WICHE & Montana 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 Montana 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.

Montana has been an integral part of WICHE since its creation in 1952. Originally founded 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.

Montana's students and their families are the primary beneficiaries of WICHE’s three Student Exchange programs: the Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP), Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), and Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). They saved nearly $5 million in tuition and fees in 2002-03 through WUE, which enables Montana students to enroll in institutions in other states and pay 150 percent of resident tuition. Over 1,400 of Montana’s undergraduate students, as well as a number of graduate students, enrolled in out-of-state programs via WICHE in 2002-03. Through PSEP, 77 Montana professional students studied out of state in six fields: dentistry, veterinary medicine, occupational therapy, optometry, osteopathic medicine and public health. Historically, over 50 percent of these students return to the state to practice.

Montana has been an active participant in several other WICHE projects. It is one of nine state-members of the Western Consortium for Accelerated Learning Opportunities (WCALO). Funded with $2.4 million from the federal Advanced Placement (AP) Incentive Program over two years, the consortium is increasing the number of low-income students enrolling and succeeding in Advanced Placement courses and other accelerated-learning options. Under the auspices of this program, Montana is working to improve college access and success for large numbers of underserved youth, including low-income, minority, and first-generation students.

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: Francis J. Kerins, president emeritus of Carroll College, Helena; Sheila Stearns, commissioner of the Montana University System, Helena; and Cindy Younkin, state representative, Bozeman, currently serve Montana 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. Corey Stapleton, Billings; Rep. Roy Brown, Billings; and Rep. Cindy Younkin, Bozeman, represent Montana on this committee.

Montana State University-Billings is hosting a reception to honor WICHE’s anniversary and Montana’s participation in the commission at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 25, in the Student Union Ballroom.

9/22/2003

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