California Competes will host its annual California Higher Education Policy Institute for Legislative Staff on Friday, April 26, 2024 in Sacramento, CA. This event is designed to educate and engage legislative staff on timely higher education issues to inform policy efforts.
Agenda
I. Welcome & Lunch
After grabbing lunch and settling in, legislative staff will be welcomed by California Competes CEO Dr. Su Jin Jez, who will set the stage for an engaging program that digs deep into pressing higher education policy issues.
ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS
- Slides
- California Competes Policy Priorities
- What California Policymakers Can Do Now to Modernize Higher Education [Handout]
II. Examining California’s Postsecondary Landscape: Affordability, Access, and Opportunity
Dr. Jez will lead legislative staff in examining data from California Competes’s updated Postsecondary to Prosperity Dashboard to understand local and regional disparities in postsecondary access and outcomes. Staffers can assess how constituents’ opportunities differ dramatically based on their race, ethnicity, gender, income, place of residence, and more.
ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS
III. Reimagining California’s Postsecondary System to Meet The Needs of Today and Tomorrow
California stands at a critical crossroad, grappling with the challenges of an outdated higher education system that no longer meets the needs of its diverse population and a rapidly evolving economic landscape. Dr. Jez shares insights into who today’s students are, including a look at the 6.8 million Californians without degrees, most of whom are parenting. She’ll also share a framework for reimagining the postsecondary education system to support more Californians through college and beyond.
ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS
- Get Ready: Introducing the Millions of Adults Planning to Enroll in College
- Untapped Opportunity: Understanding and Advancing Prospects for Californians without a College Degree
- The California Alliance for Student Parent Success Policy Agenda
- California’s Undergraduate Student Parents [Infographic]
IV. Improving College Access and Affordability with Holistic Student Support
Pursuing a postsecondary credential or degree can often seem out of reach for many Californians, especially with one in six residents living in poverty and college costs skyrocketing. California Competes Policy Director AJ Johnson will share an analysis of the complex landscape of financial aid, resources, and public benefits and explore ways to simplify to help students with the financial strain of attending college. This discussion will include updates on the Cal Grant Reform, tools to navigate and expand access to public benefits, and ongoing efforts to address student housing insecurity.
ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS
Financial Aid
Public Benefits
- California Competes’s Compendium of Public Benefits Programs
- Public Benefits Finder for California Students
Housing
- Understanding the Critical Role of Housing on Student Success
- Student Housing Spotlights: Call for Affordable Housing for Student Parents and Their Families
- California Competes’s Analysis of the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program
- Student Voice: Invest in more housing for hardworking college students with kids by Kenya Abner, Sacramento State
V. Deep Dive with California Competes
Don’t let the conversation end! Legislative staff will engage in more in-depth discussions with the California Competes team. Whether you want to explore the policy areas covered during the Institute in more detail or discuss other areas of interest, we’re here to listen, learn, and collaborate with you.
Meet our Staff Institute Presenters:
Dr. Su Jin Jez leads the organization’s work to develop nonpartisan and financially pragmatic recommendations for improved higher education and workforce policies and practices across California.
AJ Johnson leads the implementation of California Competes’s policy agenda and policy research activities, including those related to cross-sector initiatives, postsecondary-workforce alignment, online education, statewide longitudinal data systems, and student parents’ needs.
Thank you to the following sponsors:
Game Changer Sponsor
