A panel moderated by Kristin Sobolik, CUMU outgoing board chair and chancellor, University of Missouri–St. Louis, at the 2025 National Social Mobility Symposium, hosted by Ellen Neufeldt, CUMU incoming board chair and president, California State University San Marcos.
At the recent National Social Mobility Symposium at Cal State San Marcos, CUMU Board Chair Dr. Kristin Sobolik moderated a thought-provoking panel on what it truly means to be a “social mobility university” and how such institutions can transform their surrounding communities.
Panelists included:
- Antonio Tillis, chancellor, Rutgers University–Camden
- Deborah Diamond, director, Anchor Economy, Federal Reserve Bank Philadelphia
- Georj Lewis, president, Clayton State University
- Don Stansberry, vice president, Clayton State University
- Mark Cafferty, president and CEO, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation
These responses have been edited for brevity.
Sobolik: This topic is near and dear to our hearts—and to the work of our panelists. We represent the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU), a network of more than 120 anchor institutions nationwide committed to social mobility. I’m Kristin Sobolik, chancellor of the University of Missouri–St. Louis, a founding member of CUMU. We’ve been deeply engaged in workforce development and regional impact for over three decades. I also represent the St. Louis Anchor Action Network—a collaboration of universities, hospitals, and corporations focused on advancing economic mobility in our region.
Chancellor Tillis, what does it really mean to be an anchor institution, and how does that inform your work on social mobility at Rutgers–Camden?
Tillis: Thank you, Kristin, and thank you to President Neufeldt for hosting this important event. At Rutgers–Camden, we are social mobility. Most of our students are first-generation and Pell-eligible, and we embed civic learning into our curriculum, requiring over 100,000 hours of community-based work each year. Our “Bridging the Gap” program is central—it fills tuition gaps for families earning under $100,000, making college truly affordable. We also connect students to real-world opportunities, like internships with the 76ers and leadership programs with the mayor’s office. We believe in ushering students into opportunity—not just education.
Sobolik: Dr. Diamond, how did the Philadelphia Fed get involved with Bridging the Gap, and what did your research find?
Diamond: The Federal Reserve’s mission includes promoting full employment and economic opportunity. As part of that mission, we studied Rutgers–Camden’s Bridging the Gap. We found it significantly increased enrollment among lower-income students, improved retention for middle-income students, and boosted completion rates. However, we also noted challenges—particularly in how complex the program requirements were, and how much advising students needed to stay on track. Our takeaway: policy alone isn’t enough—communication and institutional support are critical. We also invite universities to explore our Anchor Economy Dashboard, which measures regional economic dependence on anchor institutions like yours.
Sobolik: Mark, how does the San Diego Regional EDC view its partnership with higher ed, particularly with CSUSM?
Cafferty: Thanks, Kristin. It’s special to be here. San Diego is a region of contrasts—home to one of the largest military installations, a booming innovation economy, and a binational metro area that includes 5 million people just across the border in Tijuana. Cal State San Marcos sits in the northeast part of the county—without “San Diego” in its name—and yet they’ve made a name for themselves through consistent engagement with the business community. What impresses me is how CSUSM aligns talent development with regional needs. In a county this dynamic, CSUSM is ensuring that everyone has a pathway into our innovation economy.
Sobolik: President Lewis and Dr. Stansberry, how is Clayton State approaching this work in your region?
Lewis: At Clayton State, located just south of Atlanta, we’re laser-focused on outcomes. We serve a majority-minority population, many of whom are working adults or caregivers. We’ve redesigned advising, expanded flexible degree pathways, and brought in wraparound supports so our students don’t just enroll—they complete.
Stansberry: I’ll add—our partnerships with local employers and nonprofits help us bridge what we call the “completion-to-career” gap. It’s not just about degrees—it’s about preparing students to thrive in Georgia’s rapidly evolving workforce.
Sobolik: Our Clayton State colleagues highlighted the importance of leadership alignment and embedding social mobility into institutional plans. At UMSL, we’ve done that—social mobility and being an anchor institution is one of our five strategic tenets. Chancellor Tillis, how has this taken shape at Rutgers-Camden? Is it embedded or still evolving?
Chancellor Tillis: At Rutgers-Camden, social mobility is embedded in our ethos. My leadership team understands this work requires more than talk—it needs funding and internal structures. For example, our “15 in 5” initiative, launched in 2022, provides every entering student with a $3,000 fund to support experiential learning, study abroad, or faculty-led research. If additional funds are needed, they can apply based on need. To date, we’ve invested over $1.6 million into students, faculty, and staff through this and related programs.
We’ve also built critical pipelines—like our School of Nursing’s LPN-to-RN-to-BSN pathway—to expand access and support working learners. Over 75% of our students enter New Jersey’s workforce, many remaining in Camden County. For me, ensuring initiatives like these are funded—via strategic budget priorities or appeals to state and federal partners—is essential. Social mobility doesn’t just lift students—it lifts families.
Sobolik: Chancellor Tillis, we spoke before the panel about what this means to you personally. How do you live this mission each day?
Tillis: I am social mobility. Statistically, I’m not supposed to be Chancellor or have a PhD. But access, opportunity, and university structures made it possible. That drives how we support students—holistically. Beyond finances, we focus on emotional health, basic needs, and family support. Some of our students arrive without winter coats; others face food and housing insecurity. We aim to meet them where they are because academic and social mobility are deeply intertwined.
Sobolik: Dr. Diamond, you’ve spent most of your life in Philadelphia. How have you seen social mobility evolve in the region?
Dr. Diamond: Change has been mixed. We’re hosting Raj Chetty from Opportunity Insights in April, and Philadelphia’s economic mobility results won’t be favorable—those numbers are already public. But cities like Charlotte, once near the bottom, have significantly improved through collaboration—something we aim to emulate.
Our region’s shift from a manufacturing economy to an “eds and meds” economy has made college degrees much more valuable. In 2012, only 24% of Philadelphians held a degree—now it’s close to 37%, thanks largely to younger residents pursuing education.
At the Fed, we see our role as providing the data that drives these institutional efforts. Tools like the Occupational Mobility Explorer and the Anchor Economy Dashboard help communities and institutions identify how to connect lower-wage roles to higher-wage careers. It’s time we moved past the myth of individual bootstraps. Behind every mobility story, there’s an institution or structure that made it possible. Recognizing and investing in those systems is critical.
Sobolik: Mr. Cafferty, let’s bring it back to the San Diego–San Marcos region. How does this dynamic play out there?
Cafferty: I always say: “Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps only works if you have boots.” Many communities never had them—and education was their only opportunity.
I’ve led our regional economic development organization for years—an org founded 60 years ago by banks and business leaders focused on attracting growth. But those same institutions helped create the systems—through redlining, zoning, lending—that deepened poverty.
Now, we’re asking: Can we be as focused on inclusion in the next 60 years as we were on exclusion before?
Education is key. We’ve learned that engaging with underserved communities requires partnering with those who already serve them—nonprofits, churches, universities. CSUSM’s Patricia Prado-Olmos has been crucial to this effort. She’s helped us bridge the gap between a business community that once overlooked entire populations and the organizations rooted in those very communities.
Our three major goals by 2030:
- Educate 20,000 people per year with degrees or certifications to build a talent surplus—especially within our Latino population.
- Grow quality jobs through small businesses and anchor strategies.
- Create more thriving households—not just new homes, but real economic security. Fewer than half of San Diegans live in households we’d consider “thriving.” If we don’t change that, we’re not fulfilling our mission.
Much of our inspiration comes from our partnerships with institutions like CSUSM.
Sobolik: Those are clear, measurable goals. President Lewis, looking at Clayton State and the Atlanta region, how do you measure ROI—and what are the risks if we don’t act?
President Lewis: Let’s start with the risk: If we don’t invest in social mobility, we fail in our mission. Our students deserve to graduate, build careers, buy homes, access healthcare, and live the American dream. If we don’t knock down barriers, we hinder both individual opportunity and regional prosperity.
Our institution has a $380 million impact on our region. Our students spend $86 million annually—creating over 2,200 jobs. If we don’t support them, we don’t support our economy.
As for ROI? It’s simple. Are our students staying from year one to year two? Are they persisting? Are they graduating? If not, we aren’t doing enough. Every barrier we remove should lead to better outcomes—and that’s our clearest measure of success.
Sobolik: Vice Chancellor Stansberry, what have you seen in the evolution of social mobility, and how does workforce development play a role?
Stansberry: Workforce development is central. Our executive director of career development is one of the most in-demand leaders on campus—it shows how vital career readiness has become. At Clayton State, many of our students come from and return to high-poverty areas, so we aim to equip them not just to succeed broadly, but to uplift their local communities. Career support has evolved far beyond job placement—it now includes helping students articulate their skills and integrate emerging areas like AI into their learning. If we don’t embed these skills into the curriculum, our students risk being left behind.
Sobolik: President Lewis—what haven’t we covered that’s important to leave with our audience?
Lewis: Social mobility isn’t just about income—it’s about long-term, generational success across areas like health, career, and flexibility. I’m part of a next generation that’s thriving because of the doors opened by those before me. We’re building legacies, not just livelihoods.
Sobolik: Thank you all for leaning into this vital conversation—one that’s truly foundational to our nation’s future. I also want to recognize my fellow CUMU colleagues, both on stage and in the audience. It’s a privilege to be part of this passionate network of 120 anchor institutions nationwide. I’ve learned so much through CUMU, and I’m proud to be a part of it. Thank you all—and go CUMU!