Former congressional aide tapped for higher education post - Washington Update - Sally Stroup - Brief Article

Black Issues in Higher Education, Nov 8, 2001 by Charles Dervarics

A former congressional aide is the Bush administration's choice to head the long-vacant post of assistant secretary for postsecondary education.

Sally Stroup is the White House nominee for the U.S. Department of Education's highest college and university post, pending Senate confirmation.

For months, advocates have awaited a choice for this post, long after the administration had made moves to fill other prominent education slots. Many critics had viewed the delay as a signal the administration was taking little interest in postsecondary education. Top officials disputed this idea, claiming they would take their time to find the best nominee for the job.

Stroup served on the House Education and the Workforce Committee from 1993 to 2001 as an aide to Rep. William Goodling, R-Pa., who chaired the panel during much of that time. After Goodling retired in January, Stroup served as government affairs director for the University of Phoenix, a major for-profit education provider.

Before her tenure in the House, Stroup was a vice president and staff attorney at the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. Stroup "has earned an outstanding reputation at the national and state levels as a leader in higher education," says Education Secretary Dr. Roderick R. Paige. Despite Stroup's recent work with the for-profit education sector, public college leaders also praised her record.

Her nomination must go to the U.S. Senate, which could act on the nomination before year's end. However, concerns about anthrax exposure on Capitol Hill threatens to slow action on an already crowded agenda that includes budget and anti-terrorism bills.