Bush

Zimpher

Skorton

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will present a keynote address tentatively titled “Education in America” Thursday, Oct. 24, at 5:30 p.m. in Bailey Hall, at the beginning of Trustee-Council Annual Weekend. Cornell President David Skorton will lead a panel discussion with Bush and State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher following the address.

Bush, who served as governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007, focused on reform in K-12 and higher education. His “A+ Plan” established new metrics for evaluating public schools and created new standardized testing requirements. In a recent op-ed in the National Review, Bush wrote, “If we don’t completely transform education, we are defaulting on the American dream.” Bush now serves as chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a nonprofit organization based in Tallahassee, Fla.

Zimpher, who leads the largest university system in the nation, has launched a new strategic plan for SUNY to harness the university’s potential to drive economic revitalization and create a better future for every community across New York. Prior to joining the SUNY system in 2009, Zimpher served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and president of the University of Cincinnati.

As a national voice on education reform, Skorton argues that preserving college affordability must be a major priority of universities and Congress. During his tenure, Cornell has substantially increased need-based financial aid to offset tuition increases. He chaired the Business-Higher Education Forum, a group of senior executives and prominent higher education and foundation leaders working to address U.S. education challenges. He also led the Task Force on Diversifying the New York State Economy through Industry-Higher Education Partnerships.

The event is organized and sponsored by the College Republicans, with funding from the Triad Foundation, the College of Human Ecology, Cornell Institute for Public Affairs, the Departments of Policy Analysis and Management, of History and of Government, the American Studies Program, Cornell University Program Board and WVBR.

Free tickets for viewing the event in Bailey Hall have sold out, but tickets for the live-stream of the event in Call Auditorium will be available from the Willard Straight Hall ticket office Friday, Oct. 11. Tickets at Bailey Hall will be honored until 15 minutes prior to the event. Tickets for Call Auditorium do not expire. Bailey Hall doors will open at 4:30 p.m. The event also will be live-streamed on CornellCast.