board
• Jennifer Engle, Director of Research and Policy, The Education Trust
• Catherine Finnegan, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Institutional Effectiveness, Virginia’s Community Colleges
• Chari Leader Kelley, Senior Consultant, Higher Education Services, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
• Bruce Vandal, Director, Postsecondary Education and Workforce Development Institute, Education Commission of the States

The National Policy Summit is a signature IHEP event that brings together critical stakeholders—policymakers, institutional decision makers, business leaders, and other influential individuals whose reach extends across and beyond the postsecondary community—to foster policy and practice solutions in support of increased access and success.

Contact convenings@ihep.org for more information about this event and other IHEP convenings.