Commission aims to better higher education

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The American Council on Education announced this week the formation of the Commission on Higher Education Attainment, a group designed to look at President Obama's proposal to improve higher education by the year 2020, analyze the current educational system and then offer advice to universities and governmental agencies.

Its first meeting will take place Monday at ACE's Washington, D.C. office.

The commission contains members nominated by presidential associations, including E. Gordon Gee, president of Ohio State University, who was nominated as chair, and three vice chairs: Andrew K. Benton, president of Pepperdine University; Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College; and George A. Pruitt, president of Thomas Edison State College.

Benton said it plans to focus on three major issues: affordability, accessability and accountability.

He said it would most likely be at least a year before the commission compiles a report.

The commission also hopes to look at universities and colleges around the nation to evaluate proposals to be implemented in higher education.

"I think the University of Virginia will be very much involved as a research institution and teaching institution [for the commission]," Benton said.

-compiled by Abby Meredith and Caroline Houck