ICYMI: Partners Holds “Price Tag of Higher Ed” Town Hall Tour

The voices of students and parents are arguably the most underrepresented voices in the world of higher education decision-making. Understanding that the issue of college affordability impacts everyone – but that the voices of those most affected are rarely heard - Partners invited participants from all perspectives to participate in a series of town hall events called the “Price Tag of Higher Ed.”

Discussions centered around the need for collective responsibility and bipartisan collaboration between state lawmakers, institutional leadership and the business community to find innovative solutions to help make college more affordable. Proposed solutions focused on the need for increased accountability and transparency within higher education governance, with lawmakers calling for tuition caps, reformed funding models for public colleges and universities, and public comment requirements.

Virginia Beach

Figure 1: Panelists (Left to Right): Jeff Ainslie, Lynn Hattery, Del. Miyares, Sen. DeSteph, Del. Davis, Dr. Neufeldt, and Johvanny Torres.

Partners joined three of our 2018 legislative champions, Senator Bill DeSteph, Delegate Glenn Davis (R-84), Delegate Jason Miyares (R-82), in Virginia Beach for the first stop on the “Price Tag of Higher Ed” tour. The panel also featured Dr. Ellen Neufeldt, Old Dominion University’s Vice President for Student Engagement and Enrollment Services, Jeff Ainslie, local homebuilder and former president of the Tidewater Builders Association and the Home Builders Association of Virginia, Lynn Hattery, Executive Director at Funding the Future, and Johvanny Torres, the SGA President at Tidewater Community College’s Virginia Beach campus.

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Loudoun County

Figure 2: Panelists (Left to Right): Dr. Toscano, Del. Boysko, Del. Bell, Del. Gooditis, Del. Reid, Del. Murphy, Del. Delaney, and Dr. Marks.

For the second stop on the town hall tour, Partners welcome another one of our legislative champions, Delegate David Reid (D-32), along with fellow panelists Delegate John Bell (D-87), Delegate Jennifer Boysko (D-86), Delegate Karrie Delaney (D-67), Delegate Wendy Gooditis (D-10), Delegate Kathleen Murphy (D-34), and Dr. Michelle Marks, Vice President for Academic Innovation and New Ventures at George Mason University.

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Richmond

Figure 3: Panelists (Left to Right): Nicholas Da Silva, Dr. Abdullah, Sen. Dunnavant, Sen. Sturtevant, Sen. McClellan, Sen. Chase, Brett Vassey.

For the final stop on the “Price Tag” tour, Partners welcomed legislative champion Senator Glen Sturtevant (R-10), along with Senator Amanda Chase (R-11), Senator Siobhan Dunnavant (R-12), Senator Jennifer McClellan (D-9), Dr. Makola Abdullah, President of Virginia State University, Brett Vassey, President/CEO of Virginia Manufacturers Association, and Nicholas Da Silva, a student leader at Virginia Commonwealth University.