Keller

by Jeff Vincent

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Two federal lawmakers with strong ties to Vanderbilt and Tennessee now hold the top positions on the House and Senate subcommittees that oversee higher education issues in the U.S. Congress. This unusual alignment of congressional chairmanships comes at a time when interest in higher education policy is intensifying, both among the general public and officials in Washington, D.C.

Last month, Rep. Ric Keller, a third-term Republican who represents the Orlando, Fla., area, was named chairman of the Subcommittee on 21st-Century Competitiveness, the panel that oversees post-secondary education policy in the House of Representatives. He moved to the top slot on the subcommittee as part of a chain of House leadership moves following former Congressman Tom DeLay’s resignation as House majority leader.

Keller, 41, is a 1992 alumnus of Vanderbilt Law School. He was born in Johnson City, Tenn., and received a bachelor of science degree from East Tennessee State University.

Today, he holds very positive memories of his days at Vanderbilt. “My experiences during my years on campus at Vanderbilt University were instrumental in shaping my views about the challenges facing higher education today,” Keller said.

Keller’s views about education also were influenced greatly by the financial hardships of his youth. “As someone who grew up in humble circumstances, I learned that a first-class education is a child’s passport out of poverty,” he said. Throughout his service in the House of Representatives, he has been a staunch advocate of federal student aid programs based on need. Himself a Pell Grant recipient, Keller founded and now chairs the congressional Pell Grant Caucus, a group of lawmakers that pushes hard for federal student aid.

With his ascension to the subcommittee chairmanship, Keller became the House counterpart to Sen. Lamar Alexander, who leads his chamber’s Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development. The Tennessee Republican has held the post since being elected to the Senate in 2002.

Alexander received his bachelor of arts from Vanderbilt in 1964 before attending New York University for his law degree. The Maryville, Tenn., native subsequently served as governor of Tennessee, president of the University of Tennessee and as U.S. secretary of education.

The two men are uniquely positioned to help shape federal involvement in the roles of America’s colleges and universities at a time when higher education issues are in hot debate.

In late March, the House approved a renewal of the Higher Education Act, the key piece of legislation that shapes national investment and policy in this area. The House bill, which Keller supported, will open the door to greater federal involvement in how colleges and universities, both public and private, go about their business. For example, it delves into such issues as tuition increases, transfer-of-credit policies and academic freedom on campus.

The Senate is expected to develop its own version of a new Higher Education Act this year, and Alexander will play a major role in that effort. Drawing on his previous experiences as a university president and U.S. education secretary, Alexander has said consistently that he is opposed to increased federal intrusion into higher education. Instead, he has pushed to reduce the regulatory burden on colleges and universities.

Eventually, the Senate and House will have to reach a compromise on what are expected to be two very different bills. Both Alexander and Keller undoubtedly will be at the table when the final legislation is negotiated.

There are other developments fueling the public dialog about America’s colleges. The federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education is scheduled to issue a report in August that is likely to include recommendations to the secretary of education on dealing with college costs and accreditation and may endorse the federal government’s collection of more data about the progress of each college student.

In addition, the value of higher education has been put very much in the spotlight as a key part of the national discussion about the United States’ ability to spur technological innovation and maintain leadership in an increasingly global marketplace. Alexander has been in the forefront of that discussion and has received strong, bipartisan support for a legislative package that would spur university-based research and improve the training of math and science teachers.

As higher education issues move increasingly to the forefront, two Vanderbilt alumni will hold significant influence over how the discussion is framed and where it leads.

Posted 04/24/06