President of Charter Oak State College Participates on Distinguished Lumina Foundation Panel

On Monday, June 19, Charter Oak State College's President, Ed Klonoski, joined an impressive panel of innovators in the field of higher education to discuss new and emerging models of academic learning and assessment. Jamie Merisotis, Lumina Foundation President & CEO, moderated. The panel took place in The Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.

Panelists were asked to address the growing importance of identifying and assessing learning outcomes and their impact on shortening the time toward degree completion, plus share their insights about innovative and effective models in linking learning and degree attainment.

President Klonoski said, "At Charter Oak we have been offering competency based approaches to higher education since our founding in 1973. With Lumina's support, these approaches are now being highlighted as ways to lower the cost of higher education and accelerate degree attainment."

Klonoski was joined on the panel by Fred Hurst, Senior Vice President for Extended Campuses, Northern Arizona University; Kate Kazin, Chief of Assessment, Innovation Lab, Southern New Hampshire University; and Amy Laitinen, Deputy Director, Higher Education, New American Foundation.

Lumina Foundation is a private, independent foundation established in Indianapolis in August 2000. They are the nation's largest foundation dedicated exclusively to increasing students' access to and success in postsecondary education.

Founded in 1973, Charter Oak State College is Connecticut's only public online college, offering associate and bachelor's degree completion programs in high-demand fields including Health Care Administration, Public Safety Administration, Business Administration, Information Systems and more. Charter Oak students complete degree programs through online courses and alternative approaches to earning credit. Charter Oak is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and governed by Connecticut's Board of Regents for Higher Education.