Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Nominations Open until December 16 for Forum and Alliance Awards The Western Academic Leadership Forum and the Western Alliance of Community College Academic Leaders will have its Academic Partnerships annual meeting, Partnerships: Stronger Together, on April 23-25, 2025, in Reno, Nevada, where both membership groups will present awards for excellence and leadership. The Forum will grant the Colleague’s Choice Innovation Award which highlights exceptional efforts by Forum members who have innovatively addressed critical educational challenges, fostering a more inclusive and effective higher education environment, and the Alliance will grant the Bernice Joseph Leadership Award to a member whose innovative and impactful projects embody the vision and values of its namesake by addressing critical educational challenges and fostering a more inclusive and effective higher education environment. Nominations for both awards are due December 16; winners will be notified by January 23, 2025. Send in your nominations today! Links can be found in the comments below. #AwardNominations?#HigherEd #Excellence #CommunityColleges #Universities

?? WICHE Commissioner Todd Haynie (AZ) honored as District 6 Pacesetter of the Year by National Council for Marketing & Public Relations. ?? Eastern Arizona College President and WICHE Commissioner Todd Haynie (AZ) was recognized recently for his #VisionaryLeadership, #Innovation, and unwavering support for #EduMarketing and #CollegeCommunication at the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) conference in Tucson, Arizona. EAC completed a comprehensive rebranding effort that modernized the college’s logo system, fostering a renewed sense of connection among students, faculty, and the community. Congratulations! ?? Link: https://lnkd.in/g3n_dBJS ? #HigherEd #MarComm ?

?? Still Seeking Applicants!?? #JobSeekers we are still accepting applications for our Chief Technology Officer Position at WICHE. This position requires an experienced, strategic, and forward-thinking individual to work in our Boulder, Colorado, office. Send this to a qualified candidate or submit your application today! Link: https://lnkd.in/g_3cFW8u #JobSeekers #Hiring #JobOpportunities #TechJobs #Technology

Earlier this month, the WICHE Commission held its biannual meeting at the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus. Regional collaboration is the foundation of WICHE’s success, and our meetings are important opportunities for the commissioners representing 15 states and six Pacific Island jurisdictions to come together to discuss and collaborate on important matters facing the West today. The Commission discussed issues such as higher education and workforce development, shifting student demographics, the impact of distance education on campus operations, funding challenges, how psychology internships can alleviate mental health workforce needs, and the competencies of leadership. Below is an image of the Commission with WICHE President Demi Michelau (fifth from the right) from the meeting. #HigherEd #Leadership

Discover Tuition Savings with the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Did you know? The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) was established in 1987 by WICHE to help make college more affordable and accessible to students in the West. Through WUE, students from the WICHE region can choose from hundreds of undergraduate programs across the West and pay no more than 150% of the institution’s resident tuition rate. In academic year 2023-24, a student saved on average $11,834 on tuition costs using the WUE rate. Watch and share this video to learn how qualifying students can apply for the WUE rate. Link to video: https://lnkd.in/g5UXfKra ?#HigherEd #CollegeTuition #AffordableCollege #Admissions

Last month, approximately 35 State Authorization Network (SAN) members participated in a two-day workshop in Boulder, Colorado, to learn compliance management strategies to address interstate distance education and professional licensure state and federal requirements.?Attendees were state authorization and #DistanceEd compliance staff from postsecondary institutions nationwide.

2025 WICHE Commission Officers Selected At last week's Commission meeting, Barbara Damron, professor and Ridenour/Mason Fellow at the University of New Mexico, was elected chair of the WICHE Commission. Damron’s long professional history spans more than 40 years — 25 in New Mexico — including being a leader in education, a healthcare executive, an advanced practice nurse, a college professor, an international consultant, and a cancer scientist.? ? Antwan Jefferson, WICHE Commission chair for 2024 and associate dean and associate teaching professor in the School of Education & Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver, now serves as immediate past chair, while Utah State Sen. Ann Millner was selected as vice chair.?Congratulations! Photo caption: WICHE President Demi Michelau (third from the left) is shown with the 2025 WICHE Commission officers (l-r) Ann Millner, Barbara Damron, and Antwan Jefferson.? Link: https://lnkd.in/evrUKcvH #HigherEd #Leadership #Colorado #NewMexico #Utah #Nursing?

Save the date: New data about high school graduate projections to be released December 11 We?invite you to join us for a?special webcast?on December 11 as our experts from the Policy Analysis and Research unit discuss the newest findings from the 11th edition of?Knocking at the College Door: High School Graduate Projections, a can’t-miss event for policymakers, education decision-makers, researchers, and others as they plan. Sponsored by The College Board and Lumina Foundation,?Knocking?dives deep into the data, exploring high school graduate trends at the state, regional, and national levels with its comprehensive report and online dashboards.?This webcast is free and open to the public, so be sure to share this registration link with your colleagues. Link: https://lnkd.in/gA42UKj6 #HigherEd #StudentDemographics #Planning

?? Attention #JobSeekers! ?? We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and forward-thinking individual to join our team as our next Chief Technology Officer. This job is based in Boulder, Colorado, and will report to the WICHE president. This unique role will require a technically sound, visionary, and collaborative leader who has their eyes on the horizon for what’s to come, while building upon WICHE’s long and successful history as a trusted resource for higher education and workforce development in the West. #JobSeekers #Hiring #JobOpportunities #TechJobs #Technology Link: https://lnkd.in/g_3cFW8u

Winners announced for the 2024 SANsational Awards Last month, the State Authorization Network (SAN) announced the recipients of the 2024 State Authorization Network SANsational awards. These awards recognize outstanding efforts by SAN member institutions and organizations when developing high-quality, comprehensive solutions to challenging #DistanceEducation compliance/ #StateAuthorization issues. Works recognized by the SANsational Awards provide solutions that meet the needs of regulators, the institution, and most importantly, students. Winning submissions serve as models for peers to readily adapt, replicate, and implement at their institutions. This year's winners are: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (FL) Post University (CT) Rio Salado College(AZ) Southern New Hampshire University (NH) University of Kentucky (KY) University of Nevada-Las Vegas (NV) Learn more about the winning submissions here: https://lnkd.in/gyBmC4W) #HigherEd