Temple University will collaborate with 130 public universities to increase college access for students.
The University officials announced the decision on December 3. They will work in partnership with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) that organized the collaborative effort.
Along with other institutions, the university will work on closing the achievement gap and awarding hundreds of thousands more degrees by 2025.
“Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a real and growing enthusiasm among public university leaders to advance college completion nationally,” said APLU President Peter McPherson.
“We have to seize the moment and mobilize institutions to improve not just college access, but also equity in student outcomes and the number of students who earn degrees. That’s what ‘Powered by Publics’ is all about and why we’re thrilled to work with institutions toward such an important national goal.”
As a part of its efforts, Temple will work with nine research universities to improve graduation and retention rates among first-generation college students by identifying various strategies.
“As Philadelphia’s only public four-year university, we have an obligation to be a major player in increasingcollege access for first-generation students,” saidShawn Abbott, Temple Vice Provostfor Admissions.
The participating universities will also share the aggregate data showing the progress in achieving the goals.