Forging the Next Generation of Higher Education Leaders

Colleges and universities are facing rapid changes like shifting enrollment trends, evolving workforce needs, and increasing pressures about the value of higher education. Strong leadership has never been more essential.

Through its four Academic Partnerships programs, WICHE helps meet the evolving needs of postsecondary institutions in the West by developing thoughtful, connected, and resilient higher education leaders.

For Jeffrey Alexander, president of Truckee Meadows Community College in Nevada, participating in the Western Alliance of Community College Academic Leaders (Alliance) opened new perspectives. “The opportunity to gather with peers from across the region was terrific,” said Alexander, who served as vice chair and later chair of the Alliance executive committee. “The Alliance gave me a wider lens on the West and introduced me to new efforts across the region.” One of those initiatives, credit for prior learning, has become a statewide model in Nevada.

In South Dakota, Stacey Berry, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Dakota State University, credits her fellowship with the WICHE Academy for Leaders in the Humanities in preparing her for more senior roles. “It gave me both the confidence and the concrete skills to step into academic leadership roles I could not have imagined myself in before,” said Berry, an English professor. She especially valued networking with peers: “When leaders are prepared and supported, they create healthier institutions, and that directly benefits students.”

That sentiment was echoed by James Holloway, president of the University of Toledo in Ohio and former provost and executivevice president for academic affairs at the University of New Mexico. He served as executive committee vice chair and later chair of the Western Academic Leadership Forum (Forum), an experience which provided him with valuable insight. Holloway learned from peers about crisis management, state relations, and new ways to engage Native American students, and he called the joint meetings between the Forum and the Alliance “a revelation.” “Four-year institutions have distinct differences from two-year community colleges, but we also have some important overlaps. It helped me think more about how we can partner across the higher education sectors, and these are lessons I have carried into every leadership role since.”

That same spirit of learning and regional collaboration also impacted Cheryl Siemers, interim chancellor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, on her leadership journey. The opportunity to be a part of the Western Academic Leadership Academy (Academy) came at a pivotal time in her career. Encouraged by mentors who saw her potential, Siemers participated in yearlong leadership development program at WICHE where she strengthened her ability to navigate both daily decisions and big-picture planning. “Investing in the next generation of postsecondary leaders in an investment in our state, our communities, and the individual students we serve,” she said. “As leaders, we don’t go into these roles thinking we have all we know to succeed. Rather, we’ve learned how to ask the right questions and do the research and the listening we ned to do to help ourselves and our institutions excel.

This story was originally published in the FY 2025 WICHE Annual Report.