In 2005-06, WICHE’s commitment was to help our 15 WICHE member states work together, and as innovatively as possible, to make an excellent higher education a reality for more students in our region, especially lower-income, minority, and other nontraditional students. We made that commitment not just to our students but also to our states and to all citizens of the West because we believe that a good and accessible higher education system creates countless social, economic, and civic benefits for all of us. This year, we took fresh steps to fulfill that commitment by our work in five areas – access, finance, improving educational quality through innovation and technology, workforce development, and accountability.