Event Announcement
Webinar: Solving Stranded Credits and Institutional Debt
June 14, 2022 @ 1:00-2:00 p.m. PDT - Register Now!
Recent research by Ithaka S+R and others has revealed that more than 6.6 million students nationally owe debt on an unpaid balance to a previously attended college or university, with an average balance of $2,400. The vast majority of institutions withhold these students’ transcripts in at least some circumstances as leverage to collect on the debt, with direct consequences for the students affected. In this webinar, Ithaka S+R’s Martin Kurzweil will discuss the research, policy, and potential solutions to the “stranded credits” problem through both a national and a Washington State lens.
Attendees must register on Zoom and are encouraged to review the pre-reading materials below.
Suggested pre-reads (in recommended order of priority):
- A Sustainable Solution to Settle Students’ Debt and Release Stranded Credits
- Solving Stranded Credits: Assessing the Scope and Effects of Transcript Withholding on Students, States, and Institutions
- A State-by-State Snapshot of Stranded Credits Data and Policy
About the presenter:
Martin Kurzweil is director of the Educational Transformation Program at Ithaka S+R, which studies and supports the implementation of practices, policies, and innovations that improve equitable postsecondary access and success. Since launching the program in 2015, Martin and his team have conducted research, coordinated cross-institutional initiatives, and advised education leaders and policymakers on topics such as student debt, transfer, state and federal policy, and the use of technology in teaching and advising. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Martin has spent most of his career in education, including as a faculty fellow at Columbia Law School, a senior official at the New York City Department of Education, and a researcher at the Mellon Foundation. Martin has published widely in both academic and popular venues. He is the co-author of Equity and Excellence in American Higher Education, which received the 2006 AERA Outstanding Book Award.