EFBDEFA6591B64A9872584F1007A7557 Hearing Summary

Senator Todd invited the presenters from the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) to come to the table.  Dr. Angie Paccione, Executive Director, Ben Boggs, Chief of Staff, and Michael Vente, Senior Director of Research, introduced themselves to the committee.  A copy of their presentation can be found as Attachment D.  Dr. Paccione discussed the make up of Colorado's public institutions of higher education, as well as the Division of Private Occupational Schools in CDHE and projected student enrollment for 2020.  Dr. Paccione explained the CDHE Performance, Accountability, and Transparency Structure.

Dr. Paccione discussed the department's strategic goals, which include increasing attainment and completion, erasing equity gaps, improving student success, and committing to affordability and innovation.  She talked about state funding.  Mr. Vente answered questions about the average length of credential achievement.  Dr. Paccione distributed a document to the committee (Attachment D).

Dr. Paccione talked about high-demand credentials in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), and alternative licensure.  She talked about the department's goals, including increasing overall credential completion, and programs and legislation recently passed to help students save money on postsecondary degree attainment, such as college credit for work experience and concurrent enrollment programs. She explained a budget request item for Area Technical Colleges and the Department of Private Occupational Schools to help them collect more data.  She discussed the need to erase equity gaps and discussed a recent increase in degree attainment of pell-eligible students.

Dr. Paccione discussed ways to improve student success and help retention rates, and stated that the last strategic goal for the department is to commit to affordability and innovation.