Annual Meeting, September 12-13, 2023

Kimpton Palomar | Phoenix, AZ

Developing the Postsecondary Education System Your State Needs

Tuesday, September 12

Exploring the Concept of Value in Postsecondary Education

The discussion began with an examination of how different entities are defining the term “value” in higher education and culminated with LAC members sharing how they think about the definition of valuable higher education to students, as well as for their state/territory as a whole.

Facilitator:
Christina Sedney, director of policy and strategic initiatives, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Breaking Down the Costs & Benefits to States

This two-part discussion focused on the inputs (costs) and the outputs (benefits) to higher education at the state/territory level.

Higher Education Funding Models

This session looked at different ways that states and territories fund higher education, including performance-based funding, available evidence regarding the impact of different approaches, and key questions to consider when thinking about state investment.

Moderator:
Demarée Michelau, president, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Speakers:
Robert Kelchen, professor and department head of the college of education, health, and human sciences, University of Tennessee Knoxville | PRESENTATION
Brian Prescott, president, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) | PRESENTATION

Higher Education’s Role in Workforce and Economic Development

How is higher education playing a role in developing the workforce your state needs? This conversation explored initiatives in the West that have begun to explicitly link higher education efforts with their state’s broader economic development agendas.

Moderator:
Colleen Falkenstern, senior research analyst, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Speakers:
Lauren Schoenfeld, executive director of Wyoming Innovation Partnership and senior policy advisor, Office of Governor Mark Gordon | PRESENTATION

Breaking Down the Costs and Benefits to Students

This three-part discussion focused on the key components of the “value equation” from the student perspective, including affordability, completion, and ultimately return on investment.

Moderator:
Ray Burgman Gallegos, vice president, programs and services, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Affordability

A key component in any value equation must include cost to the student for the education they receive. How are states and territories thinking about affordability in an era of inflation and rising costs?

Speakers:
Colleen Falkenstern, senior research analyst, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Completion | PRESENTATION

For higher education to go from cost to investment for a student, they must get to and through programs that result in a credential of value. How can states and territories support this imperative? This session included an in-depth look at WICHE’s work on Open Educational Resources (OER) including how new research is exploring the link between OER and time to completion for students and how this is playing out in practice in our host state of Arizona.

Speakers:
Debbie Baker, OER coordinator and instructional designer, Maricopa County Community College District
Megan Crossfield, manager of academic initiatives, Yavapai College
Liliana Diaz, senior policy analyst, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Lisa Young, faculty administrator of open education and innovation, Maricopa County Community College District

Return on Investment

How are institutions, systems, and states supporting students in transitioning from education to the workforce, ensuring the investment in postsecondary education generates value for the student, and how are they measuring their progress? What do we know about the ROI of higher education and what questions remain unanswered?

Speaker:
Patrick Lane, vice president, policy analysis and research, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Wednesday, September 13

What Future Developments Could Shift the Paradigm of Our Value Discussions?

The final day will focus on exploring developments in policy and technology that have the potential to shift how we have previously thought about the value of higher education.

Federal Policy Considerations

What federal policy changes—whether recent, in-process, or possible—have the potential to impact how states think about higher education accountability, funding, and impact?

Moderator:
Christina Sedney, director of policy & strategic initiatives, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Speaker:
Austin Reid, senior legislative director, state-federal affairs, National Conference of State Legislatures | PRESENTATION

Artificial Intelligence

Over the past year, AI has exploded into the consciousness of the broader higher education world. What impacts is it having already and what issues might we expect it to raise moving forward?

Moderator:
Ray Burgman Gallegos, vice president, programs and services, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Speaker:
Van Davis, chief strategy officer, WCET, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education | PRESENTATION

Looking Ahead to the 2024 Sessions & Closing Reflections

Facilitator:
Christina Sedney, director of policy & strategic initiatives, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education