UO faculty member Emily Simnitt is one of three people nominated by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and confirmed by the Oregon Senate to serve on the Higher Education Coordinating Commission.

Simnitt will serve a two-year term beginning in July. She will represent the public university faculty position on the commission.

Simnitt teaches courses in writing, public speaking and community literacy in the Department of English; directs the Writing, Public Speaking, and Critical Reasoning Program; and co-chairs the Core Education Council at the UO. She is a 2021-22 leadership fellow in the Office of the Provost and is developing initiatives to increase the capacity for daily transformational leadership of all campus members to support student success.

The Higher Education Coordinating Commission is a 15-member volunteer body appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. It develops policies and programs to ensure that state colleges, universities, workforce development initiatives and pre-college outreach programs are coordinated to foster student success. It also advises the Oregon Legislature and governor on policy and funding to meet state postsecondary goals.