Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Wednesday, July 11, 2018
(INDIANAPOLIS) - The Indiana Commission for Higher Education announces today that Commissioner Teresa Lubbers was awarded the inaugural Exceptional Leader Award from the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) based on her exceptional leadership, commitment to higher education, contribution to the greater good, and service to the SHEEO Association.
Commissioner Lubbers has served as the Indiana commissioner for higher education for nine years. During that time, she has led the development and implementation of Indiana's higher education strategic plans and embraced a commitment to "paying for what we value" through performance funding metrics for institutions and students. She has tirelessly focused on improving completion rates for all Hoosiers, with a focus on closing achievement gaps, and she continues to align higher education preparation with workforce needs by working with policymakers, educators and employers.
"Throughout her decades of service, Teresa has been a national leader on K-12 and higher education policy issues. Her commitment to building consensus, closing achievement gaps, and putting students first is a model for all public servants," said Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. "Her work has helped move the needle on postsecondary attainment and provided greater opportunities for countless Hoosiers to improve their lives. I can't think of anyone more deserving of this honor than Teresa, and I will continue to rely on her counsel as we tackle the education and workforce issues that are so critical to our state's future."
"As a long-standing legislator and now for years in her current post, Teresa has upheld standards of the highest quality in her commitment to education," said Mitchell Daniels, Jr., president of Purdue University and former governor of Indiana. "As a friend of almost half a century, I may be permitted to note that the excellence of her character equals or even surpasses the quality of her performance of her public duties."
"During her time as Indiana's Commissioner for Higher Education, Teresa's policies have resulted in Indiana students completing at higher and faster rates as she has championed dual credit, financial aid reform, performance funding, the core transfer library, single articulation pathways, and many more policies always placing the student at the center, pursuing equity for all students," said Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech Community College.
Commissioner Lubbers has also served the wider, state higher education policy field by mentoring new state higher education executive officers as the former SHEEO chair, as well as serving on the association's executive committee.
"SHEEO is proud of the work of all the state higher education executive officers, their agencies, and the agency staff members," said SHEEO President Dr. Robert Anderson. "It is, therefore, an honor to recognize the winners of these inaugural awards."
In addition to the Exceptional Leader Award, SHEEO presented an Exceptional Agency Award to the Office of the Idaho State Board of Education and the David L. Wright Memorial Award to Andrew Rauch, Director of Institutional Finance at the Colorado Department of Higher Education. Award recipients were honored at the inaugural SHEEO Excellence Awards at the association's 65th Annual Meeting in Park City, Utah on July 10.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.