Interview with President Michele Siqueiros from the Campaign for College Opportunity

Michele Siqueiros, President of the Campaign for College Opportunity, was interviewed for University Innovation Alliance on December 13, 2021. Co-host, Doug Lederman introduced the Campaign for College Opportunity as, “a non-profit based in California that does advocacy and research focused on ensuring more students can go to college and succeed through them.” The interview progressed from Siqueiros’ personal story, to how the pandemic has impacted higher ed, and finally helpful advice.

Being the daughter of immigrants, Siqueiros was the first in her family to go to college. As a low-income kid, she gave credit to school counselors, teachers, UCLA students who went to her high school and helped her fill out college applications, financial aid, affirmative action, and policies that helped her get into college and complete graduate school on a full-ride fellowship.  She said, “it was a mix of what institutions were doing and the policies that were in place. I firmly believe that the policies we support, the way we set up student services, that's what helps make college a reality for those of us who aren’t born into wealth and privilege.”

Siqueiros has been with the Campaign since its founding in 2004 and has been leading the organization since 2008. She acknowledged, “the pandemic has been very difficult for all of us.” She sees the innovation and resourcefulness demonstrated in higher ed during the pandemic as transformative for underrepresented students. Michele gave an example of how flexibility and removal of hurdles in higher ed by providing laptops and higher broadband access for students without those resources was helpful for low-income students to be included in the System. She is hoping some of those innovations will stay in place by intentionally closing gaps that persist for Black and Latin students. Unfortunately, there has been a decline in graduation rates and college enrollment in community colleges of 20-30% since the COVID pandemic. When co-host Bridget Burns asked Siqueiros what she is most proud of, she said, “the elimination of placement into remedial courses at community colleges. Remedial courses are where college dreams go to die. That single policy change across the California Community College System has given incredible access to students and Black and Latino students.”

Wrapping up the interview, Burns and Lederman asked her what advice she has received and what advice she gives to others. She mentioned how leaders and board members supported her and taught her, “it is only worth doing if it is hard and difficult.” Then she shared that letting go of staff members is hard and difficult, but humility and vulnerability helped her treat “everybody with the respect they deserve.” When talking to new leaders, she said, “I recommend they get comfortable not knowing everything” and that they don’t have to do everything by themselves.