WICHE brings together senior academic leaders to foster dialogue about issues facing individual institutions through its leadership and professional development networks.

WESTERN ALLIANCE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC LEADERS – 2-YEAR INSTITUTIONS

•  Chandler-Gilbert Community College
• Eastern Arizona College
•  Estrella Mountain Community College
•   Gateway Community College
•   Glendale Community College
•   Maricopa Community Colleges
• Mesa Community College
•   Paradise Valley Community College
•   Phoenix College
•   Rio Salado College
•   Scottsdale Community College
•   South Mountain Community College

Bettina Celias, Maricopa Community Colleges, is a member of the Alliance executive committee.

WESTERN ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP FORUM – 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS

•    University of Arizona
•  Northern Arizona University

John Georgas, Northern Arizona University, is a member of the Forum executive committee.

WESTERN ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP ACADEMY is a yearlong professional development program for academic leaders aspiring to become chief academic officers in the WICHE region’s postsecondary sector. Two cohort members from Arizona institutions have participated in the Academy since its inception in 2015.

NO HOLDING BACK The University of Arizona is one of 12 WICHE institutions that participated in a community of practice in which institutions analyzed data and revised policies related to transcript and student holds in 2022-2023.

WICHE offers student health and technology contracts through a COST-SAVINGS PROGRAM with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) to colleges and universities, K-12 school districts, local and state municipalities, and nonprofit organizations with an education emphasis. Last year, entities that used these contracts saved 9% over what they otherwise would have outside this joint purchasing arrangement. The total savings in Arizona was $351,427. Learn more.

Arizona participates in the STATE AUTHORIZATION RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT (SARA) through WICHE. This voluntary agreement provides reciprocity for the state authorization of distance education. WICHE Commissioners have been strong advocates for protecting the state voice in important governance decisions affecting this agreement and staff continue to support participating states and improving student protections while bolstering access.

WICHE Behavioral Health Program (BHP) partners with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System to support fidelity reviews of four evidence-based practices (EPBs) in the MARICOPA COUNTY PUBLIC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM. These four evidence-based practices are also being reviewed across the balance of the state. WICHE BHP employs and supports the project lead and six fidelity reviewers.

WICHE BHP also collaborates with MERCY CARE ARIZONA to support the expansion of competence and evidence-based practices in trauma informed treatment.

TOGETHER WITH VETERANS (TWV) – RURAL VETERAN SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM enlists rural Veterans and local partners to reduce Veteran suicide in their own community. Funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and administered by the WICHE BHP, TWV provides individualized coaching, tools, training, technical assistance, and resources, supporting 16 total communities in the WICHE region, representing 11 Western states. The TWV program supports three communities in Arizona, serving nearly 750 Veterans.

RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE PROGRAM (RCORP) is a multiyear initiative supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to identify treatment barriers and best practices for preventing and treating substance use disorder. In Arizona, RCORP supports three grantees.

Knocking at the College Door is the leading U.S. resource for projections of high school graduates. Released in December 2024, the newest edition is essential for postsecondary policymakers, planning and workforce efforts, and economic development.

DATA RESOURCES WICHE offers curated data and policy resources to support better-informed decision-making. WICHE’s research projects and collaborations cover postsecondary completion, health workforce development, behavioral health in postsecondary education, open educational resources (OER), state finance, prior learning assessment, and more:

•  Tuition and Fees in the West includes tuition, fees, and enrollment data about 350+ public institutions in the West.
• Benchmarks: WICHE Region presents information on the West’s progress in improving access to, success in, and financing of higher education.
•   Data on over 35 indicators in WICHE’s Regional Fact Book for Higher Education in the West.

DATA EXPERTS WICHE staff provide analysis on finance, financial aid, articulation and transfer, strategic planning, student demographics, and more, as well as host peer-to-peer calls of state, system, and institutional chief academic officers to identify areas of potential collaboration and resource sharing across the West.

Created by the WICE Commission in 1995, the LEGISLATIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (LAC) works to strengthen state-level postsecondary policymaking across the West. Members are legislators appointed by each state, territory, or freely associated state in the WICHE region; they meet annually to explore emerging policy issues and develop strategies for interstate collaboration.

CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS NETWORK Staff from the Arizona Board of Regents also participate in regular collaborative calls with colleagues around the region.

WCET- The WICHE Cooperative for Education Technologies is the leader in the practice, policy, and advocacy of digital learning in higher education. Its growing membership includes institutions, higher education agencies and systems, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and corporations in all U.S. states and several Canadian provinces. WCET members include:

• Arizona State University
• Coconino Community College
• Grand Canyon University
• Mesa Community College
• Midwestern University
• Northern Arizona University
• Pima Community College
• Prescott College
• Rio Salado College
• University of Arizona
• University of Phoenix

Melody Buckner, University of Arizona, serves on the WCET Steering Committee.

State Authorization Network (SAN) helps guide institutions through state regulations around online courses and programs. SAN members include:

• Arizona State University
• Grand Canyon University
• Midwestern University
• Northern Arizona University
• Prescott College
• Rio Salado College
• University of Phoenix

WICHE has convened the OERWest Network, which is part of a nationwide collaborative to scale the development and adoption of free course materials. Open educational resources (OER) have shown promise in improving student outcomes, particularly for poverty-affected students, for whom the high cost of textbooks can be a barrier to postsecondary success.