This report was designed to inform members of the policy, education, and research communities about existing state and institutional policies and practices associated with four accelerated learning programs: Advanced Placement (AP), dual/concurrent enrollment, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, and Tech-Prep.

2006 ~ 185pp. ~ Pub #2A358 ~ PDF ~ 2.57 MB~ DOWNLOAD

This list of best practice strategies is based on “Institutional Policies/Practices and Course Design Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity in Online Education,” produced by WCET in February 2009 and updated in April 2009. In May 2009, the Instructional Technology Council (ITC) surveyed its membership to invite feedback and additional strategies to enhance the WCET work. This June 2009 document reflects the combined contributions of WCET, the UT TeleCampus of the University of Texas System, and ITC.

2009 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 150 KB~ DOWNLOAD

With significant, industrywide advancements in health information technology (IT), institutions of higher education in the West will be called upon to provide a new generation of health IT graduates. New academic programs must be developed, existing programs will need to be retooled, and student recruitment strategies will be required to meet the health IT workforce demands of the future.

2007 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 902 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This report highlights three interrelated workforce issues of importance to physicians and medical schools that prepare individuals for a career in medicine: the shortage of physicians and the planned expansion of medical school enrollment, medical student indebtedness, and primary care physician service with emphasis on care delivery in rural areas. The West’s demographics present unique challenges in educating our future healthcare professionals, and this analysis suggests strategies for how Western states can link their resources to respond, particularly in higher education.

2008 ~ 16pp. ~ PDF ~ 289 KB~ DOWNLOAD

The development of the future oral healthcare workforce is a central focus of WICHE, which has a long history of partnering with states to improve access to dental and other professional training via the Professional Student Exchange Program. This report highlights some of the key trends, issues, and challenges the WICHE region is facing with regard to the oral health care workforce.

2008 ~ 15pp. ~ PDF ~ 1.47 MB~ DOWNLOAD

Pharmacy, with more than 230,000 practitioners today, is the third-largest health profession in the United States. Research on the national pharmacist workforce points to a continuing shortage of pharmacists, related to growth in medication use, the aging of the baby boomer generation, and the emergence of more clinical activities within pharmacies. Surveys that track shortage levels showed that there was a slow downward trend in the severity of shortages up until fall 2005, followed by higher shortage levels during the past year. Changes in shortage levels appear to parallel growth in prescription medication usage. WICHE’s Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP) allows students from states that do not have a public school of pharmacy to pay reduced tuition to a cooperating institution in the West. Sending states determine the number of new students to be supported each year. In 2006-07, 40 students from Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada attended 16 cooperating pharmacy schools.

2008 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 180 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This paper presents a framework for how a multi-sector, multi-state data resource might be designed and governed. It is based on discussions and ongoing initiatives across several WICHE states, especially an effort involving the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Hawaii, to develop a prototype multi-state data exchange. Brian Prescott and Peter Ewell wrote A Framework for a Multi-State Human Capital Development Data System describing the results of WICHE and its partners’ work on this topic.

2009 ~ 18pp. ~ PDF ~ 311 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This history of the first 40 years of the organization, compiled and written by Dr. Frank Abbott, describes its origins and takes us from those early developmental years into its impressive growth and success under the leadership of Harold Enarson and Robert Kroepsch. It reports on the tumultuous and nearly devastating times at the end of the Kroepsch era, then describes the substantial accomplishments of Phil Sirotkin in restoring both focus and credibility to the organization in the late 1970s and 1980s.

2004 ~ 292pp. ~ Pub #2A348B ~ PDF ~ Printed copies available ~ 1.3 MB~ DOWNLOAD

Additional appendices

SURVEY REPORT

In August 2008, WCET invited over 170 directors of online/distance education programs/institutions to respond to a brief survey about the existing policies and practices employed by the program/institution that promote the academic integrity of online learning. One goal of the survey was to identify useful policies and promising practices to share among WCET member institutions.

2008 ~ 2pp. ~ PDF ~ 24 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2006 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 195 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This publication provides straightforward advice and nontechnical information to help college and university administrators respond to calls for greater accountability and students’ increasing expectations for technology-supported services. The book draws upon WCET's more than 15 years of work on the effective use of technology to increase quality and efficiency in higher education.  Authored by WCET staff and recognized leaders among its membership, Advancing Campus Efficiencies is a pragmatic and practical tool for deans, vice presidents, and presidents of private and public colleges and universities. The book is available for $40 through Anker Publishing. To order, follow the link below.

2007 ~ 236pp. ~ Pub #ISBN: 978-1-933371-13-9 ~ Printed copies available ~ LINK

Colorado is the only state in the nation that distributes taxpayer dollars to its public higher education institutions principally (though not exclusively) through a voucher program, known as the College Opportunity Fund (COF). WICHE’s Policy Analysis and Research unit was commissioned by the Colorado Department of Higher Education to conduct an evaluation of the COF and related policies, which was required by its enacting legislation.

2009 ~ 57pp. ~ PDF ~ DOWNLOAD

This is a WCET Briefing Paper on the pending federal legislation concerning the authentication of distance education students. The paper provides an overview of the proposed legislation and describes some strategies to promote academic integrity in distance education (e.g. prevention approaches, compliance approaches). It provides a general overview of ways to promote academic integrity.

2008 ~ 3pp. ~ PDF ~ 30 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This report presents information on the West’s progress in improving access to, success in, and financing of higher education. The information is updated annually to monitor change over time and encourage its use as a current tool for informed discussion in policy and education communities, focusing demographics related to Access, Success, and Finance in the West. Figures 1-15 available in Excel file format, below.

2009 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ DOWNLOAD

With support from the Ford Foundation, WICHE focues this report on the states of the West, their ability to educate minorities, and the resulting impact on their workforces and economies.

2008 ~ 32pp. ~ Pub #2A369 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 741 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Guidelines to assist colleges and universities plan and implement online student services. This report was produced as part of a U.S. Department of Education FIPSE—funded project.

2002 ~ Web page ~ LINK

A set of recommendations from WICHE to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) advocating for broadband for education.

2009 ~ 3pp. ~ PDF ~ 44 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This summary highlights an evaluation of how SSI's business-education partnerships influenced high school student course-taking. This evaluation focuses primarily on the 10 SSI states that were operating federally funded SSI projects from October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007: Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. A variety of information was used to formulate the findings and program and policy recommendations, including performance reports, correspondence, and program documents, as well as data from interviews with state directors and surveys of SSI business partners.

2008 ~ 2pp. ~ PDF ~ DOWNLOAD

This white paper is the result of the 2006 Lariat Summit, a forum that convened over 40 leaders from the fields of science, education, and cyberinfrastructure to develop strategies and recommendations for connecting minority-serving institutions in the West to national broadband networks. This document is a first step towards developing both the will and the resources to ensure that minority-serving institutions are among the “connected” institutions in the West.

2007 ~ 39pp. ~ PDF ~ 6.5 MB~ DOWNLOAD

WUE poster: College in the West for Less. Full color, 11x17 inches. **To request printed copies, contact your WUE State Liaison Representative.

2007 ~ PDF ~ 455 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Also available: full-color POSTCARDS (print four per page and trim) ~ 3.7 MB DOWNLOAD

Working Paper

From the WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research, this study is the first to identify community-level risk factors for depression hospitalizations in urban and rural counties. It also identifies rural and urban areas with elevated hospitalization rates, which should be of interest to government officials, health plans and self-insured employers/payers seeking to control costs by preventing unnecessary hospitalizations.

2005 ~ 21pp. ~ PDF ~ 334 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Policy Brief

91 KB ~ DOWNLOAD

Executive Summary

9 KB ~ DOWNLOAD

Working Paper

From the WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research, this study explores whether enhanced depression care has comparable impact on clinical outcomes over two years for patients treated in rural and urban primary care practices and whether differences are mediated by receiving evidence-based care (pharmacotherapy and specialty care counseling).

2005 ~ 14pp. ~ PDF ~ 84 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Executive Summary

1p. ~ PDF ~ 9 KB ~ DOWNLOAD

A short, compelling, informational video for students about the State Scholars Initiative. Streaming online viewing options, DVD, or Podcast download.

2007 ~ Web page ~ LINK

This policy brief underscores the need to define academic rigor, demonstrates how students today receive a confusing array of messages about what is necessary in high school and required in college, and outlines suggestions for how to create systems of education that are more responsive to the needs of students entering a rapidly changing world.

2008 ~ 12pp. ~ PDF ~ 224 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Final Evaluation Report Administration of the State Scholars Initiative by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education: October 1, 2005 – August 25, 2009. This final evaluation report summarizes and synthesizes the findings of four years of formative evaluation reports addressing WICHE’s administration of SSI.

2009 ~ 40pp. ~ PDF ~ 194 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2003 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 890 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2003 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 890 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2009 ~ 8pp. ~ PDF ~ 507 KB~ DOWNLOAD

WCET’s bimonthly newsletter, distributed electronically to members only, features articles from WCET’s executive director, updates on WCET initiatives, and news from members.

2009 ~ Web page ~ LINK

Specifically designed to reach out to the nation’s state legislators, Getting What You Pay For: Understanding Appropriations, Tuition, and Financial Aid, continues the effort to expand access and success for all students through eight concise policy briefs designed to identify best practices and ensure that every available state dollar works for students, not against them. Each brief is available as a PDF download from the Web site.

2008 ~ Web page ~ LINK

This evaluation addresses how business-education partnerships involved in the national State Scholars Initiative (SSI) administered by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) are influencing high school student course-taking.

2009 ~ 24pp. ~ PDF ~ 2.37 MB~ DOWNLOAD

American higher education has been on a collision course with financial reality for more than 25 years. This unprecedented economic downturn gives us a chance to finally find new models that will preserve quality and access, but within a less expensive paradigm. WICHE helps find solutions that will sustain higher education, not just through the current crisis but over the long haul.

2009 ~ 24pp. ~ PDF ~ 268 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This article, published in the Chronicle for Higher Education, discusses colleges' need for a new approach to serving students with mental-health problems, whose numbers are likely to rise as a result of the economic crisis.

2009 ~ 3pp. ~ PDF ~ LINK ~ DOWNLOAD

This document was developed to clarify how WICHE determines which applicants can be supported through its Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP).

2008 ~ 3pp. ~ PDF ~ 32 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Policy Brief

From the WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research, this policy brief summarizes nationally representative data on community-level risk factors associated with schizophrenia hospitalizations. It examines how socio-economic factors and the makeup of local health care systems affect the rate of schizophrenia hospitalizations. It identifies geographic areas with elevated rates. It also presents a discussion about the findings. It should be of interest to government and private health plan administrators, as well as those responsible for designing mental health delivery systems – anyone interested in creating outpatient treatment programs that may prevent costly hospitalizations.

2007 ~ 2pp. ~ PDF ~ 88 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Working Paper

From the WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research, this study investigates whether two of the multiple stakeholder groups (health plans and employer purchasers) in two delivery systems (rural and urban) economically benefit from improved depression treatment by testing whether depression care management results in: (1) a greater reduction of utilization costs in insured rural patients than their urban counterparts (health plan stakeholders), and (2) a greater reduction in work costs in employed urban patients than their rural counterparts (employer purchaser stakeholders).

2008 ~ 21pp. ~ PDF ~ 84 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This document was produced in response to the pressing mental health needs of an underserved population. It describes the current status of deafness and hearing loss in America, the prevalence of mental health issues in deaf populations, and an overview of the behavioral health workforce as it pertains to both rural and deaf/hard of hearing populations.

2006 ~ 38pp. ~ PDF ~ 321 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This is one of a series of the Changing Direction documents produced to foster greater understanding of key issues related to establishing stronger alignment of financial aid and financing policies. The primary objective of this report is to shed light on the topic of institutionally and statefunded grants to students attending public higher education institutions. While there has been a fair amount of research conducted on state financial aid, much less is known about how institutional grants are used in public colleges and universities. This study uses data from a nationally representative survey of the U.S. Department of Education to analyze the characteristics of students receiving these grants and whether the awarding of these grants is related to persistence and degree attainment. A secondary objective is to familiarize state and institutional policymakers with the type of data available from the federal government that could be used for conducting their own analyses of student persistence.

2003 ~ 40pp. ~ Pub #8A21 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 2.2 MB~ DOWNLOAD

These case studies of Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Missouri, and Oregon were designed to help equip policymakers and higher education leaders from all sectors more effectively address key public policy issues concerning the structuring of financing and financial aid to achieve goals of access to quality higher education. The overarching question the project hoped to address through the case studies and other project activities was: How can policymakers at all levels – most particularly those at the state level – more effectively integrate tuition, financial aid, and appropriations policies in ways that promote student participation and completion? The results of the states’ work are linked back to the overall goals and objectives of the Changing Direction project in an effort to illustrate how the integration of public policies around financing and financial aid might be approached.

2003 ~ 42pp. ~ Pub #8A23 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 2.9 MB~ DOWNLOAD

One of WICHE’s primary activities of the Changing Direction project (funded by Lumina Foundation for Education) was to provide direct technical assistance to states that were seriously considering higher education financing issues in new ways. WICHE chose 14 states for the project and worked closely with each for a two-year period to develop a more comprehensive state policymaking framework and process so that policies related to appropriations, tuition, and financial aid were better aligned, occurred in an environment of collaboration, and supported state goals for higher education. In an effort to chronicle the states’ progress and developments as well as share the lessons learned, this publication offers a compilation of case studies written about the Changing Direction technical assistance states.

2008 ~ 89pp. ~ Pub #2A357 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 980 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2005 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 319 KB~ DOWNLOAD

The March 2008 release of Knocking at the College Door marks the 7th edition of WICHE's projections of high school graduates. Covering the period from 1991-92 through 2021-22, the report provides comprehensive and reliable data on the future size and composition of high school graduating classes across the country, including data on enrollments and graduates by state and for major racial/ethnic groups. The full report and an executive summary are available for download.

2008 ~ 125pp. ~ Pub #2A365 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ LINK ~ 2.9 MB~ DOWNLOAD

Executive Summary also available for download (271 KB).

2003 ~ 8pp. ~ PDF ~ 890 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Letters to the Field are informational newsletters published periodically. Topics include recent developments in the field of rural mental health as they apply to isolated "frontier" rural areas.

Letter to the Field No. 1

New Rural Mental Health Services Resource Center Being Established
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 2

Focusing on "Frontier": Isolated Rural America
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 3

Telemental Health Services In U.S. Frontier Areas
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 4

Access to Mental Health Services in Frontier America
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 5

The Role of Rural Primary Care Physicians in the Provision of Mental Health Services
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 6

Frontier Mental Health Strategies: Integrating, Reaching Out, Building Up and Connecting
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 7

Delivering Mental Health Services to the Seriously Mentally Ill in Frontier Areas: Evidence from Five States
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 8

General Models for Delivering Mental Health Services to the Seriously Mentally Ill in Frontier Areas
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 9

Managed Behavioral Health Care in the Frontier
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 10

The Role of Rural Primary Care Providers in the Provision of Mental Health Services: Voices from the Plains
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 11

The Availability of Health and Mental Health Providers by Population Density
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 12

Cost Dynamics Of Frontier Mental Health Services
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 13

Client Outcomes And Costs In Frontier Mental Health Organizations
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 14

Effective Management Strategies For Frontier Mental Health Organizations
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 15

Surveillance of Demand for Mental Health Services in Frontier Areas
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 16

Organization and Delivery of Mental Health Services to Adolescents and Children in Frontier Areas
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 17

Delivering Mental Health Services to Children and Adolescents in Frontier Areas: Parent and Provider Views
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 18

Low Density Counties with Different Types of Sociodemographic, Economic and Health/Mental Health Characteristics
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 19

Telemental Health Services in Frontier Areas: Provider and Consumer Perspectives
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 20

Mental Health Service Utilization in Rural and Non-Rural Areas
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 21

Aging, Mental Illness, and the Frontier
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 22

Defining and Describing Frontier Areas in the United States: An Update
December 2000 ~ LINK

Letter to the Field No. 23

Problems Faced By Consumers Of Mental Health Services Out In A Frontier Community
December 2000 ~ LINK

~ LINK

Article by Mike Abbiatti

Broadband networks in the United States, such as Internet2 and the National LambdaRail, can provide a platform for the research community and the K-20 classroom community to launch a dialog about how we can effectively share infrastructure and expertise via powerful teaching and learning applications across the curriculum. This article invites the research and instructional communities to start a dialogue about scaling the resources of Internet2, the National LambdaRail, and other high performance networks across the curriculum via creative and innovative applications.

2009 ~ 1pp. ~ LINK

This survey of governor’s education policy advisors was commissioned as part of Changing Direction and as a companion piece to a previously published survey, Linking Tuition and Financial Aid Policy: The State Legislative Perspective. These two publications collectively are designed to provide insight into the perspectives of key state policymakers, and this survey specifically is intended to contribute to the existing base of knowledge by examining the perceptions of governors and their advisors about critical decisions and their role in higher education financing policy. Exploring their viewpoint will hopefully lead to better, more informed decisions on these important issues.

2004 ~ 22pp. ~ Pub #2A351 ~ PDF ~ 3.6 MB~ DOWNLOAD

Realizing the importance of state legislatures in discussions relating to issues on financial aid and financing in higher education, WICHE commissioned the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to create and administer a survey of state legislators to explore linkages between state funding and state student financial aid policy. The survey is part of a major project, Changing Direction: Integrating Higher Education Financial Aid and Financing Policies, supported by Lumina Foundation for Education, that examined how to structure financial aid and financing policies and practices to maximize participation, access, and success for all students. Because state legislators are key players in the education policymaking process, their insights contributed significantly to the overall work of this project.

2003 ~ 21pp. ~ Pub #8A22 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 1 MB~ DOWNLOAD

The program is particularly relevant to risk managers as well as staff representing facilities, campus security, and environmental health and safety. Sessions will focus on a range of risk management, facilities, and emergency management issues.

2010 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ LINK ~ 251 KB~ DOWNLOAD

WICHE partners with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) to be the premier property insurance program for MHEC and WICHE institutions and to maintain a leadership position in underwriting, loss control, coverage, and costs.

2009 ~ 10pp. ~ PDF ~ LINK ~ 305 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Results of a benchmarking study, performed under contract for MIT, provides comparative data from ten peer institutions regarding their use and support of Course/Learning Management Systems.

2006 ~ 90pp. ~ PDF ~ 444 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This report summarizes the central issues addressed at the National Summit on Academic Rigor and Relevance, hosted by the State Scholars Initiative on April 29-30, 2008, in Boston, Massachusetts. The summit brought together almost 300 participants: business leaders, policymakers, educators, administrators, and others. Participants were asked to examine the role and effectiveness of the business community in driving national education reform conversations; and to discuss policy reform efforts to increase academic rigor and improve academic relevance in high school. Thirty-six states and territories were represented. Speakers included: Phyllis Hudecki, executive director of the Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition; Charles Kolb, president of the Committee for Economic Development and SSI Advisory Board member; Leon Lederman, Nobel laureate in physics, resident scholar at the Illinois Math and Science Academy, and SSI Advisory Board member; Mark Milliron, CEO of Catalyze Learning International; Lorena Riffo Jenson, chairwoman of the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Roy Romer, former governor of Colorado and superintendent of the Los Angeles; David Longanecker, WICHE President; Troy Justesen, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education; and Belle Wheelan, president of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Streaming video of plenary sessions are also available online.

2008 ~ 16pp. ~ PDF ~ 1.5 MB~ DOWNLOAD

Powerpoint presentation by Louis Fox, Vice President of WICHE Technology and Innovation.

2009 ~ 12pp. ~ PDF ~ 845 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2003 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 756 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This summary highlights SSI perception data. Perception surveys were developed by NCHEMS to measure the impact of SSI on the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs of students, teachers, parents, guidance counselors, and businesspeople with regard to the importance of rigorous course-taking in high school and its effect on postsecondary and occupational outcomes. These perception surveys were conducted between September 24, 2007, and January 31, 2008, in eight states at 43 different SSI events.

2008 ~ 3pp. ~ PDF ~ 167 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This compilation of four papers is Changing Direction’s initial look into a system comprised of integrated financial aid and financing policies and includes: (1) Financing in Sync: Aligning Fiscal Policy with State Objectives; (2) The Governance Context for State Policies on Appropriations, Tuition, and Financial Aid; (3) Informing the Integration of Tuition, Student Financial Aid, and State Appropriations Policies; and (4) Information Sources for Answering Key Financing and Financial Aid Policy Questions: Current Practice and Future Possibilities. Each paper examines a different aspect—a conceptual framework, governance, data as a tool to integrate policy, and what states need to know to design integrated policies—all of which are critical to this alignment.

2003 ~ 74pp. ~ Pub #8A20 ~ PDF ~ 1.1 MB~ DOWNLOAD

WICHE’s electronic fact book presents regional as well as state-by- state data, with analyses on several fiscal, demographic, economic, and social indicators important to policymakers, educators, and researchers in the West. These indicators are updated periodically as new data become available.

2008 ~ Web page ~ LINK

Downloadable PDF and Excel files are available from this site.

This publication reflects on the June 2006 gathering in Atlanta of a diverse group of approximately 250 stakeholders—elected leaders, educators, researchers, and foundation officials for the forum, Accelerated Learning: Shaping Public Policy to Serve Underrepresented Youth, sponsored by Jobs for the Future (JFF) and the WICHE.

2006 ~ 12pp. ~ PDF ~ 423 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Policy Brief

From the WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research, this study examines whether depressed rural primary care patients are more likely than urban patients to be hospitalized; it investigates whether differences in hospitalization rates can be explained by differences in the utilization of specialty outpatient care; and it looks at whether rural patients face more “insurance barriers” to outpatient care. This study should be of interest to policy makers and administrators seeking to develop better delivery systems for rural mental health services. It should also be of interest to insurers, self-insured employers and other payers seeking the most effective use of health care expenditures.

2007 ~ 2pp. ~ PDF ~ 100 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Executive summary

1p ~ PDF ~ 9 KB ~ DOWNLOAD

Outlines responsibilities and procedures for State Certifying Officers of WICHE's Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP).

1998 ~ 21pp. ~ Pub #2A231 ~ PDF ~ 155 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Information for Western students seeking careers in PSEP’s 10 health care professions. Participating schools and programs are listed, and application and eligibility procedures are explained.

2010 ~ 4pp. ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 520 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Order printed copies online

“Protecting Our Priorities,” WICHE’s fiscal 2010 workplan, focuses on how we can ensure that all our students not only have access to higher education but are well-equipped to succeed at college and able to pay for it.

2009 ~ 20pp. ~ PDF ~ 1.1 MB~ DOWNLOAD

2003 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 98 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2006 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 138 KB~ DOWNLOAD

5 full size posters, 12in x 18in

2007 ~ 5pp. ~ PDF ~ 2.2 MB~ DOWNLOAD

Postcards also available

6-up on 8.5" x 11" ~ PDF ~ 2.2 MB DOWNLOAD

Articulation and transfer mechanisms have become important in moving students through postsecondary education, beginning with freshman year and continuing through graduation. This report is an examination of how state policies enhance student articulation and transfer and, ultimately, student success. This study was part of WICHE’s project Changing Direction: Integrating Higher Education Financial Aid and Financing Policy, which examined how to structure financial aid and financing policies and practices in order to maximize participation, access, and success for all students and to promote more informed decision making on financial aid and financing issues in higher education.

2005 ~ 20pp. ~ Pub #8A25 ~ PDF ~ 1.4 MB~ DOWNLOAD

This paper examines how states facing budget shortfalls have implemented cuts in higher education finance and the implications of these changes on access and higher education organization. It reviews the budget shortfalls that have faced a noteworthy group of states over the five fiscal years 2000 through 2004, the subsequent budget cuts that were adopted, and how those budget cuts were distributed across public higher education

2006 ~ 56pp. ~ Pub #2A359 ~ PDF ~ 370 KB~ DOWNLOAD

WICHE commissioned this paper to help policy leaders and decision makers understand the impact of selected state financial aid programs on students’ choices – choices of which college to attend, where to attend college, and even whether to attend college at all. As the paper shows, states have created grant-aid programs for a variety of reasons and through a variety of funding sources. Among the most popular and growing forms of state grant-aid programs are those that blend financial need with certain academic benchmarks for students’ high school course of study (to aid academic preparation for college) and benchmarks for continued academic progress in college (to aid in persistence to degree). Through an examination of grant-aid programs in 11 states, this analysis identifies the start date for the programs and describes the qualifications for eligibility, the legislation that established the programs, and the policies and political environments involved in creating them. In addition, the authors discuss programmatic impacts on students’ choices and make several recommendations to states that are considering creating grant-aid programs.

2007 ~ 40pp. ~ Pub #2A363 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 472 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Attracting health, oral health, and behavioral health professionals to rural and underserved areas continues to be an enormous challenge. Lower salaries, high educational debt load, professional isolation, and urban-centric policy barriers in underserved and rural areas are deterrents for professionals. WICHE and its 15 member states want to develop a comprehensive strategy for the regional health care workforce to help recruit, train, and retain professionals to serve the rural areas of the West.

2007 ~ 94pp. ~ PDF ~ 545 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This year-in-review publication highlights some of SSI’s key achievements in 2005-06, including: SSI’s growth into new States; success in spreading the message about the importance of a rigorous curriculum; and the impact of SSI efforts on individual students and State policies.

2007 ~ 8pp. ~ PDF ~ 451 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This year-in-review publication highlights the key achievements in 2007 for the State Scholars Initiative (SSI). Highlights include SSI successes in new member states, continuing success in SSI veteran states, the latest data on SSI’s impact on business community participants and integration with state and national education policy initiatives and a look ahead to SSI’s National Summit on Academic Rigor and Relevance and student data collection efforts.

2008 ~ 12pp. ~ PDF ~ 2 MB~ DOWNLOAD

The State Scholars Initiative is a national program, operating in states across the country, which utilizes business leaders to motivate students to complete a rigorous course of study in high school, one that will give them a boost in college and their careers.

2008 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 624 KB~ DOWNLOAD

SSI uses business-education partnerships at the state and community levels to encourage students in middle and high school to pursue a more rigorous course of study in high school than they might otherwise have taken. This is a listing of participating businesses, listed by state.

2008 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 178 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This report details what has been learned from the experiences of WICHE's State Scholars Initiative business-education partnerships and school districts. It provides data on the impact that an SSI-type initiative can have on students, schools, and districts and offers a roadmap for future leaders who are designing programs that leverage the input of the business community to promote a rigorous high school curriculum, including innovative ideas, lessons learned, and promising practices.

2009 ~ 16pp. ~ PDF ~ 786 KB~ DOWNLOAD

September 2009

8pp. ~ PDF 1.2 MB DOWNLOAD

February 2009

4pp. ~ PDF 1.5 MB DOWNLOAD

September 2008

4pp. ~ PDF 1.8 MB DOWNLOAD

January 2008

4pp. ~ PDF 607 KB DOWNLOAD

September 2007

4pp. ~ PDF 427 KB DOWNLOAD

May 2007

6pp. ~ PDF 1.2 MB DOWNLOAD

December 2006

4pp. ~ PDF 475 KB DOWNLOAD

September 2006

4pp. ~ PDF 474 KB DOWNLOAD

State and federal policy need to provide greater incentives, both to students and to the institutions that serve them, to enhance the likelihood of student success. In this paper Art Hauptman adds substantially to the body of work that has been supported by Lumina Foundation for Education in WICHE’s Changing Direction project, which has focused on how states can intentionally change finance policies– appropriations, tuition, and financial aid– to expand access to success, particularly for the most at-risk young adults.

2007 ~ 26pp. ~ Pub #2A361 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 1.2 MB~ DOWNLOAD

An annual accounting of enrollment in and financing of WICHE’s student exchanges at undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. The following brochures detail eligibility, certification, and admission procedures for student exchanges.

2010 ~ 24pp. ~ Pub #01-02-00-5400:PP:1M:2A371B ~ PDF ~ 1.52 MB~ DOWNLOAD

2005 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 369 KB~ DOWNLOAD

The collection of student-level outcome data for the State Scholars Initiative is of paramount importance. SSI is creating an environment that allows states and districts to understand the difficult data-gathering and utilization questions that are left unanswered by other programs. Included in this summary are data from 47 districts in 10 SSI states, representing 121,417 individual students with enrollments in over 1.3 million courses in 2006-07. The SSI states included in these charts are Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

2008 ~ 2pp. ~ PDF ~ 174 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This Web-based Toolkit contains information and tools to implement state of the art suicide prevention practices and overcome the significant hurdles this life-saving work faces in primary care practices. The Toolkit is a collaborative project of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and the Western Interstate Commission of Higher Education (WICHE), Mental Health Program. Although the tools are designed with the rural practice in mind, most are quite suitable for use in non-rural settings, as well.

Order a Toolkit Now

Hard copies of the toolkit are available for $25.00 (plus shipping and handling) through WICHE Mental Health Program.

For more information, please contact Jenny Shaw at jshaw@wiche.edu.

2009 ~ Printed copies available ~ Web page ~ LINK

Based on document analysis and 40 interviews with Roundtable participants and other stakeholders across North Dakota, this report assesses the factors that enabled the North Dakota Higher Education Roundtable vision to be sustained for more than seven years, identifies obstacles encountered during the sustainability process, and provides suggestions to help other states build and eventually sustain their own public agenda.

2008 ~ 26pp. ~ Pub #2A370 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 279 KB~ DOWNLOAD

The Technology Costing Methodology (TCM) project, a collaboration between WCET and NCHEMS, is an authoritative tool for analyzing costs of instructional approaches that make heavy use of technology. This CD-ROM includes all of the procedures, spreadsheets, and tools to conduct your own analysis.

2004 ~ CD ~ LINK

2009 ~ 8pp. ~ PDF ~ 134 KB~ DOWNLOAD

A comprehensive guide introduces prospective students to distance education providers and options, strategies and tips to be a successful distance learner, and types of student services and online resources available. To purchase a copy of the book, go to: Prentice Hall or Amazon.com.

2005 ~ 176pp. ~ Pub #ISBN-10: 0131145401 / ISBN-13: 9780131145405 ~ Printed copies available

Companion Web site »»

Chapter 1 -Distance Learning: College Comes to You

Chapter 2 -Choosing a Distance Education Provider: Asking the Right Questions

Chapter 3 -The Role of the Computer in Distance Learning: Succeeding Online

Chapter 4 -The Distance Learner's Library: The Indispensable Guide to Finding Quality Resources

Chapter 5 -Understanding Your Needs: Overcoming the Personal Barriers to Success in Distance Learning

Chapter 6 -Becoming a Better Distance Learning Student: Steps to Success

This report, funded through a grant from the Ford Foundation, seeks to better inform legislators and other key policymakers about the confluence of forces bearing down on higher education and the resulting impacts to state goals and priorities. Using an array of data, the report highlights the ways in which a state’s stock of human capital is depleted and replenished through education, migration, and the aging of the workforce (i.e., retirements). This edition includes profiles for all 50 states and international comparative data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showing how well the United States and its individual states fare in comparison to other countries on measures of educational attainment. These data provide a benchmark for action, given the interrelatedness and heightened competition of an increasingly global economy. In addition, they are sobering evidence that more attention must be paid to how states can better harness the resources of their higher education systems to assure that they remain competitive in the decades to come.

2007 ~ 124pp. ~ Pub #2A364 ~ PDF ~ 1 MB~ DOWNLOAD

This paper presents the results of a survey “Academic Collaborations,” which are defined as inter-institutional organizations that share resources to increase institutional capacity for, sharing of, and access to technology-mediated courses and programs. Findings focus on sources of revenue, amount of funding, and effective funding models. U.S., Canadian, and multi-state/province organizations were included in the study

2008 ~ 52pp. ~ Pub #2A366 ~ PDF ~ 1.6 MB~ DOWNLOAD

This whitepaper presents how WICHE ICE is a tool that institutions can leverage to operate more efficiently and to advance strategic initiatives during these tight financial times. It is a comprehensive model and set of tools for institutions looking to expand online offerings through collaboration. The more institutions that actively participate in ICE, the more powerful a resource it becomes.

2008 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ LINK ~ 147 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Too often, when one state engages in successful “outside-the-box” policymaking, other states simply adopt that solution wholesale – as if it were a one-size-fits-all “policy-in-a-box.” This publication describes a number of policy strategies – both inside-the-box and outside-the-box – and discusses how they address various possible policy purposes. Thinking Outside the Box provides a systematic discussion of policy alignment around readiness, access, and success and examines them in the light of four policy tools: finance, regulation, accountability, and governance. This latest publication is supported by Lumina Foundation for Education in WICHE’s Changing Direction project.

2007 ~ 60pp. ~ Pub #2A362 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 354 KB~ DOWNLOAD

Tuition and required fees at four-year institutions are reported by institution for four categories of students: resident undergraduate, nonresident undergraduate, resident graduate, and nonresident graduate. Tuition and required fees at two-year institutions are reported for resident in-district and nonresident students. Averages are reported for the region and for each of the 15 WICHE states. Also included are comparisons of tuition and fees by Carnegie Classification based on the 2005 Carnegie Classification of Higher Education Institutions. Tuition is defined as the total dollar amount charged to a full-time student for a full academic year, usually two semesters, three quarters, or two trimesters. Required fees include the institutional fees that a majority of full-time students are required to pay in addition to tuition.

2008 ~ 63pp. ~ Pub #2A346G ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 1.2 MB~ DOWNLOAD

This report is the latest update of WICHE's annual report on tuition and mandatory fees at public institutions in WICHE's 15-state region, including an institution-by-institution historical review of tuition changes from year to year, as well as those from one, five, and ten years ago.

2009 ~ 71pp. ~ Pub #2A346H ~ PDF ~ 1.93~ DOWNLOAD

2003 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 193 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2005 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 76 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2005 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 225 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2006 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 181 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2007 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 138 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2008 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 315 KB~ DOWNLOAD

2010 ~ 6pp. ~ 315 KB~ DOWNLOAD

This report briefly examines the circumstances in which community colleges function; broadly reviews the various types of state-level community college tuition and fees policies, and analyzes how those policies relate to the environment in which they are created, including their relationship to state financial aid policies. Finally, the report discusses several issues for policymakers to watch over the next several years as well as policy implications. States vary significantly in terms of the depth and breadth of community college tuition and fees policies, and as a result, this examination focuses on six key areas: (1) State Philosophies and Tuition and Fees Policies; (2) Authority to Set Tuition and Fees; (3) Tuition and Fee Waivers and Scholarships; (4) Residency Requirements; (5) Reciprocity Agreements; and (6) Fee-Specific Policies.

2003 ~ 22pp. ~ Pub #8A24 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 1.4 MB~ DOWNLOAD

A white paper prepared by a national collaboration of higher education organizations, including WICHE, describing the need for a national broadband strategy that begins with America’s colleges, universities, schools, libraries and hospitals.  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $7.2 Billion to extend broadband network connectivity to unserved and underserved communities to be distributed by the Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture.  The contributing authors/organizations propose a national broadband strategy and rationale that build on higher education’s success and experience with advanced networks and, in particular, their efforts to ensure that high quality educational programs reach the broadest audiences.

2009 ~ 9pp. ~ PDF ~ 98 KB~ DOWNLOAD

WCET and the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) jointly sponsored this 2002-2003 study to examine the goals, functions, challenges, and outcomes of statewide virtual universities across the U.S. This is a complete and seminal work on the state of these statewide support organizations, written by Rhonda M. Epper and Myk Garn.

2003 ~ 67pp. ~ PDF ~ 818 KB~ DOWNLOAD