From Lumina: Fostering Economic Recovery Through Postsecondary Education

In a piece subtitled, Three Ideas for a National Strategy to Rapidly Train Workers for New Economy Jobs, Jamie Meritsotis addresses federal policy implications for higher education in difficult financial times by proposing three "big ideas": Accelerated Associates Degrees, Seamless and Transparent Credentials, and Credit for Prior Learning. He suggests ways that federal policy could encourage and support each one. His conclusion:

No single program or policy will solve America's current job crisis. But if implemented, these ideas could begin to pay for themselves very quickly. As postsecondary graduates enter or re-enter the job market, they'll do so at a higher income level—roughly 25 percent higher, according to 2007 Census figures. And each year, those increased earnings—earnings directly attributable to the investment in high-quality, workplace-relevant education—will add up. They will improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of Americans and their families. And that will benefit all of us.

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Regional SCUP Events! Enjoy the F2F company of your colleagues and peers at one of three SCUP regional conferences this spring:

• March 14–16: Baltimore, MD
• March 24–26: Cambridge, MA
• April 5–7, San Diego, CA