St. Cloud State is one of 487 participating universities involved in the Project Degree Completion: A Public University Initiative with a commitment to increasing the number of undergraduate baccalaureate degrees granted by public universities and colleges by 3.8 million between now and 2025.
President Earl H. Potter III signed a commitment to the future statement as part of the initiative through the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).
“Project Degree Completion is an unprecedented initiative that will drive the instructional agenda of public universities and colleges in the years ahead,” said M. Peter McPherson, president of APLU. “Never before have public colleges and universities, and our two associations, formally come together around such an important and sustained effort. This initiative is an economic competitiveness imperative for the future of the country and the individuals involved.”
The project also calls for providing students with a quality education and renewed partnership among public colleges and universities, the states and the federal government while working to achieve these goals.
Other portions of the Project Degree Completion commitment pledge support for student access and diversity; efforts to reduce the average “time to degree” for students; and closer partnerships with elementary and secondary schools and community colleges to prepare students to earn four-year degrees, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
