Cornell joins national effort to expand college access

Barbara Knuth

December 4, 2014

Cornell Senior Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Barbara Knuth will join President Barack Obama and higher education leaders today as the White House announces continuing commitments to expand college access for low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students, and help them prepare for and complete college.

Two Cornell contributions to the president’s initiative will be announced at the second College Opportunity Day of Action in Washington, D.C. “Cornell’s commitment to college access is based on partnerships spanning college preparation and readiness, undergraduate achievement, and degree completion,” Knuth said of the university’s proposal, submitted to the White House by Associate Vice Provost A.T. Miller.

To “achieve academic equity across all demographic groups,” the university is implementing pedagogical initiatives to support students from groups traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields to achieve in and complete degrees at rates similar to STEM students from majority groups.

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