1. Charge 1Draft May 11, 2010 The Accessibility subcommittee is charged with developing recommendations to address the accessibility of the state’s system of higher education. It is tasked with developing a clear standard for accessibility and goals to meet and maintain that standard. In addition, it will recommend goals to close achievement gaps and clearer pathways to success for students of all interests and backgrounds. How should Colorado define accessibility? What should be the accessibility standard for the following state categorizations of higher education institutions? Research institutions State colleges Community colleges Technical schools How can the system and individual institutions be held accountable for maintaining accessibility? Colorado has the nation’s largest gap between the college attainment of its largest ethnic group and other ethnicities and the nation’s second largest gap between low and high income groups. What should be Colorado’s 5 and 10 year goals to address this gap?

2. Framework 2Draft May 11, 2010 Definition Principles (Standards) Recommendations (Goals) Best Practices Key data will be important to set the stage for the prinicples and recommendations throughout the report.

3. Access Definition 3Draft May 11, 2010 How should Colorado define accessibility? From a student perspective, Colorado provides an integrated higher education system which delivers viable post-secondary educational opportunities for all Coloradoans regardless of income level, geographic location, historic underrepresentation, and non-traditional background. Accessibility must address the following components: Awareness of the promise and possibility of higher education Academic preparation Financial affordability Remediation capacity Geographic considerations

4. Access Standards Draft May 11, 2010 Colorado School of Mines 13 Community Colleges in CC System Selective Open Moderately Selective What should be the accessibility standard for the following state categorizations of higher education institutions? Aims CC Colorado Mtn College Technical Schools Highly Selective State Colleges Research Community Colleges CUUNC CSU FLC CSU-PASC WSC MSC* * Metropolitan State College is considered a modified open enrollment institution

5. Principles Access to Colorado’s public higher education is based on student merit and desire Access translates into and is measured by the completion of a higher education degree or certificate Access recognizes that students begin higher education with different advantages and disadvantages Access requires removing various barriers to higher education completion including awareness, academic preparation, affordability, and mobility Access anticipates differences among institutional missions and capacities 5Draft May 11, 2010

6. Recommendations (Goals) Draft May 11, 20106 1. Admittance All qualified students should be guaranteed admittance into Colorado’s integrated system of public higher education institutions. Students who satisfy defined admission requirements for each tier of our system will be deemed to be admitted. Notice will be sent, proactively, to students and families that, based on admittance criteria established for such tier, they have been admitted to college.

7. Recommendations (Goals) Draft May 11, 20107 2. Student Access, Completion, and Mobility All qualified students should be able to move to public institutions with more selective admission criteria (up the pyramid) if they meet transfer requirements. Transfer to public institutions from two year to four year institutions of qualified students should be developed from the student’s perspective and should be as seamless as possible. Concurrent enrollment is “sister” institutions should be encouraged and developed. Institutions will be funded, in part, on the number of students from their geographic region who complete higher education certificates and degrees regardless of the institution attended.

8. Recommendations (Goals) Draft May 11, 20108 3. Merit based admission and affordability Students – who qualify for admission to a public institution on merit – should be supported financially to help their ability to attend that public institution. Students attending public institutions at the top half of the pyramid are charged a competitive market tuition and fees with 100% financial need being met for qualified, low income students, through a combination of gift and self help and without use of parent or private loans. Excess revenue generated by market rate tuition and fees at the top of the pyramid will be reallocated to the bottom half of the pyramid to supply supportive services to students requiring them to access and complete their education. Just as with Federal Pell Grants, need-based financial aid gift aid will be awarded to students through the Department of Higher Education and are portable to any Colorado public higher education institution