Annual Meeting, September 8-9, 2025

Kimpton Hotel Monaco | Seattle, WA

Redefining Relationships: The Role of State Policy in a Changing Postsecondary Landscape

Monday, September 8

The State Policy Impact of Federal Policy Shifts

This multipart session explored the evolving relationship between federal and state policymakers, highlighting key areas of focus for postsecondary education.

Moderator:
Patrick Lane, Vice President, Policy Analysis and Research, WICHE

Framing – An Update from the NCSL Task Force on Higher Education

Representatives from the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Task Force on Higher Education shared lessons learned from their ongoing work to explore how state and federal policy makers might reconsider their relationship as it relates to postsecondary education, focusing on how recent shifts at the federal level have impacted this work.

Speakers:
Ann Millner, Senator, Utah State Legislature 
Austin Reid, Federal Affairs Advisor, NCSL | PRESENTATION

Part One – Changes to Federal Financial Aid: What State Legislators Need to Know

This session provided an overview of impending changes to the federal student financial aid program, including student loans and Pell grants, which states have long relied upon to develop their own affordability strategies.

Speakers:
Sarah Austin, Policy Analyst, NASFAA 
Regan Fitzgerald, Senior Manager, Student Loans, Pew Charitable Trusts | PRESENTATION

Part Two – Policy Shifts and Postsecondary Institutional Finances: How Federal Policy Changes Impact State Institutions

A suite of changes to policies at the federal level, such as cuts to indirect rates associated with sizeable federal grants, create deep budgetary uncertainty for state institutions. This session highlighted how these new budgetary pressures may impact state institutions.

Speakers:
Jessica Wood, Sector Leader and Managing Director, USPF Education, S&P Global Ratings| PRESENTATION

State-Level Approaches to Postsecondary Behavioral Health

Legislators are critical partners in the development of sustainable, state-level solutions to better meet the behavioral health needs of students, faculty, and staff. This session explored promising strategies from inter-agency coordination to workforce development, as well as the impacts of federal policy changes.

Moderator
Christina Sedney, Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, WICHE

Speakers
Dennis Mohatt, Vice President, Behavioral Health, WICHE | PRESENTATION
Zainab Okolo, Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations,
The Jed Foundation

A Reimagined Regulatory Triad? How Oversight May Evolve

The federal Higher Education Act identifies three key entities in postsecondary education oversight: accreditors, the federal government, and the states. Yet their respective roles have evolved considerably over time, with more changes ahead. This session provided an overview of the triad and explore how federal policy changes related to postsecondary oversight may impact state activities.

Moderator
Patrick Lane, Vice President, Policy Analysis and Research, WICHE

Speakers
Jan Friis, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Council for Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA) | PRESENTATION
Christina Sedney, Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, WICHE

Tuesday, September 9

The Completion Imperative: How States Are Investing in Completion Strategies

With public confidence in higher education eroding and new regulatory approaches that emphasize a return on student investment, it is crucially important to ensure that postsecondary students complete their credentials at high rates. The session included an example of how one state is investing in completion, followed by a group discussion of legislative approaches to completion strategies.

Moderator
Raymonda Burgman Gallegos, Vice President, Programs and Services, WICHE

Speaker
Joseph Thiel, Deputy Commissioner, Academic, Research and Student Affairs,
Montana University System | PRESENTATION

Artificial Intelligence in Postsecondary Education

Higher education’s relationship with artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved rapidly from skepticism to significant investment during just a handful of years. AI has cemented itself as an in-demand skill set for employers, while also playing a growing role in how students learn and how institutions operate. State policymakers shared how and why they are embracing this change.

Moderator
Van Davis, Executive Director, WCET and Vice President, Digital Learning, WICHE

Speakers
Kevin Cook, Senator, Idaho State Legislature
Andrew Takuya Garrett, Representative, Hawai‘i State Legislature
Anneliese Vance-Sherman, Chief Labor Economist, Washington State Employment Security
Department