Nell Gross
Editor-in-chief
ngross1@jccc.edu
UPDATED: September 13, 5:51 p.m.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will be at the college’s campus on Thursday, September 14, according to an email sent out this morning from President Joe Sopcich to the college’s staff and faculty.
Secretary DeVos will be on campus from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. and will be touring the college and speaking with students, faculty and staff about the some of the different programs offered here at the college. Staff from the U.S. Department of Education requested that DeVos have the opportunity to experience some of the career classrooms firsthand.
“A campus visit by a member of the U.S. President’s Cabinet is a rare opportunity for us as an institution to promote the essential impact that community colleges have on our country,” Sopcich stated in the email. “It is my hope that Secretary DeVos and the Department of Education members that accompany her will clearly witness our ongoing emphasis on accessible workforce training, meaningful faculty and student collaboration, and responsiveness to our diverse community.”
According to the email, there will not be time for a public forum due to the brief nature of the visit. There will also be increased activity and security on campus on Thursday in preparation for the visit.
Secretary DeVos has been one of the more controversial picks for President Donald Trump’s cabinet, starting immediately after her nomination in November of last year. She has been criticized by some for her advocacy of the use of school vouchers and charter schools, along with her support of Common Core standards and her overall stance on deregulating the country’s education system. She most recently announced her department is looking into rescinding campus sexual assault guidelines that fall under Title IX.
On Wednesday, posters were found throughout the college’s campus alerting students of her visit, and heavily criticizing her policy positions.
Check back Thursday for The Ledger’s coverage of Secretary DeVos’s visit.