On March 3, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) is coming to Columbus to discuss decreased college attendance in Indiana and what’s causing it. The event, hosted by IUPUC and AirPark Columbus College Campus partners, takes place at the Columbus Learning Center Lecture Hall from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
CHE’s Charlee Beasor and Allison Kuehr will discuss research findings on the perceived value of higher education, which is one factor keeping Indiana students from attending postsecondary education. Beasor serves as CHE’s associate commissioner for marketing and communications. Kuehr manages communications and media relations strategy at CHE. Both are currently focused on understanding Hoosier attitudes about higher education and leading a campaign to promote the value of education and training beyond high school.
“Educational attainment has a dramatic impact on local economies to be sure, but education beyond high school also impacts the quality of life for individuals and families, including health outcomes,” said Marsha VanNahmen, assistant director, Center for Teaching and Learning at IUPUC. “We welcome this opportunity to better understand attitudes about postsecondary education and why people are or are not enrolling in college. We are eager to consider actionable steps we might take to change the trajectory of this troubling trend.”
The March 3 event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. The Columbus Learning Center is located at 4555 Central Ave.
About CHE
Created in 1971, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education plans, coordinates and defines Indiana’s postsecondary education system to align higher learning with the needs of students and the state. The Commission builds a policy agenda on a commitment to using compelling data to increase transparency, inform practice, and drive change for the benefit of all Hoosiers. The Commission also administers Indiana’s financial aid programs, including the 21st Century Scholars early college promise scholarship, which celebrated 30 years in 2020.
About IUPUC
Surrounded by the architectural beauty of Columbus, Indiana, IUPUC is a welcoming campus, offering individual experiences for students to learn, discover and contribute in their own way. Our small campus provides big opportunities for students to discover who they are and who they want to be. Undergraduate and graduate students have access to degrees from both Indiana University and Purdue University and can complete undergraduate degrees in business, communication studies, elementary education, English, general studies, mechanical engineering, nursing, psychology or sociology, and graduate degrees in business administration, mental health counseling, and nursing. For more information, go to www.iupuc.edu.