Message from the Chair

   Myron Allen

It’s my pleasure to serve as chair of the Forum through April 2014.  The Forum provides a venue in which chief academic officers in WICHE-area universities share ideas, solve problems collaboratively, and keep abreast of emerging trends in higher education.  The April 2013 annual meeting, held in San Diego, serves as an excellent example:  we learned about the rapidly evolving world of MOOCs, discussed strategies for dealing with states’ regulations on authorization to deliver higher education, shared perspectives on leadership, examined upcoming initiatives in the U.S. Department of Education, and took a critical look at the credit hour as a quantitative measure of… well, what does it measure?

Forum members owe many thanks to my predecessor, Dr. Ephraim Smith, executive vice president of the California State University system, and our colleagues at WICHE for such an excellent program.  Our next annual meeting is slated for 23-25 April in Nevada.  Keep your eyes on this site for details.

Within the WICHE-area states there exists tremendous diversity in how higher education is structured, governed, staffed, and delivered.  Despite this heterogeneity, the institutions involved face many challenges in common.  As Forum participants, the academic leaders of these institutions have access to community in which to explore new ideas and pursue continuing professional growth.  If your institution isn’t a member, please consider joining us.  Membership is open to all regionally accredited institutions in the WICHE region.

Myron Allen, Forum Chair
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Wyoming