Institute of Higher Education Policy

Yesterday's trip to the Institute of Higher Education Policy was enlightening and informative. I went in with a preconceived notion that IHEP primarily receives their funding from institutions, not even considering corporations. I realize now how naive that thought really is; especially in the poor economic climate we are in. Dr. Michelle Cooper, the president of IHEP discussed how she only knows how to operate in this economy. I am now fascinated by the way non-profits work and really would like to have a better understanding of IHEP in particular.

The "Changing the Debate" initiative with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has three main areas; one of which is on incarcerated individuals in higher education. I am intrigued by this because my Mom works with incarcerated juvenile males. These students are working towards their high school diploma, but if they qualify, they can also take community college courses (which is paid for by the state).  My Mom has always talked about how rewarding her job is because a lot of these students never even had a chance. Her position is to work with the students who are entering the system (court mandated) and as they are about to be released. I've listened to her recount the stories of her students (never divulging any personal information) and how some told her they would not earn their GED, diploma, or have access to college if they hadn't been incarcerated. I decided to look up the demographics and 71.5% are African American, 21.5% are White, and 7% are Latino and the majority of students are from Eastern region of the state. The IHEP initiative focuses on adults, but I would be interested to see if there was a way to track incarcerated teens to see if the college-bound programs work.

I was impressed with the amount of research and publications IHEP produces with such a small team, but after listening to all of our panelists, its not a surprise. Ed, Shannon, Noel and Michelle were very articulate and I did sense a true amount of passion and fascination from each. It was a great trip and I look forward to continuing to read about their research and influence on policy.