Campus Compact, a national coalition of higher education institutions committed to the public purposes of higher education, today announced its acceptance to the Washington Higher Education Secretariat. The Secretariat is composed of chief executives from approximately 50 higher education associations. Its primary purposes are to provide a forum for association chief executives to consider strategic policy and to address specific issues facing higher education.
Joining the Secretariat is a key part of Campus Compact’s goal to deepen and expand its federal policy and advocacy agenda and to become a more visible player in Washington, DC. As a member of the Secretariat, Campus Compact will continue serving as a national voice for the public purposes of higher education, advocating for the crucial role that higher education should play in building a just and equitable society.
"We are pleased to welcome Campus Compact to the membership of the Washington Higher Education Secretariat (WHES), and look forward to working with President Bobbie Laur on the many vital issues facing our member associations and all of higher education," said American Council on Education President Ted Mitchell, who convenes and coordinates WHES. "The collective contributions of Secretariat members like Campus Compact are crucial to ensuring that the higher education community speaks with a powerful, unified voice and acts proactively and productively to assist our institutions and students."
Campus Compact was supported in its bid to join the Secretariat by leaders of other higher education organizations represented in the Secretariat, including the American Association of Colleges & Universities, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, the Council of Independent Colleges, the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, and the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
“We are thrilled to have a seat at this important table. Like the other organizations in the Secretariat, Campus Compact believes—and was founded upon—the idea that higher education should play a crucial role in supporting democracy and the public good,” said Campus Compact President Bobbie Laur. “I look forward to collaborating with colleagues from other associations to advance shared priorities that bring the necessary resources and capabilities for higher education to effectively partner with communities and educate students for civic and social responsibility.”
To learn more about the Washington Higher Education Secretariat, visit whes.org.