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Galloway, NJ -- On June 27, Stockton College will assemble 30 top national, state, regional and college leaders to tackle the most pressing issues facing American higher education - who will have the chance to attend college, and how to pay for it. Rochelle Robinson Hendricks, New Jersey’s Secretary of Education; Jane Wellman, Executive Director, National Association of System Heads (NASH) and Founding Director, Delta Project on Postsecondary Costs, Productivity and Accountability; and, Dennis P. Jones, President, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS). The full membership of the Policy Steering Council can be found on the next page.

The Policy Steering Council will be asked to provide important guidance. Immediate outcomes of the unique forum to include: confirming the mission and vision of the Center; and identifying working priorities, implementation strategies, partners and funding sources, and concrete recommendations for engagement during 2012-13.

Stockton President Herman Saatkamp stated, "The work of HESIG is critically important to the future of higher education. Stockton is positioned to be the leading state and national resource in college opportunity, affordability and public accountability. Few colleges in the nation have envisioned accomplishing such an ambitious agenda during a time of global economic uncertainty that threatens the promise of college opportunity, American competitiveness and the long- term prosperity of our citizens."

Numerous recent studies of American higher education indicate that the financial model for funding colleges is broken and in great need of repair, a fundamental assumption behind the purpose of HESIG. A recent poll conducted by Stockton’s William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy indicates how strongly citizens desire college opportunity, but face growing uncertainty about how to pay for it, reflecting the need to increase productivity and to make colleges a higher priority for investment.

The Policy Steering Council will meet for a full day to tackle four issues: who will attend college; how will it be paid for; how will colleges account for the public trust; and what is the specific agenda for HESIG. The meeting will be facilitated by Senior Fellow Darryl G. Greer, who has achieved a national reputation for policy leadership on these matters in his 25 years as CEO of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU).

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