NEWS | June 2009

Each month NEWS delivers stories about our colleges and higher education research, trends and policies Read full articles on one page or go to the NEWS archive
	New projection shows greater growth for minorities by 2035 The state will experience significant growth in the number of students of color who will be available to graduate from high school and attend college. By the year 2035, minorities will make up almost one-quarter of the total population in Minnesota. Read more about population projections.

	2009 commencement speakers offer wide-ranging advice Graduates’ sendoffs were accompanied by words of wisdom from an eclectic group of commencement speakers. They included a college president, a congressman, a theater director and a United Nations staffer. Read a sampling of their advice.

	Briefs Minnesota Private College Week, June 22-26, makes it easy for students and parents to explore college options. Campus tours and general information sessions are offered twice daily at each campus. Of the 620 Twin Cities-area seniors who participated in the Admission Possible two-year college preparatory program, 96% have been admitted to college for next year; 35% at one of Minnesota's Private Colleges. Teen Voice 2009: The Untapped Strength of 15-Year-Olds reports on factors that provide young people with the support they need to set and keep on a positive course. Funding for the Minnesota State Grant Program was increased in a bill passed by the 2009 Legislature and signed by the governor. Given the governor’s decision to preserve this funding in the unallotment process, the increase will take effect for the 2009-10 academic year. Read more about the State Grant and legislative session results. Working Together: Organizing our Communities to Support Student Success on May 27 was the third of three 2009 public affairs discussion events sponsored by The Minneapolis Foundation, focusing on ways to ensure all the state’s students achieve at high levels — regardless of gender, ethnicity or household income. A new report, The Opportunity Equation: Transforming Mathematics and Science Education for Citizenship and the Global Economy calls on government agencies, schools and businesses to dedicate funds to math and science instruction.