Press Release

CONTACT: Debra Humphreys
(202) 387-3760
E-mail: humphreys@aacu.org

AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider Receives Honorary Degrees from Prince George's Community College and Westminster College

Washington, DC—June 27, 2003—The Association of American Colleges and Universities announced today that President Carol Geary Schneider has received two honorary degrees at recent commencement ceremonies at AAC&U member colleges in Maryland and Utah.

At its commencement ceremony held on May 29, 2003, President Schneider received her first honorary Associate of Arts degree from Prince George's Community College (PGCC). This degree was only the fourth honorary degree bestowed by the college in its history. In conferring the degree, PGCC recognized President Schneider for her contribution to a new and invigorated national commitment to liberal education and for her leadership in offering a new vision for learning in the twenty-first century through the AAC&U initiative, Greater Expectations: The Commitment to Quality as a Nation Goes to College. PGCC further recognized President Schneider's efforts assisting hundreds of colleges and universities in revising their curricula to address societal diversity and for making their institutions more effectively inclusive.

Upon receiving this honor, President Schneider spoke to this year's graduates about the forthcoming anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. She suggested that this anniversary is an appropriate occasion to rekindle the nation's unfinished quest for both inclusion and justice for all Americans. She tied her remarks to plans being formulated by both educational and civil rights organizations to mark this historical anniversary with a celebration not only of the decision, but also of the "Milestone Decade" of civil rights reforms that it launched.

"Dr. Schneider is an extraordinary academic leader whose vision is sorely needed at this time in our country," said PGCC President Ronald Williams. "Her particular interest in elevating our better selves through providing the best liberal education to all students is extraordinarily helpful at a time when government seems on the verge of reducing its support for higher education. It was of tremendous importance to have her voice be heard by the students of Prince George's Community College, who, we hope, will not be satisfied with simply finding jobs, but will, as Carol urged, seek their better selves through service."

Through its Greater Expectations Consortium on Quality Education, AAC&U has recognized Prince George's Community College for its excellence in undergraduate liberal education. PGCC is currently leading an effort among community colleges to revive the centrality of liberal education for all students, and to both raise and clarify its expectations for student accomplishment.

At its commencement held on May 31, 2003, President Schneider also received an honorary doctorate from Westminster College where she was recognized as "the nation's leading spokesperson for liberal education." At this commencement ceremony, she joined Sander Vanocur, award-winning print, radio, and television journalist, in giving brief addresses to the graduating classes. Westminster is also engaged in re-envisioning its educational mission as a liberal arts college to address both diversity and civic responsibility. Westminster held a statewide symposium featuring AAC&U's Greater Expectations report in the fall of 2002.

For more information about Prince George's Community College, see www.pgcc.edu.
For more information about Westminster College, see www.westminstercollege.edu.
For information about Greater Expectations, see www.aacu.org or www.greaterexpectations.org.
To see a copy of President Schneider's remarks at Prince George's Community College, see www.aacu.org/about/PGCC.

AAC&U is the leading national association devoted to advancing and strengthening liberal learning for all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Since its founding in 1915, AAC&U's membership has grown to more than 1000 accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size.

AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators, and faculty members who are engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Its mission is to reinforce the collective commitment to liberal education at both the national and local levels and to help individual institutions keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges.

Information about AAC&U membership, programs and publications can be found at www.aacu.org.