<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><item href="/news/stories/cpe-statewide-diversity-policy.html" dsn="news"><hide/><featured/><pubDate>05/11/2020</pubDate><title>CPE's statewide diversity policy driving campuses to narrow achievement gap</title><description>In a testament to Kentucky's statewide diversity plan for higher education, colleges and universities across the commonwealth made important strides in 2018-19 in closing the achievement gap for underrepresented minority students. According to the latest progress report by CPE, bachelor's degrees conferred to minority students at public and private institutions increased 5.3% over the previous year.</description><image><img src="/_resources/images/cpe-statewide-diversity-policy.jpg" alt="Graduates"/></image></item>