Office of the Governor
- Press Office
FOR RELEASE
Tuesday, March 23, 2004 |
CONTACT:
Dan Hopkins - 303-866-6324
Kristen
Hubbell - 303-866-6323
|
OWENS APPOINTS RICK O’DONNELL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COLORADO
COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Owens:
Increased enrollments, productivity, funding are top priorities
(DENVER) - Gov. Bill Owens today appointed Rick O’Donnell as the executive
director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE).
“I’m confident that Rick O’Donnell will bring the same drive, vision
and energy that he bought to the task of K-12 education reform and
accountability to his new position with the Commission on Higher Education,”
Owens said. “Rick will take a
fresh look at the challenges and opportunities facing higher education in
Colorado.”
Owens said he has three priorities for O’Donnell to address.
- Increasing college enrollments. “Colorado
ranks high in the number of college degrees per capita, but low when it
comes to enrolling our own high school students in college.
We must continue to import college graduates but also do a better job
of growing our own. I
have asked Rick to lead a statewide effort to change this ‘Colorado
Paradox’ and reform the college pipeline all the way from middle school to
college diploma.”
- Making colleges and universities more productive.
“Neither state taxpayers nor unchecked tuition increases can
continue to provide ever-larger amounts of funding for higher education.
Increased productivity and efficiencies must be found at all levels of
higher education.”
- Finding new ways to fund higher education.
“World class universities are critical for a thriving economy.
Rick will be my point person as the state considers new ways to fund
higher education, pulling together all of the stakeholders including the
business community.”
O’Donnell currently serves as executive director of the state’s
Department of Regulatory Agencies. During
the first five years of the Owens’ administration, he was the director of the
Governor’s Office of Policy and Initiatives.
O’Donnell also is the director of the Fund for Colorado’s Future, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to improving student achievement in
low-performing public schools.
“My
goal is to reform and restore higher education to its rightful place as one of
the most important strands in the fabric of Colorado’s quality of life,”
O’Donnell said. “I look forward
to building bridges among all of our colleges and universities, the business
community and our K-12 schools. We
will find ways to increase college enrollment, expand college access and provide
a well-trained workforce for a growing economy.”
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