The Spellings Report, 'Warts and All'

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In August the members of a special federal commission on higher education voted to approve the final draft of a report to Margaret Spellings, the secretary of education. Spellings established the Commission on the Future of Higher Education in September 2005 and charged it with creating a "comprehensive national strategy" for postsecondary education in this country. Composed of 19 national leaders, the commission met a number of times around the country to hear perspectives and proposals from a range of policy makers and other experts about important issues confronting higher education.

The final draft contains a number of recommendations that cover such topics as the value of higher education, student access to college, cost and affordability, financial aid, and institutional accountability. We asked leaders from various sectors of higher education for their reactions to the report.