Thursday, September 25, 2008

Rosemary DePaolo, chancellor of the University of North Carolina Wilmington, has joined a prestigious group of public and private university and college leaders serving on a Higher Education Cabinet convened by the Chronicle of Higher Education and The New York Times.

The group of more than 60 presidents, chancellors and state university system heads met for the first time Sept. 15 in New York City. It included higher education leaders from Colgate University, Purdue University, Syracuse University, Spelman College, Rutgers, Amherst College, Penn State University, Cornell University, the University of Georgia System, the University of Washington and the University of Notre Dame.

The Chronicle and The Times jointly developed this cabinet of innovative, forward-thinking leaders to envision the future landscape of higher education and discuss issues that need to be addressed to enact change. DePaolo is the only member of the group representing North Carolina.

"Taking part in this initial session was a powerful experience," said DePaolo of the day-long meeting at The New York Times Building. "It was tremendously exciting to bring together some of the key leaders in higher education to share ideas, discuss issues and brainstorm solutions, not just with one another, but also with people from the most influential newspaper in the nation and the major higher education publication.

"We talked at length about the shared aims of newspapers and institutions of higher education, and the role that we both play in creating critical thinkers in our society. I see this group as an excellent resource and sounding board."

Topics of discussion at the first meeting included:

• Sustaining the higher education financing model
• E-learning and education
• Internationalization
• Assessment and accountability

In addition, Janet L. Robinson, president and CEO of The New York Times Company, addressed the group on "Thoughts on Leadership and Education," and Jeffrey J. Selingo, editor of the Chronicle of Higher Education, spoke about "The Changing Media Landscape and What it Means for Coverage of Higher Education."

Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, manager of news and media relations, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu