Governor Healey Appoints Members to the New
Higher Education Quality and Affordability Commission
BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that Governor Healey has appointed five members to the new Commission on Higher Education Quality and Affordability (CHEQA) that aims to examine public higher education quality and affordability in Massachusetts. This commission was established through the state’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget to produce recommendations on how Massachusetts’ system of public higher education can ensure the strength and affordability of its offerings. The appointees include:
Mary Jo Marion, Associate Vice President, Worcester State University
Niki Nguyen, BHE Student Member, Student at UMass Boston
Joseph Bonilla, Student Government President, Westfield State University
Claudine Barnes, Faculty Member, Cape Cod Community College
Femi Stoltz, Director of Policy, uAspire
“Through MassReconnect, MassEducate and MassGrant Plus Expansion, we have made college more accessible and affordable in Massachusetts, increasing the number of students graduating from community colleges and public four-year colleges with the skills and tools needed for today’s workforce,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I am proud to be appointing highly qualified members to the Commission on Higher Education Quality and Affordability who will help us build on this progress.”
“Since the start of our administration, we have doubled student financial aid, making community college free and cutting costs for thousands of middle-and low-income students at public four-year universities,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “I look forward to seeing the Commission on Higher Education Quality and Affordability’s recommendations on the impact this expanded access has had and how we can continue to improve affordability.”
The Commission on Higher Education Quality and Affordability will be convened by the Board of Higher Education (BHE) to examine:
State assistance programs, including state aid for tuition, fees, books, supplies and other costs of attendance,
Student costs and debts associated with post-secondary enrollment,
Programs that improve student success, including, but not limited to, academic support, career counseling, and assistance with applying for state and federal benefits,
Improvements needed to increase the recruitment and retention of qualified adjunct and full-time faculty and staff, and
Financial assistance program design and models to efficiently increase state assistance, improve outcomes, and reduce student costs.
“Massachusetts has made transformational change in higher education over the last almost two years, but we still have work to do to improve student persistence and completion and reduce equity gaps in access and success,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “The members announced today all bring invaluable experiences and perspectives to the Commission, and I look forward to the important work together ahead.”
“Massachusetts has lifted many of the college affordability barriers highlighted in the BHE’s Strategic Higher Education Financing Framework,” said BHE Chair Chris Gabrieli. “This commission is an opportunity to explore how we can further support more students through to college success.”
“We should be a state where any student with drive and ability can go to college, graduate, and launch a career that will bring them upward mobility,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega. “Massachusetts has transformed its college access and affordability landscape, and this commission will bring experts together to consider which barriers have been lifted for students, which ones remain, and how we can ensure that all students can access the life-changing benefits of a college degree.”
As outlined in the state law, other members of the new Commission include:
Chris Gabrieli, BHE Chair
Veronica Conforme, BHE Member
Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, Executive Office of Education
Commissioner Noe Ortega, Department of Higher Education
Senator Jo Comerford, Co-Chair, Joint Committee on Higher Education
Representative Dave Rogers, Co-Chair, Joint Committee on Higher Education
Representative Kelly Pease, Ranking Minority Member, Joint Committee on Higher Education
President Marty Meehan, University of Massachusetts
President John Keenan, Salem State University
President David Podell, Mass Bay Community College
Viviana Abreu-Hernandez, Executive Director, Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center
JD Chesloff, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable
Doug Howgate, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation
Nate Mackinnon, Executive Director, Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges
Ed Lambert, Executive Director, Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education
Max Page, President, Massachusetts Teachers Association
