CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, unveiling a new five-year plan to improve access and increase enrollment at the state’s public colleges, brought in educators from the state’s four-year campuses to learn more about it.
“We’re bringing them here to inspire them, to provide them best practices and developing those strategies and plans and also provide some practical guidance in what we’re asking for,” said Angela Bell, the vice chancellor of policy and planning.
The five-year plan focuses on three goals:
—providing access to post-secondary education for both traditional and non-traditional aged students;
—increasing the number of students at system institutions completing quality academic programs;
—increasing the impact that public colleges and universities have on West Virginia.
The Compact Planning Forum was held at the Embassy Suites in Charleston Monday and Tuesday.
Bell said the commission invited a wide range of presenters.
“We brought in national experts as plenary speakers, for each of the focal areas, in the master plan: access, success and impact,” Bell said. “And then we’re breaking out to deliver these best practices. Some of those things are people outside that are experts. Other things are really promising practices that are going on home-grown, in our institutions.”