Oregon University System

Media Alert

November 12, 2009

Contact:
Contact Di Saunders, Cell: 971-219-6869; Office: 503-725-5714

Statewide Symposium to focus on increasing pre-college preparation and student retention once in college

WHEN:
Thursday, November 19th, from 8:30 am to 3:45 pm (registration begins at 7:30 am)

WHERE:
Portland State University, Smith Memorial Student Union, Ballroom, 3rd floor; 1825 SW Broadway, Portland, Oregon

WHAT:
More than 350 education leaders and practitioners will convene around the issue of increasing the retention of underserved students once they are in college at a one-day symposium called: From Day 1 to Degree: Ensuring Student Success through Effective Preparation and Retention Programs.

WHO:

Deborah A. Santiago, Co-founder and Vice President for Policy and Research, Excelencia in Education (Washington, DC) will provide a national perspective as the keynoter.
Chancellor George Pernsteiner with the Oregon University System will provide the demographic, economic and policy context for the issue of retention in Oregon.
Dalton Miller-Jones, member of the Board of Higher Education and PSU faculty, will lead the symposium and direct the conversations.
High school and college students will tell their stories about barriers and helps to prepare them for and keep them in college at lunch and at the last session of the day.
Leading practitioners across Oregon running pre-college prep programs and in-college retention programs will present promising practices and key issues needing to be address to help student succeed.

HOW:
If any member of the media wishes to attend, please call Di Saunders at 503-725-5714 or 971-219-6869 or email to: diane_saunders@ous.edu.

For more information and a complete agenda, go to: www.ous.edu\symp

This symposium is sponsored by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education.

Oregon University System comprises seven distinguished public universities, reaching more than one million people each year through on-campus classes, statewide public services and lifelong learning. The Oregon State Board of Higher Education, the statutory governing board of OUS, is composed of twelve members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon State Senate. For additional information, go to www.ous.edu