New York State Board of Regents Tap Cofield as Vice-Chancellor

The New York State Board of Regents has elected Milton L. Cofield as their new vice-chancellor for a term beginning April 1, 2009. He was selected for this leadership post, along with current chancellor Merryl H. Tisch, by election held among the board’s 16 members, who are each selected to serve 5-year terms by New York’s state legislature.

Professor Cofield is also a teaching professor and executive director of the undergraduate business program at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. Under his leadership, this program was recently ranked the #6 undergraduate business school in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. He has also been recognized as a Fulbright Senior Scholar by the Graduate Institute of Technology and Innovation Management, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan – 2000.

The New York State Regents comprise the state’s policy-making body regarding public and private education at all levels, the licensure and discipline for forty-eight specific professions, and the chartering of state museums and cultural organizations. It a unified body that that takes a comprehensive approach to policy involving all elementary, secondary, and postsecondary educational institutions, libraries, museums, public broadcasting, records and archives, professions, Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, and such other institutions, organizations, and agencies as may be admitted to The University.

 “This is a critically important time in education in America’” said Cofield. “We need to explore strategies that will generate greater results from our educational institutions at all levels and this, in turn, will make a significant contribution toward bettering the future of our country.

The Board of Regents six goals address policies and program standards for lifelong education, from childhood through senior years:

1. Every child will get a good start.
2. Every child will read by the second grade.
3. Every student will complete middle level education ready for high school.
4. Every student will graduate from high school ready for work, higher education and citizenship.
5. People who begin higher education will complete their programs.
6. People of all ages who seek more knowledge and skill will have the fullest opportunity to continue their education.

Cofield has always been a strong advocate for quality in education at all levels. Originally elected to the Board of Regents in 2001, Cofield has played an active role in education policy, lending his leadership to the State’s higher education and professions committees since 2005. Through his work on these committees he has recognized parallels to his mission at Carnegie Mellon University.

“I find there is great synergy between my work with the undergraduate business program at the Tepper School of Business and the policy initiatives of the New York Board of Regents. The most important areas of direct connection between my work with the regents and my responsibilities at Carnegie Mellon have been in the areas of developing policies and practices for assessing teaching and student learning, and in the application of technology to improving the learning experiences of students”

Cofield credits his active teaching role at the Tepper School of Business for his ability to stay in touch with issues facing the current generation of students, which is beneficial to his classes in Pittsburgh and all classes across the State of New York.