The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) will use a $125,000 grant from The Boston Foundation to support the collection and rigorous analysis of data for the Vision Project, Massachusetts’ new public agenda to highlight the achievements of the state’s 29 college and university campuses and assert national leadership for the Massachusetts Public Higher Education system among other public systems across the country.
The funds will be used to aggressively pursue the Vision Project’s goal of attaining national leadership in five key areas of achievement in public higher education, including college-going rates of high school graduates, college graduation and student success rates, ability to meet workforce needs, assessments of student learning and progress in closing achievement gaps among minority and socio-economic groups. The DHE plans to publish annual reports comparing Massachusetts standing to peer institutions in other states.
“I am delighted and extremely grateful to the Boston Foundation for supporting the aspirations of the Vision Project,” said Commissioner Richard Freeland. “Our success depends upon high-quality data to create an accurate portrait of where we are and where we hope to be,” said Richard M. Freeland, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. “At a time when every state dollar is being stretched to meet the basic needs of our campus communities, these funds will allow us to extend our data mining capabilities and make real progress in our bid to lead the nation in these public higher education outcomes.”
Paul Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation, hailed the Vision Project as an important tool to organize and unify the work of Massachusetts community colleges, state universities and University of Massachusetts system.
“A well educated workforce remains Massachusetts’ greatest natural resource, and we are pleased to support this important project,” said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. “We have deep experience at the Boston Foundation with the power of data to drive change, and see the Vision Project as a significant and effective way to enhance the state’s higher education system.”
For more information about the Vision Project, please visit: http://www.mass.edu/currentinit/visionproject.asp.
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