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Arthur J. Rothkopf ’55, president emeritus of the College, has been named a member of the new Secretary of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The announcement was made by U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings.
The commission is charged with developing a comprehensive national strategy for postsecondary education that will meet the needs of America’s diverse population and also address the economic and workforce needs of the country’s future.
Rothkopf is senior vice president and counselor to the president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C. He is assisting on several initiatives including workforce development, education, and transportation, as well as assist with the chamber’s new initiative on capital markets.
Spellings said, “It is time to examine how we can get the most out of our national investment in higher education. We have a responsibility to make sure our higher education system continues to meet our nation’s needs for an educated and competitive workforce in the 21st century.”
Spellings said the commission will engage students and families, policymakers, business leaders, and the academic community in a national dialogue about all key aspects of higher education. Through public hearings to be held around the country, the commission will attempt to answer questions such as: What skills will students need to succeed in the 21st century? How can we make sure America stays the world’s leader in academic research? And, how can we make sure opportunities for quality higher education and best jobs are open to all students?
Spellings noted that the achievement gap is closing and test scores are rising among our nation’s younger students, due largely to the high standards and accountability measures called for by the No Child Left Behind Act. More and more students are going to graduate ready for the challenges of college, she said, and we must make sure our higher education system is accessible and affordable for all these students.
“We should send students a clear message: If you work hard, you can go to college-regardless of how much money your parents make,” Spellings concluded. “I hope parents, students, and community members will take an active role in the commission’s work. We all have a big stake in the outcome.”
Commission Roster
Carol Bartz, chairman, president and CEO, Autodesk, Inc.
Nicholas Donofrio, executive vice president for innovation and technology, IBM
James Duderstadt, president emeritus; University Professor of Science and Engineering; and director of The Millennium Project, University of Michigan
Gerri Elliott, corporate vice president—Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft Corporation
Kati Haycock, director, The Education Trust
The Honorable James B. Hunt, Jr., chairman, James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy and former Governor of North Carolina
Jonathan Grayer, chairman and CEO, Kaplan, Inc.
Arturo Madrid, Murchison Distinguished Professor of the Humanities, Trinity University
Robert Mendenhall, president, Western Governor’s University
Charles Miller, private investor and former chairman of the Board of Regents, University of Texas System
Charlene R. Nunley, president, Montgomery College
The Honorable Arthur J. Rothkopf, senior vice president and counselor to the president, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and president emeritus, Lafayette College
Richard Stephens, senior vice president for human resources and administration, The Boeing Company
The Honorable Louis Sullivan, president emeritus of Morehouse School of Medicine and former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Sara Martinez Tucker, president and CEO, Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Richard Vedder, adjunct scholar, American Enterprise Institute, and Distinguished Ohio University Professor of Economics
Charles M. Vest, president emeritus and professor of mechanical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
David Ward, president, American Council on Education
Robert Zemsky, chair and professor, The Learning Alliance for Higher Education, University of Pennsylvania