WICHE & California Celebrate 50 Years

Boulder, Colorado — The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) is celebrating 50 years as a force shaping higher education in the West. WICHE, along with California and 14 other member states, works collaboratively to expand educational access and excellence for the West’s citizens. WICHE is the only organization in the West that focuses exclusively on higher education issues, from accountability to tuition and fees to distance learning and innovation. Its primary issue – access – has been one of the region’s most pressing educational and social issues, from the days of the GI Bill down to the present.

"With more than half of the population and students in the WICHE West, California is obviously critically important to WICHE's mission of ensuring broad access to high-quality education to our citizens,” says David Longanecker, WICHE’s executive director.

California has been an integral part of WICHE since joining in the 1950s. Originally founded in 1952 to broaden access to medical, dental, and veterinary schools for students in states that didn’t support such programs, WICHE currently enrolls more than 18,000 students in 13 professional degree programs, 134 graduate programs, and scores of undergraduate disciplines. Today, when our economy demands a highly educated workforce, WICHE actively supports the idea that every student should be prepared for college, and everyone should have access to a college education.

California's students and their families are the primary beneficiaries of two of WICHE’s Student Exchange programs: the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) and the Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP). They saved over $5 million in tuition and fees this year through WUE, which enables California’s students to enroll in institutions in other states and pay 150 percent of resident tuition. More than 1,200 of California’s undergraduate students are currently enrolled in out-of-state programs via WICHE. In addition, over 60 undergraduate students and 134 professional students from other states are enrolled in California institutions this year through WUE and PSEP, filling slots in programs that have excess capacity and bringing over $1.7 million in tuition and fees to California institutions.

“Because of state’s size, WICHE's relationship to California has always been unique,” says Longanecker. “Truth be told, California often has more to offer than to receive. It receives and trains many professional students from other states but has little need for similar reciprocity from the other WICHE states. On the other hand, the state has also been a net gainer. For example, California sends many students to other Western states as undergraduates at preferred WICHE rates, garnering exceptional financial benefits to these Californians, yet few students from other Western states receive reciprocal opportunities in California.”

“California has also been an active participant in WICHE's various policy analysis and research efforts, hosting many meetings and participating in many others, thus appreciating the other valuable services provided by WICHE,” Longanecker adds. California was one of five states selected for a case study in 2002 as part of an in-depth look at P-16 and access to higher education for underserved populations. It has also been a key state in our project with the United Kingdom, the U.S./U.K. Policy Dialogue. Additionally, California representatives have been involved in WICHE forums on accountability and accelerated-learning options for low-income and rural students.

Over two dozen California institutions, including institutions from the California State University and community college systems, are members of WCET (the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications), which advances the effective use of technology in higher education. WCET has worked with CSU’s MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching) project and is holding its upcoming annual meeting in San Diego. Several California institutions, including California State University, Sacramento, participate in CONAHEC (Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration), which works to enable institutions and states to explore international educational exchange initiatives with involving Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.

“In sum, California has been very good to WICHE, and WICHE has been very good for California,” says Longanecker. “It's a wonderful partnership. "

More about WICHE

WICHE’s 15 member states – Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming – work collaboratively to promote innovation, cooperation, resource sharing, and sound public policy among states and institutions, strengthening higher education's contributions to the region's social, economic, and civic life. In addition to its Student Exchange, WICHE’s programs include WCET (Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications), an international leader in helping states and institutions use new technologies to improve education; Policy Analysis and Research; Mental Health; and the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC), a rapidly expanding trilateral initiative.

Each state has three gubernatorially appointed commissioners, who help guide the work of the commission: Francisco Hernandez, vice chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz; Herbert Medina, associate professor in the Mathematics Dept. at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles; and Robert Moore, executive director, California Postsecondary Education Commission, Sacramento, currently serve California on the commission. In addition, WICHE's Legislative Advisory Committee works to strengthen state policymaking in higher education, engaging legislators in the discussion of higher ed issues and seeking their input on strategies for interstate collaboration. Sen. Dede Alpert, San Diego, and Assembly Member Carol Liu, Pasadena, represent California on this committee.

A legislative reception to honor WICHE’s 50th anniversary and California’s participation in the commission will be held in Sacramento at the Capitol Rotunda on April 29, 2003.

4/22/2003

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