Pruitt Named to National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality

Dr. Pruitt is the only college or university president from New Jersey to serve on the committee and is the committee’s longest serving member. With his most recent appointment, Dr. Pruitt has now served in an advisory capacity to five U.S. secretaries of education, under three presidents representing both major political parties.

“I am honored that Secretary Spellings has asked me to continue serving in such a critical capacity to help ensure that postsecondary education in our country is at the highest caliber,” said Dr. Pruitt. “This committee is a vital quality-assurance mechanism the federal government has for the postsecondary community.”

During the Clinton administration, Dr. Pruitt was twice appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity by Education Secretary Richard Riley in 1994 and 1997, respectively. He was reappointed to the committee in 2002 during President George W. Bush’s first term by Education Secretary Rod Paige.

In 1989, Dr. Pruitt was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Accreditation and Institutional Eligibility, a precursor of the current committee, during the term of President George H. W. Bush by Education Secretary Lauro Cavazos.

In addition to his service at the national level, Dr. Pruitt is currently taking an advisory role in New Jersey. Governor-elect Jon S. Corzine has named Dr. Pruitt as co-chair of his Higher Education Policy Group as part of the incoming governor’s transition efforts. The Higher Education Policy Group is examining many of the proposals offered during Corzine’s gubernatorial campaign. The group is focusing on issues that extend access to eligible students while making higher education more affordable as well as on measures to stem “brain drain” and encourage students to attend New Jersey colleges and universities.

“My appointment as co-chair of Governor-elect Corzine’s Higher Education Policy Group is a special honor,” said Dr. Pruitt. “With many unresolved questions about rising tuition and capacity issues at schools in New Jersey, the partnership between higher education and state government is more important than ever. It is not just about text books and student facilities; it is also about our quality of life in New Jersey.”

Dr. Pruitt has been president of Thomas Edison State College since 1982 and is the longest-serving president of any senior public institution of higher learning in the state. He is active in the formulation of educational policy nationally and within New Jersey and serves as chairman of the New Jersey Presidents’ Council, which helps coordinate higher education in the state and represents the interests of New Jersey’s 57 institutions, including four-year public and independent institutions, community colleges, and proprietary and religious colleges. Dr. Pruitt has also served on numerous national and regional boards and committees serving education, tourism, economic development, business and finance. He lives in Lawrenceville, N.J., with his wife, Pamela.

About Thomas Edison State College
Thomas Edison State College provides flexible, high-quality, collegiate learning opportunities for self-directed adults. One of New Jersey’s 12 senior public institutions of higher education, the College offers 15 associate, baccalaureate and master’s degrees in more than 100 areas of study. Students earn degrees through a wide variety of rigorous and high-quality academic methods that can be customized to meet their individual needs. Identified by Forbes magazine as one of the top 20 colleges and universities in the nation in the use of technology to create learning opportunities for adults, Thomas Edison State College is a national leader in the assessment of adult learning and a pioneer in the use of educational technologies. The College is home to The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy. The New Jersey State Library is an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College. Further information about admission to the College may be obtained by calling (888) 442-8372, via e-mail at info@tesc.edu or by visiting the College Web site at www.tesc.edu