New higher education leader named

September 5, 2008 01:26 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

A new interim leader has been picked for the state Department of Higher Education.

The Board of Higher Education today named Aundrea Kelley as acting commissioner, succeeding outgoing head Patricia Plummer.

Kelley joined the department in 1996 and served as associate vice chancellor for academic policy the last four years. Plummer, commissioner for the last two years, had accepted the position on a short-term basis and this month began working as a senior adviser in the president's office of the University of Massachusetts.

Education officials said Kelley had overseen a range of successful education policies and initiatives during her tenure.

A graduate of Swarthmore College, Kelley holds master's degrees in business administration and public policy from the University of Massachusetts at Boston, where she is working on her doctorate in public policy.

The education board sets policy for the state's 29 community colleges, state colleges, and universities, in conjunction with the institutions' boards of trustees. It is conducting a national search for a permanent commissioner through a 13-member search committee headed by Chairman Frederick W. Clark.

Board members praised Plummer for streamlining the transfer process for students, increasing funding for financial aid, strengthening teacher preparation, and improving college readiness.