By July 1 institutions offering distance education must have sought authorization approval from every state in which they serve students. But institutions are learning it is no easy task to decipher each state’s regulations regarding authorization to operate. WCET's new State Authorization Network will assist institutions by providing training on the regulations, access to experts, and networking among participants so they can share what they learn. Working cooperatively, institutions can navigate state regulations processes more efficiently. A training will be held for network members in Boulder, CO, on April 6-7. For more information about joining the network, visit WCET or contact Russ Poulin at rpoulin@wiche.edu.

In addition, to assist institutions in finding and complying with these regulations, the WCET has partnered with the Southern Regional Education Board, American Distance Education Consortium, and the University of Wyoming to create State Approval Regulations for Distance Education: A Starter List.

Two WICHE programs are helping colleges and universities in the West to make the most out of every dollar in their shrinking budgets. The first, the Master Property Program (MPP), is a property insurance and risk-management initiative that has saved institutions over $59 million since its inception. The MPP, developed by the Midwest Higher Education Compact (MHEC), has 100 member campuses (48 primary policies) with total insured values of $73 billion overall. The group saved an estimated $7.6 million in 2009-10. Participating institutions in the West include: Colorado College, Nevada System of Higher Education’s seven campuses and Desert Research Institute, Lewis & Clark College (OR), Pima County Community College District (AZ), Reed College (OR), Seattle Pacific University, University of Wyoming, Willamette University (OR), and Westminster College (UT). In addition to saving money, members earn dividends based on their annual loss ratios. On March 16-18, representatives from WICHE-region institutions participated in the MPP’s annual all-insureds meeting and loss control workshop, exchanging best practices and lessons learned and working with experts in risk management, facilities management, campus security, and environmental health. The MPP is governed by a leadership committee composed of leaders from member institutions. WICHE has two representatives on the committee: Craig Kispert, associate vice president for business and finance at Seattle Pacific University; and Laura Peterson, director of risk management and insurance at the University of Wyoming.

WICHE is also partnering with MHEC on a second program, MHECtech, that provides discounted purchasing options to higher education institutions, state agencies, county and municipal governments, and other nonprofits that want to buy computers, software, printing equipment, document management services, and data and voice networking. MHECtech staff undertakes the time and expense of extensive competitive procurement processes; participating institutions and organizations can purchase a variety of products and services knowing that the due diligence in selecting the vendor has already been done and can benefit from volume discounts. The program reduces the duplication of procurement processes, helps campuses save money, and increases the range of purchasing options from which institutions can choose. Participating vendors include: Dell, Fujitsu, Oracle (Sun), and Systemax (also known as Global, GovED, CompUSA) computers; Dell and Xerox printers and peripherals; and data networking offered by Juniper Networks. General information on the program is available from WICHE, while MHEC provides details on vendors and eligible entities. A link to the contract page also has pdfs of each vendor agreement. For more information on the Master Property Program or MHECtech, contact Jere Mock, WICHE vice president of programs, at jmock@wiche.edu.
 

March 2011  | Share this on Twitter | Post this on Facebook