President Wilson to Discuss College Completion at Harvard

Morgan State President David Wilson will join a panel of higher education thought leaders today on a panel discussion on educational opportunity and changing demographics in the United States. Dr. Wilson, an alumnus of Harvard, will make remarks on the nation’s imperative to increase the number of college graduates, and the necessity of historically black colleges within that mission.

“If the nation is to lead the world again in the percent of our population with college degrees, how should we think about the role of particular institutions in helping us get there,” asks Dr. Wilson. “Are some institutions more prepared than others to grow their enrollments, without sacrificing educational quality, and educate pockets of the population where we are seeing massive growth? How do we insure that Blacks and  Hispanics, in particular, will be educated in sufficient numbers in the critical STEM fields, especially if we buy the notion that these fields are at the root of innovation?”

“I will attempt to present a case for the essential nature of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority serving institutions in educating a larger portion of the population from these growth pockets. I believe that our failure to do so can  result in a weaker and non-competitive America long-term.”

The panel discussion will be held from 4.00pm to 5.30pm at the Askwith Forum at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.