Last year was a wake-up call for those working in higher education, said Commissioner Chris Lowery. This year, he believes Indiana is on the right track.
Secretary Lowry said in Monday's Higher Education Address that Indiana has made significant improvements in college access and graduation rates. Lowry hopes to build on that progress through Indiana's HOPE Agenda: Better Opportunities and Possibilities Through Education.
The HOPE Agenda outlines specific goals for higher education in the Hoosier State, including increasing application and acceptance rates for post-high school graduates, helping veterans and people with disabilities attend college; This includes securing professors with years of institutional knowledge. , and people use the credits they previously received and put it toward their end goal.
“A combination of policies, partnerships and programs based on clear strategies and objectives will
With a strong strategic management process, we focus on understanding and serving our students.
We are committed to creating an Indiana culture centered around the importance of higher education and broader training.
It requires more than a high school education,” Lowry said.
Although Indiana did not meet certain expectations set for 2023, the Hoosier State made some improvements.
College enrollment across Indiana increased for the first time in 13 years. Hoosier State University also moved up to 11th in the nation for college completion. Additionally, several public schools have developed strategic plans to address student retention.
Just last month, Indiana introduced a formal framework to fully utilize the advance credit, making Indiana one of only nine states to do so, Lowry said.
The Commission on Higher Education looks forward to building on these successes and some amendments to the Education Act and working towards achieving further goals set out in the HOPE Agenda. The commission also established the Partnership Pentagon, which brings together leaders from business, education, government, and more to discuss the challenges facing higher education and how to address them.