Today, the University of Arizona joined 38 higher education institutions and partner organizations to launch the Taskforce on Higher Education and Opportunity. The University of Arizona and task force member partners are driven to act by the challenges caused by the pandemic, income inequality, the changing nature of work and levels of unemployment among recent college graduates nearly double those seen in the 2008 recession. The impact of this crisis is falling unevenly across groups and disproportionately impacting people of color, no matter their educational backgrounds. The task force will provide greater opportunity to students and communities, while reimagining higher education's contribution to society and sharing insights with the broader education community.

The task force brings together leaders from across American higher education, including public, private, two-year and four-year institutions that represent 2.5 million students nationwide. Task force members are focused on three key goals: ensuring student success despite the worst recession since World War II, partnering with local communities, and reimagining how higher education is delivered.

Schools will take individual and collective action to meet the shared mission of the task force through new goals set every six months. Member institutions are now launching the first round of initiatives to prepare the graduates of 2021-2023 for success in the post-pandemic economy. In the coming months, task force members will develop programs to support local communities, and additional programs will follow to reimagine the future of higher education and prepare students for work in a post-pandemic world.

"Higher education has a responsibility to step up and make a difference in the lives of everyone impacted by the pandemic, today and beyond," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. "I am proud to be a part of this amazing group of leaders and look forward to enriching the lives of students in Tucson, the state and the country."

Task force membership will continue to grow to diversify and scale impact with a focus on action – uniquely positioning the task force in the higher education space. To learn more about the task force and member institutions' initiatives, click here.

Task force members include:

• Robert C. Robbins, President of University of Arizona*
• Mark Becker, President of Georgia State University
• Gene D. Block, Chancellor of University of California, Los Angeles
• Seth Bodnar, President of University of Montana
• Bob Brown, President of Boston University*
• Angel Cabrera, President of Georgia Institute of Technology
• Mary Schmidt Campbell, President of Spelman College*
• Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University
• Carol Folt, President of University of Southern California*
• Joan Gabel, President University of Minnesota
• Patrick Gallagher, Chancellor of University of Pittsburgh
• Kevin Guskiewicz, Chancellor of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Andrew David Hamilton, President of New York University
• Anne Kress, President of Northern Virginia Community College*
• Paul LeBlanc, President of Southern New Hampshire University
• Linda Livingstone, President of Baylor University
• Sarah Mangelsdorf, President of University of Rochester
• Andrew Martin, Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis
• Harold Martin, Chancellor of North Carolina A&T State University
• Gary May, Chancellor of University of California, Davis
• Joe May, Chancellor of Dallas College
• James Milliken, Chancellor of University of Texas System*
• Mark Mitsui, President of Portland Community College
• Darryll Pines, President of University of Maryland
• Vincent Price, President of Duke University
• Scott Pulsipher, President of Western Governors University*
• Scott Ralls, President of Wake Technical Community College
• Felix V. Matos Rodrfguez, Chancellor of City University of New York*
• Timothy Sands, President of Virginia Tech
• Michael Schill, President of University of Oregon
• Kate Smith, President of Rio Salado College
• Samuel Stanley, President of Michigan State University
• Astrid S. Tuminez, President of Utah Valley University
• Gregory Washington, President of George Mason University
• Ruth Watkins, President of University of Utah
• Federico Zaragoza, President of College of Southern Nevada
• Bill Hansen, CEO and President at Strada Education Network
• Andre Dua, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company*

*Indicates task force Executive Committee Member and/or Goal 1 Initiative Lead