Wine with Wonks: Meet the Wonks 2021
Event Details
When
March 11, 2021
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
With the 117thCongress now underway, a new President, and a newly confirmed Secretary of Education, there’s a lot of momentum in Washington, D.C. to revamp our higher education system. So, what are some of the biggest legislative and regulatory priorities being discussed? And, how are student needs central in these conversations?
To dig into these questions and more, Third Way’s Education team hosted Wine with Wonks: Meet the Wonks, a digital briefing featuring six experts in higher education. The event provided an opportunity for stakeholders across higher education to connect with field experts and get some of their most pressing federal higher education policy questions answered. Our wonks included:
- Ernest Ezeugo, Policy Analyst, State Higher Education Executives Officers Association
- Antoinette Flores, Director, Postsecondary Education, Center for American Progress
- Tamara Hiler, Director of Education, Third Way
- Janette Martinez, Senior Policy and Research Analyst, Excelencia in Education
- Carrie Warick, Director of Policy and Advocacy, National College Attainment Network
- Carrie Wofford, President, Veterans Education Success
The experts shared their wishes for big higher education policy changes they hope to see made realities in the Biden Administration – like addressing issues related to college affordability, doubling the Pell Grant, increasing funding for Minority-serving institutions (MSIs), and holding institutions accountable for the outcomes of their students.
The wonks also helped set the record straight on some higher education misconceptions. Many shared concerns around the idea of what a typical college student looks like, pointing out that the average student is no longer a young adult, but rather, as the data shows, 35% are 25 or older, 22% are parents, 39% attend part-time, and 64% work while attending school. Others spoke of the policy nuances surrounding the success of minority and non-traditional students, specifically Latino students. And, the wonks also offered an important reminder that systems-level issues in higher education require systems-level solutions.