Fayetteville State University News December 4, 2013 IHEP Honors Fayetteville State University As An "Exemplar Institution" The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), an organization celebrating 20 years of promoting access to and success in higher education for all students, announced today Fayetteville State University as a recipient of its inaugural IHEP Champions of Access and Success Awards. Fayetteville State University is being recognized as an "Exemplar Institution" for successfully advancing strategies that increase opportunity, persistence, and degree completion for low-income, first-generation, minority, adult, veteran, disabled, and other underserved students. IHEP is honoring Fayetteville State University as an Exemplar Institutions because of its strong programmatic efforts and promising practices that are driving access and success gains for targeted underserved student populations. Other winning Exemplar Institutions are: * California State University, Northridge (Northridge, Calif.) * Florida State University (Tallahassee, Fla.) * Miami Dade College (Miami, Fla.) "I am pleased and honored that the Institute for Higher Education is recognizing Fayetteville State University for its work in proving opportunities for a quality education for its students," said Chancellor James A. Anderson. "We feel that it is important for our students, regardless of their circumstances, to have the chance to get an education that will make them contributing and productive members of society. I accept this award on behalf of the staff, administrators, and faculty at FSU who work tirelessly to implement our successful programs." The IHEP Champions of Access and Success Awards are being presented today during the organization's National Policy Summit: Redefining Access for the 21st-Century Student held at the National Press Club. This signature IHEP event brings together critical stakeholders-policymakers, institutional decision-makers, business leaders, and other influential individuals whose reach extends across and beyond the postsecondary community-to foster policy and practice solutions in support of increased access and success. "Since our founding in 1993, IHEP continues to embrace a vision where all people have the opportunity to reach their full potential by participating and succeeding in higher education," said IHEP President Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D. "The IHEP Champions of Access and Success Awards not only affirm our longstanding commitment to championing increased college access and success for underserved students across the nation, they also recognize the efforts of Fayetteville State University for working to advance this important mission." The IHEP Champions of Access and Success Awards were selected through an open application and nomination process; for the institutional awards, all institutions committed to improving access and success were invited to apply. Selections were vetted by IHEP staff, board members, and external postsecondary access and success experts. To learn more about Fayetteville State University's efforts in access and success, visit www.uncfsu.edu<http://www.uncfsu.edu/>. For more information about the IHEP Champions of Access and Success Awards, visit the organization's website at www.ihep.org<http://www.ihep.org/>. Founded in 1867, FSU is the second-oldest public institution in North Carolina. It offers nearly 60 degrees in the arts, sciences, business, and education at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. It serves a student body of more than 6,100 students and has a faculty and staff of approximately 900. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.