Award for Service to the CIC Chief Academic Officers Task Force
Keynote Address: Partnering for Good: Prison Education and the Potential for Transformation
Shirley Hoogstra will discuss how prison education programs can apply the best aspects of a liberal arts education in a nonconventional setting. She will share how incarcerated students respond to having the chance to learn and how this opportunity can be life changing. Prison education programs present an opportunity for institutions to meaningfully serve individuals who are incarcerated by making education available and accessible. Also, thanks in part to the action from the Department of Education to restore access to a Pell Grant for any person who is incarcerated and wishes to pursue postsecondary education, this presents an opportunity for institutions looking to grow and diversify enrollment. Despite some of society’s perceptions and expectations, prison education provides a clear proof point for the potential for transformation for both students and institutions.