Immigration Task Force releases report

Release Date: 
February 19, 2008

Worcester, MA - The Consortium Task Force on Immigration and Higher Education in Central Massachusetts has released a report of its key findings and recommendations.

The 36-member Task Force, composed of both college and university officials as well as representatives from community organizations, was created in August 2007. The Task Force met regularly over a sixth-month period and collected and analyzed important facts and trends about immigration and higher education in the region. Through its report, the Task Force has offered recommendations for Consortium member institutions as well as policy makers which could improve access to higher education for immigrant students.

"The Colleges of Worcester Consortium is uniquely poised to help bridge the gap between recent immigrants' higher education needs and Central Massachusetts' future workforce needs," said Mark P. Bilotta, chief executive officer of the Consortium. "By addressing major barriers to accessing postsecondary educational opportunities, the Task Force hopes this report will stimulate dialogue at the local and regional level and that the adoption of its recommendations will better prepare recent immigrants for our knowledge-based economy."

"The Consortium has become increasingly aware of the growing immigrant population in Central Massachusetts, due in part to our ongoing efforts in providing educational access services across the region," added Task Force chair Pamela K. Boisvert, vice president for higher education access services at the Consortium. "We see first-hand the education needs that this population brings, and the barriers that they face. This report, created after significant effort and thoughtful discussion, will hopefully serve to encourage progress in this arena and ultimately the realization of the benefits of the full range of human capital in Central Mass."


Executive Summary (4 pages - PDF)

Full Report (12 pages - PDF)

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