University of Oregon President Michael Schill this week will discuss the responsibility and role of public universities in closing the achievement gap and providing affordable education that will improve economic mobility for students of color, first-generation and low-income students.

The lecture, titled “Access and Higher Education,” takes place Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 4 p.m. in Room 175 Knight Law Center and is part of the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics’ 2015-16 Public Affairs Speaker Series, Justice for All.

"The Wayne Morse Center is thrilled to have President Schill as a featured speaker in our Justice for All series, which has included world-class scholars such as Patricia Gandara, Charles Ogletree, Gary Orfield and Kim Williams reflecting on how our society can better redress durable inequalities in America,” said Dan Tichenor, Philip H. Knight Professor of Social Science and senior faculty fellow at the Wayne Morse Center. “President Schill's presentation will speak powerfully to these themes and will help us think about educational opportunity both nationally and in our backyard."

To support access at the University of Oregon, President Schill in November announced the Oregon Commitment program, which ensures students have the support they need to graduate in four years, cutting the cost of college dramatically for many students. The Oregon Commitment program will invest $17 million to increase UO’s graduation rate by 10 percent in five years.

In Tuesday’s lecture, President Schill will detail how the Oregon Commitment program, PathwayOregon and other UO initiatives are working to provide more access and success for all students.

 The lecture is free and open to the public and is cosponsored by the Division of Equity and Inclusion. For more information, visit waynemorsecenter.uoregon.edu or call 541-346-3700.