The Healey-Driscoll Administration has appointed Worcester State Associate Vice President of University and Community Engagement Mary Jo Marion to the new Commission on Higher Education Quality and Affordability, which aims to examine public higher education quality and affordability in Massachusetts.
This commission was established through the state’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget to produce recommendations on how Massachusetts’ system of public higher education can ensure the strength and affordability of its offerings. The other new appointees include:
- Niki Nguyen, BHE Student Member, Student at UMass Boston
- Joseph Bonilla, Student Government President, Westfield State University
- Claudine Barnes, Faculty Member, Cape Cod Community College
- Femi Stoltz, Director of Policy, uAspire
“Through MassReconnect, MassEducate and MassGrant Plus Expansion, we have made college more accessible and affordable in Massachusetts, increasing the number of students graduating from community colleges and public four-year colleges with the skills and tools needed for today’s workforce,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I am proud to be appointing highly qualified members to the Commission on Higher Education Quality and Affordability who will help us build on this progress.”
“Since the start of our administration, we have doubled student financial aid, making community college free and cutting costs for thousands of middle-and low-income students at public four-year universities,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “I look forward to seeing the Commission on Higher Education Quality and Affordability’s recommendations on the impact this expanded access has had and how we can continue to improve affordability.”
Marion brings decades of experience in higher education and advocacy to the commission. She was the executive director of Worcester State’s renowned Latino Education Institute, which has raised millions of dollars for research, program development and support for Latine students and families in the region. In 2024, she led the effort to garner the Carnegie Foundation’s prestigious Community Engagement Classification for Worcester State and has held leadership roles on numerous boards and committees focused on equity and inclusion. In addition to LEI, Marion also oversees the Binienda Center for Civic Engagement and the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
“I am honored to serve as a gubernatorial appointee on the Commission on Higher Education Quality and Affordability,” Marion said. “I am looking forward to working with my fellow committee members to contribute to a better Massachusetts where higher education is affordable and excellent for all.”
The Commission on Higher Education Quality and Affordability will be convened by the Board of Higher Education (BHE) to examine:
- State assistance programs, including state aid for tuition, fees, books, supplies and other costs of attendance,
- Student costs and debts associated with post-secondary enrollment,
- Programs that improve student success, including, but not limited to, academic support, career counseling, and assistance with applying for state and federal benefits,
- Improvements needed to increase the recruitment and retention of qualified adjunct and full-time faculty and staff, and
- Financial assistance program design and models to efficiently increase state assistance, improve outcomes, and reduce student costs.
“Massachusetts has made transformational change in higher education over the last almost two years, but we still have work to do to improve student persistence and completion and reduce equity gaps in access and success,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “The members announced today all bring invaluable experiences and perspectives to the Commission, and I look forward to the important work together ahead.”
“Massachusetts has lifted many of the college affordability barriers highlighted in the BHE’s Strategic Higher Education Financing Framework,” said BHE Chair Chris Gabrieli. “This commission is an opportunity to explore how we can further support more students through to college success.”
As outlined in the state law, other members of the new Commission include:
- Chris Gabrieli, BHE Chair
- Veronica Conforme, BHE Member
- Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, Executive Office of Education
- Commissioner Noe Ortega, Department of Higher Education
- Senator Jo Comerford, Co-Chair, Joint Committee on Higher Education
- Representative Dave Rogers, Co-Chair, Joint Committee on Higher Education
- Representative Kelly Pease, Ranking Minority Member, Joint Committee on Higher Education
- President Marty Meehan, University of Massachusetts
- President Nancy Niemi of Framingham State University
- President David Podell, Mass Bay Community College
- Viviana Abreu-Hernandez, Executive Director, Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center
- JD Chesloff, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable
- Doug Howgate, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation
- Nate Mackinnon, Executive Director, Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges
- Ed Lambert, Executive Director, Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education
- Max Page, President, Massachusetts Teachers Association