P resident Philomena V. Mantella joined State Rep. Carol Glanville (Walker) in Washington, D.C. recently at a national conference discussing some of higher education’s biggest challenges.
Mantella was the only Michigan higher education leader to attend the National Conference of State Legislators Summit on the State-Federal Relationship in Higher Education, which included conversations with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
The December 12 event sought to find consensus among states, institutions and federal policymakers on where collective, bipartisan progress can be made to address higher education’s most pressing challenges.
The summit included an opportunity for Mantella and Glanville to speak with Cardona and share some of their vision for how to improve higher education access and outcomes.
“This event provided Grand Valley a platform to learn, listen and contribute to important discussions about transparency, accountability, student success, financial aid and other topics vital to the success of our students and the future of our country,” Mantella said. “Our work on student empowerment through initiatives like the Laker Accelerated Talent Link and our leadership of the REP4 Alliance resonated with legislators and education leaders from around the country.”
The summit was hosted by the NCSL Task Force on Higher Education, which brings together a bipartisan group of 29 legislative leaders in higher education from 29 states. The summit’s sessions exploreed state and federal strategies to make college more affordable for students and taxpayers, improve completion rates, and reduce incidences of student debt..
“It is vital that legislators and policymakers listen to and work with innovators like President Mantella to solve some of the challenges facing higher education in our state and across our nation,” said Glanville, whose district includes portions of GVSU’s Grand Rapids campuses. “Finding common ground through dialogue and the sharing of ideas will help us improve access to affordable higher education.”
