Future of higher ed on tap at SJSU bash

Mercury News 5/4/07

By Sal Pizarro

The Founders' Day celebrations marking San Jose State University's 150th anniversary today may be as much about the university's future as its past, thanks to an appearance by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.

Spellings, the architect of the No Child Left Behind Act and head of a commission charged with improving higher education, will give a keynote address at 2 p.m. at the university's Morris Dailey Auditorium.

Some of her proposals to make higher education more accessible have been controversial, but San Jose State Provost Carmen Sigler says that's why a university is the perfect setting for her speech - it's a place where conflicting ideas are expected to be presented, challenged and discussed.

Spellings' speech will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by California State University Chancellor Charles Reed on the future of higher education. Both events are free and open to the public.

Meanwhile, plans for a procession of alumni and faculty in full regalia through downtown San Jose were scrapped a few weeks back, partly because of tensions over the CSU contract battle this spring. But faculty are still being encouraged to wear their academic robes today.

Sigler, the school's provost, says she'll be wearing the robes of her alma mater, the University of Michigan. Coincidentally, Michigan's colors are blue and gold, the same as San Jose State's.