A conversation between co-authors Eileen L. Strempel and Stephen J. Handel

ZOOM Link:  https://zoom.us/j/94841840753

Eileen Strempel, inaugural Dean of UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music, and co-author Stephen J. Handel, celebrate the Rowman & Littlefield release of their book focused on higher education public policy, entitled: Beyond Free College: Making Higher Education Work for 21st Century Students.

In Beyond Free College, Eileen Strempel and Stephen Handel shift the conversation from college access to degree completion, by making a compelling case that a post-secondary degree or certificate is essential to participation in our American democracy and economy. The book focuses on today's transfer students at a time when 36 million Americans have earned some college credits but no degree, Strempel and Handel introduce us to the plight of the neo-traditional student—27% of whom are also parents. Drawing upon extensive research, the authors offer a strategic guide to the policies that deliver the best return on investment in rebuilding the American economy post-pandemic to ensure that these students can earn a family-sustaining wage. At a time when free college has gained remarkable popularity, Beyond Free College delivers a more nuanced approach that addresses the root causes of the impediments to degree completion for today's non-traditional students.

UCLA Dean Dr. Eileen Strempel is also a trained opera singer and a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. She is a nationally recognized champion for transfer students and views superb public education as one of the principal social justice issues of our time.

Dr. Strempel’s other scholarly interests focus on the music of women composers, and her work includes numerous recordings, commissions, articles, and edited volumes that examine the political, social, and musical contexts of the most influential female composers of our time.

Previously, Strempel was the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Cincinnati and Professor of Voice at The College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Prior to that, she served in a variety of roles at Syracuse University over a seventeen-year span, where she was awarded a Kauffman Foundation eProfessorship and the prestigious ACE Fellowship, which she served at Colgate University. Strempel received her Bachelor of Music from the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music and she received her doctorate from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

Stephen J. Handel is the College Board’s Executive Director of Strategic Higher Education Assessment Use and Opportunity. In this capacity, he consults with college and university enrollment leaders in the application of fair and effective higher education admission assessments and other resources that benefit students seeking success in postsecondary education.

Prior to his position, Steve served as the Associate Vice President—Undergraduate Admissions for the University of California (UC) System. In this capacity, Handel served as the chief admission officer for system, providing leadership on freshman and community college transfer policy and practice for the nine UC undergraduate campuses. With over 23 years of service at the University of California, Steve served in a variety of leadership roles in such areas as undergraduate admissions, enrollment management, outreach, and student services.

Handel is the author of books and monographs on higher education, including the two-volume series, Transition and Transformation (with Eileen Strempel, 2016, 2018) The Promise of the Transfer Pathway: Opportunity and Challenge for Community College Students Seeking the Baccalaureate Degree (with Ronald Williams, 2012) and the Community College Sourcebook: Strategies for Advising Transfer Students from Experienced Community College Counselors (2009).

Handel earned his Ph.D. and M.A. degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, a B.A. from California State University, Sacramento, and an A.A. from Cosumnes River Community College (Sacramento, CA).

The coauthors have completed two previous books, including Transition and Transformation: Fostering Transfer Student Success and the follow-up, Transition and Transformation: New Research Fostering Transfer Student Success, both with the University of North Georgia Press. Both are proud long-term members of the National Advisory Board for the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS).