The Task Force recognizes that there are also needs in academic and occupational advising, remedial learning, ESL, and transition programs. The community and state colleges are therefore encouraged to use some of the increased funding to provide the necessary support services for students to ease their transition into higher education and increase their chance for success.

Accountability and Governing

The Task Force saw no point in duplicating existing requirements, but did see an opportunity to bring a sharper focus to the existing accountability system. The Task Force recommends that the Board of Higher Education (on behalf of the state and community colleges) and the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees (on behalf of the UMass campuses), as part of the annual performance measurement process, ask each campus to specify the key mission-related activities it will pursue to advance the goals outlined by the Commission, to identify a subset of performance measures related to those activities, and to knit these together into an assessment of its impact.

The Joint Committee on Higher Education will review and study the composition of the Board of Higher Education and the boards of trustees of the colleges and the university to make recommendations for any statutory changes that would make the boards more representative and more effective.