Readout of the President’s Meeting with College Presidents

Earlier today, President Obama held a roundtable discussion on making college more affordable for our nation’s students. The President hosted White House senior officials, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and a dozen college presidents and higher education thought leaders from across the country to discuss rising college costs and strategies to reduce these costs while improving quality.  During the meeting, the President conveyed the urgent need to pursue bold and innovative solutions to help more Americans attain a higher education at an affordable price.  In response, attendees shared how they have worked to promote innovation, reduce costs and increase productivity during a time of reduced funding for higher education at the state level.

List of participants:
      
Dr. King Alexander, President, California State University – Long Beach
Dr. Francisco Cigarroa, Chancellor, University of Texas System
Dr. Jared Cohon, President, Carnegie Mellon University
Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President, University of Maryland – Baltimore County
Dr. William “Brit” Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland
Dr. Robert Mendenhall, President, Western Governor’s University
Dr. Larry Shinn, President, Berea College
Mr. Thomas Snyder, President, Ivy Tech Community College
Dr. Holden Thorp, Chancellor, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Dr. Nancy Zimpher, Chancellor, State University System of New York
Mr. Jamie Merisotis, President and CEO, Lumina Foundation for Education
Ms. Jane Wellman, Executive Director, Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs, Productivity, and Accountability