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

• Bismarck State College
• Williston State College

Kaylyn Bondy, Bismarck State College, serves on the Alliance executive committee.

WESTERN ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP FORUM – 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS

•   Minot State University
•   North Dakota University System
•  University of North Dakota
•   Valley City State University

Eric Link, University of North Dakota, serves on 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. Eight cohort members from North Dakota institutions have participated in the Academy since its inception in 2015. Kaylyn Bondy, Bismarck State College, serves as a guest faculty member for the Academy.

WICHE ACADEMY FOR LEADERS IN THE HUMANITIES is a two-year leadership development program for aspiring academic leaders with a background in the humanities. Eric Wolfe, University of North Dakota, is participating in the 2023-2025 cohort.

WICHE Behavioral Health Program (BHP) worked with Sanford Health to begin a doctoral psychology internship program. Sanford has a large national footprint, and it is a leading agency in the advancement of integrated health services (physical and behavioral health). The internship development began primarily with Sanford’s integrated health sites in North Dakota.

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 has one established program in Minot, which to date has served approximately 1,700 rural Veterans.

MOUNTAIN PLAINS RURAL OPIOID TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER (MP ROTAC) develops and shares resources, training, and technical assistance focused on opioid and stimulant misuse in rural areas in Region 8. This is funded through a multiyear grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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 North Dakota, the RCORP program supports one grantee.

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 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.

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.

Created by the WICHE 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 North Dakota University System also participate in regular collaborative calls with colleagues around the region.

STATE PROJECTS WICHE staff have provided research, analysis, and presentations to North Dakota interim higher education committees, focusing on policies to promote workforce development in high-need occupations, such as teaching and health.

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:

• Bismarck State College
• Dickinson State University
• Lake Region State College
• Mayville State University
• North Dakota University System
• University of North Dakota
• United Tribes Technical College
• Valley City State University
• Williston State College

STATE AUTHORIZATION NETWORK (SAN) helps guide institutions through state regulations around online courses and programs. North Dakota has 15 members. See wcetsan.wiche.edu/member-institutions-organizations for a complete list.

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 students whom the high cost of textbooks can be a barrier to postsecondary success.