| PublicationDate: 4/11/2000 Summary: SFA APPOINTS ACTING LIAISON FOR PROPRIETARY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Author: SFA Communications Team TO: HIGHER ED COMMUNITY PARTNERS FROM: STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (SFA) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (202) 260-7456. DATE: APRIL 11, 2000 RE: SFA APPOINTS ACTING LIAISON FOR PROPRIETARY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Dear Colleagues, Greg Woods, Chief Operating Officer of Student Financial Assistance (SFA) in the U.S. Department of Education is pleased to announce the temporary appointment of Stephen Blair as Acting Liaison for Proprietary Institutions of Higher Education. Blair is currently SFA's Ambassador for Change, supporting SFA's transformation to America's first Congressionally-mandated performance-based, customer-focused, public service organization. Most recently, Blair served as Director of SFA's Customer Service Task Force. In addition to his extensive record of public service, Blair was for a total of 11 years the President of the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools, the Career College Association, and the Career Training Foundation. Blair has an outstanding national reputation for his leadership and championship of quality proprietary postsecondary education and the rights of students to choose non-traditional career education. His expertise and passion for proprietary institution students will be invaluable as SFA establishes and fills this important office. The job of Liaison for Proprietary Institutions will reside in the Schools Channel. The position serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Education on proprietary education issues, as well as providing guidance to the Department on issues affecting postsecondary proprietary education. The office also will serve as an advocate for and resource to proprietary schools and develops materials and activities that give recognition to the work of proprietary schools, colleges, institutions, and universities. Blair's interim appointment is effective until the current application and hiring process is completed. The period for applications for the position closed on February 28, 2000. A final appointment is anticipated in 6-8 weeks. The office of the Liaison for Proprietary Institutions can be reached at (202) 260-7456. |