WESTFIELD — Top-ranking leaders in state education came to Westfield High School on Oct. 16 to announce the release of a report outlining recommendations by the Healey-Driscoll administration to ensure access into the state’s higher education system, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year on race-based higher education admissions.
After an introduction by Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler and Higher Education Commissioner Noe Ortega announced efforts across five primary areas outlined in the Advisory Council to Advance Representation in Education report.
Also present were college presidents and top education officials from across the state, many of whom were members of ACARE, which began its work before the Supreme Court decision.
“Our gathering marks an important milestone,” Tutwiler said, which he stopped short of calling a celebration, but more of a call to action. “Massachusetts was going to remain welcoming and inclusive.”
Tutwiler said this fall the country is just starting to see the impact of the court’s decision, and declared that students of color have rights in Massachusetts.
“We are unshaken in our values. We are not going back,” he said.
Tutwiler said for him it was personal, and spoke about his mother’s fight on behalf of his brother and himself.
“It is not hyperbole. My standing here as secretary of education is anything but,” he said.
Tutwiler referred to Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissenting opinion that stated, “The court long ago concluded that this guarantee can be enforced through race-conscious means in a society that is not, and has never been, colorblind.”
He said what was true in 1860 and 1954 is still true today: “Equality requires acknowledgement of inequality.”
ACARE was formed to ensure that every student is given the resources and support to matriculate and thrive. Tutwiler said as a former high school history teacher, he taught that the most important attainment is “control over your own life.”
He said the council was brought together by many of the leaders in the room, and involved students of color, LGBTQ+ students and other students underrepresented in higher education, all working together to develop strategic recommendations on breaking down barriers to higher education.
Ortega, who co-chaired ACARE with Tutwiler, talked about five key areas in the report, which can be found in full online at mass.gov/ACARE.
Key recommendations include training in diversity, equity and inclusion for all faculty members, administrators and staff at public and private higher education institutions.
Also recommended are innovative admission models that remove barriers for historically underserved students such as direct admission, dual admissions and guaranteed admission for students graduating in the top 10% of their high school class.
Holistic admissions review processes that enable admissions officers to consider factors such as cultural competencies, income level, first generation to attend college, neighborhood circumstances and disadvantages overcome are recommended, as are wraparound services for students including financial, mental health and assistance with issues such as food and housing insecurity and costs related to transportation and child care.
Support of students’ work experiences relating to awarding college credits to adults possessing industry credentials, and also accepting credentials or degrees for individuals from other countries are another recommendation, as is increasing the availability of college-level courses, and providing access to AP courses, dual enrollment and other early college opportunities in underserved communities.
Before the announcement, Tutwiler, Ortega, McCabe, Westfield Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and other top officials met with a panel of students participating in Westfield’s early college program.
Westfield Promise is a collaboration of the city’s public high schools with Westfield State University to offer first-generation college students and others the opportunity to gain college credits and experience while still in high school.
Students in both Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy participate in the program, which begins with two full-year stretch courses, English 101 and World History, co-taught in the high school campuses during junior year by a WSU professor and WHS or WTA teacher; and continues with two courses on the WSU campus during senior year. Students in the program earn on average 12 credits for college in the program, but can earn more.
Tutwiler interviewed the first generation college students in Westfield Promise at WHS, asking for their feedback on the program, and what they saw for their future.
Senior Aubrey Exware said the program exceeded her expectations. She said the students receive college IDs as high school seniors and have access to the campus.
“I study there all the time and go to the library. I’ve gotten to experience a lot of things in college,” Exware said.
Exware said she is interested in becoming a physician’s assistant after studying four years at Westfield State and two years in Springfield College.
Tutwiler asked what Exware had learned about herself and what would be her advice to sophomores. She said she has learned how to do more individual work and to rely on friends to critique each other’s work. She said she would recommend younger students to take advantage of the Westfield Promise program.
High school senior Matthew Robinson said he learned that he was more of an extrovert than he thought. He said in his junior year in the program, he was “raising my hand, doing things I would never do.”
Robinson said as a third-year immigrant in the United States from Jamaica, his parents always told him to take advantage of every opportunity. He said he is very interested in becoming a veterinarian, and would like to enter that program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he would also like to join the wrestling team.
During the announcement of the ACARE report, Ortega said in his career, this moment was not the first time or second time that he has had to talk about pushing back from scrutiny of admissions policies, which he said had also happened at the University of Michigan and the University of Texas.
“The Supreme Court does not admit students into our institutions. Our institutions do,” Ortega said. He asked how the state is going to ensure that all students receive a high quality of learning.
He mentioned five key areas in the report that will help by increasing exposure and access to higher education for K-12 students; re-engaging adult learners and encouraging their participation in higher education; implementing innovative recruitment, admissions and enrollment policies, improving equity in financial aid and enhancing support for historically underrepresented students and the institutions that serve them.
Also speaking on behalf of ACARE were Westfield State University President Linda Thompson, Elms College President Harry Dumay, and Femi Stoltz, policy director for uAspire, a Boston-area organization committed to ensuring equitable access for postsecondary education.
Thompson said the recent action that the Healey-Driscoll administration has taken underscores its commitment to those who want to stay in Massachusetts.
“I share their commitment,” she said.
Thompson said Westfield State University has been reaching into underserved communities, making higher education more affordable. “The recommendations of ACARE are a significant step in higher education to close the gap. I am encouraged and motivated to make those recommendations a reality.”
Dumay said he was pleased that private institutions and not just public institutions were included in the council’s recommendations. He said American higher education is the envy of the world, not just the work of the elite institutions, but in the diversity of institutions.
“Elms College is pleased to play our role,” Dumay said, adding that its students mirror its community college partners more than most private institutions.
Dumay said the effort is also personal to him as a first generation college student. “We applaud the administration for this wonderful effort,” he said.
Stoltz said the administration is committing resources to reserve the trends of disinvestment and declining enrollment by advancing accessibility.
“We look forward to partnering and continuing the ACARE efforts,” she said.
“This is a call to action,” concluded Tutwiler. “It’s going to take the entire ecosystem to make what we’ve identified as the path forward to come to life.”
