Higher Education Thought Leader Mildred García Joins College Track’s Board

Oakland, CA (March 27, 2023) — College Track, a national college-completion nonprofit with a 25-year track record of inspiring a movement to democratize potential, is pleased to announce that visionary higher-education thought leader Mildred García, Ed.D., President of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), has joined College Track’s Board of Directors.

Named president of the AASCU in 2018, Dr. García is the first Latina to lead one of the six presidentially based higher education associations in Washington, D.C. At AASCU, she has advocated for public higher education at the national level, working to influence federal policy and regulations on behalf of member colleges and universities; serving as a resource to presidents and chancellors as they address state policy and emerging campus issues; developing collaborative partnerships and initiatives that advance public higher education; directing a strategic agenda that focuses on public college and university leadership for the 21st century; and providing professional development opportunities for presidents, chancellors, and their spouses.

Prior to her tenure at AASCU, Dr. García served as president of California State University, Fullerton, and Cal State Dominguez Hills. She was the first Latina to lead a Cal State University in the history of the system. A recipient of myriad honors and awards—from Hispanic Business Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Hispanics in 2007 to Diverse Issues in Higher Education’s Top 25 Women in Higher Education in 2013—Dr. García was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

A first-generation college student, Dr. García earned a Doctor of Education and an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University; an M.A. in Business Education/Higher Education from New York University; a B.S. in Business Education from Baruch College, City University of New York; and an A.A.S. from New York City Community College.

“I have long admired Dr. García’s tireless and trailblazing efforts on behalf of educational equity. Her expertise and perspectives will be invaluable in our ongoing work to catalyze a national movement to democratize potential and affirm scholars and communities that are a critical part of this nation’s forward progress,” said Dr. Shirley M. Collado, College Track President & CEO. “I am thrilled to welcome Dr. García to our community.”

“I am honored and humbled to join the College Track Board of Directors. AASCU and College Track share a common commitment to reduce inequities in higher education, particularly for those students who are most vulnerable,” said Dr. García. “Our institutions serve the new majority at our colleges and universities, and thus my joining the board will complement both College Track and AASCU. I am eager to continue to lend my voice to the important national discourse surrounding access, affordability, and the value of higher education through the lens of AASCU’s 350 state colleges and universities.”

About College Track

Founded in East Palo Alto, CA, 25 years ago, College Track (www.collegetrack.org) is a comprehensive college completion program that equips students confronting systemic barriers to earn a bachelor’s degree in pursuit of a life of opportunity, choice, and power. Its 10-year program, which begins in ninth grade and continues through college graduation and launch into a career, systematically addresses the academic, financial, and social-emotional barriers that keep first-generation students from economically marginalized communities from completing college and thriving in the workforce. Today, College Track serves nearly 4,000 students across 12 communities in California, Colorado, Louisiana, and the D.C. Metro Area, plus more than 1,100 alumni leading a movement to democratize potential.

See College Track’s full list of board members and learn more about the organization in its most recent annual report.