Whitlock among Approximately 30 Presidents to Attend White House Briefing

­Eastern Kentucky University President Doug Whitlock was among approximately 30 presidents of public and private universities invited to attend a reception and briefing at the White House on Monday, July 9.

The event was held in connection with President Barack Obama’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, which encourages faith-based programs and services to function ecumenically on America’s campuses.

President Obama did not attend, but present were several high-ranking Administration officials and dignitaries, including Mara Vanderslice Kelly, deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Eboo Patel, founder and president, Interfaith Youth Core; Wendy Spencer, CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service; Martha Kanter, undersecretary for higher education, U.S. Department of Education; Roberto Rodriguez, special assistant to the president for education policy; and Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Obama.

The 90-minute event, co-hosted by the White House Office for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and the Interfaith Youth Core, included a roundtable discussion among the attendees.

This was the second time this year Whitlock has been invited along with a select group of other college or university presidents to attend a White House briefing by senior administration officials. The first was involved state representatives of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and focused on affordability.