Partnership Pentagon

Partnership Pentagon

The Partnership Pentagon was created in 2023 to support the historic legislative agenda aimed at reversing declining trends and catalyzing opportunities through the belief that deep and long-term improvements would also require collaborative and concerted efforts across sectors of civil society in additional to legislative change. The Partnership Pentagon is intentionally comprised of leaders from business, government, education, non-profits, and philanthropy who possess a variety of ideas and beliefs with the common goal of discussing big ideas and topics impacting higher education and the workforce in Indiana.

The partners work in tandem with the Commission to better understand and propose solutions to Indiana’s higher education challenges and opportunities. Their work aims to maximize the collective impact of the five sectors amongst one another as multiplicative rather than simply additive.

The guiding principles of the Partnership Pentagon are the seven goals of the Commission’s HOPE Agenda, designed to increase opportunities to access economic and
social mobility and prosperity for all Hoosiers. For employers, these goals yield a robust and future-oriented talent pipeline and more stable and thriving communities throughout Indiana.

Meetings

From April 2023 through June 2024, the full Partnership Pentagon met for six meetings in Indianapolis. In advance of each meeting, partners received an agenda, a brief overview of the meeting topic, a summary of the policy landscape in Indiana, and a review of relevant best practices across the country. Following each meeting, partners received a report outlining key takeaways. The philanthropy sector held additional meetings.

Meeting 1: The Return on Investment for Pursuing Higher Education

April 4, 2023

• Meeting 1 Agenda
• Meeting 1 Issue Brief
• Meeting 1 Key Takeaways

Meeting 2: The Role of K-12 in Higher Education Access and Completion

June 26, 2023

• Meeting 2 Agenda
• Meeting 2 Issue Brief
• Meeting 2 Key Takeaways

Meeting 3: Engaging Adult Learners in the Higher Education Ecosystem

October 16, 2023

• Meeting 3 Agenda
• Meeting 3 Issue Brief
• Meeting 3 Key Takeaways

Meeting 4: Improving Access to Higher Education

January 29, 2024

• Meeting 4 Agenda
• Meeting 4 Issue Brief
• Meeting 4 Key Takeaways

Meeting 5: Pathways to Workforce Development and Advancement

March 25, 2024

• Meeting 5 Agenda
• Meeting 5 Issue Brief
• Meeting 5 Key Takeaways

Meeting 6: Strategic Recommendations to Bolster the HOPE Agenda

June 24, 2024

• Meeting 6 Agenda