Northeastern Illinois University is one of 16 colleges and universities that have partnered with Chicago Public Schools to form the Chicago Higher Education Compact, a collaboration dedicated to increasing college enrollment, persistence and completion for CPS graduates.
The stated goal is to increase the college graduation rate among CPS students to 60 percent by 2025.
“Northeastern Illinois University has a long-standing relationship with Chicago Public Schools,” said Northeastern Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Richard Helldobler. “We look forward to working with the nation’s third-largest school district to set the bar higher for future generations.”
In addition to the 16 colleges and universities, the Compact also will partner with the Illinois Board of Higher Education, Chicago Collaborative for Undergraduate Success and the Higher Learning Commission - North Central Association, which will serve the Compact in an advisory capacity.
“Under this new partnership, leaders in higher education are joining together to increase the number of students who graduate and enter the workforce prepared and educated,” CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett said in a news release.
The CPS release also said, in part:
CPS is partnering with leaders of colleges and universities to develop solutions and ensure students receive supports to keep them on-track to graduate college once they enroll. Members of the Compact will convene quarterly to share goals, progress and best practices. The collective goal is to, by 2025, elevate CPS as a national leader in college graduation rates.
The goal of 60 percent of CPS graduates completing a four-year degree by 2025 will serve as the target for the entire Compact while the District works collaboratively to set and meet institution-specific goals. Additionally, CPS has committed to growing our high school graduation rate, increasing academic rigor and social/emotional supports to increase college readiness and improving the training of our counselors and post-secondary staff to ensure all students are provided quality college advising so that they enroll in schools where they can be most successful.
