Education Secretary Arne Duncan will join community college professor Dr. Jill Biden, Education Under Secretary Martha Kanter, U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard, and several higher education leaders at the Community College Virtual Symposium on Wednesday, April 27 at 2 p.m. EDT. The event caps a series of regional summits, which were launched following the White House Summit on Community Colleges convened by President Obama and Dr. Biden last October.
The virtual summit will present findings based on four issues that are aligned with discussions from the regional meetings: using bridge programs to address skill gaps for adults who desire a postsecondary credential; aligning secondary and postsecondary education; improving the effectiveness of developmental education to meet the diverse needs of learners; and establishing partnerships between employers and community colleges that align curriculum and instruction with workplace realities. The purpose of the briefs and the summits as a whole is to support state and institutional leaders in their efforts to address challenges that community colleges face.
In addition to Dr. Biden, Secretary Duncan and Under Secretary Kanter, several Education Department officials will be in attendance, including Frank Chong, deputy assistant secretary for community colleges.
The virtual symposium will be held at Montgomery College’s Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus and streamed live online. A link to the webcast will be sent to all registered participants. To register, visit: www.mprinc.com/registration.
Note to editors: Members of the media also need to register for the symposium at: www.mprinc.com/registration.