Serving Students & State Goals: The Shared Mission of State Legislatures & Higher Education
Idaho State Board of Education Executive Director Matt Freeman led a discussion with Idaho legislators focused on the state’s upcoming legislative priorities for higher education and reflections on their accomplishments and challenges over the last session.
Moderator:
Matt Freeman, executive director, Idaho State Board of Education, WICHE Commissioner
Speakers:
Senator Dean Mortimer, Idaho
Representative Wendy Horman, Idaho
Representative Ilana Rubel, Idaho
In an era when state higher education funding frequently faces stiff competition from other fiscal priorities such as healthcare and K-12 spending, how are states across the West ensuring public higher education remains affordable for their residents? Panelists discussed how Western states are allocating often scarce resources to promote postsecondary affordability through state financial aid programs, highlighting Washington’s comprehensive financial aid structure and Nevada’s journey to creating a need-based financial aid program.
Moderator:
David Longanecker, president, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education | PRESENTATION
Speakers:
While an ever-growing number of jobs require postsecondary education of some kind, this does not always mean a bachelor’s degree. This session explored how states are preparing the next generation of their workforce through shorter-term, sub-baccalaureate credentials and the labor market implications of these credentials.
Moderator:
Christina Sedney, senior policy analyst, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education | PRESENTATION
Speakers:
A key issue for Western states is the recruitment and retention of teachers, particularly in rural school districts. This session explored how states, districts, and higher education institutions are partnering to address this critical challenge.
Moderator:
Christina Sedney, senior policy analyst, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education | PRESENTATION
Speaker:
Robert Mitchell, assistant professor, Leadership, Research, and Foundations, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and former academic policy officer for educator preparation, Colorado Department of Higher Education | PRESENTATION
It has become increasingly clear that mental health on college campuses is a complex and pressing issue with serious implications for higher education institutions. Representatives of WICHE’s Behavioral Health Program shared activities and programs campuses are using to tackle this challenge, as well as how legislators can support these efforts.
Speakers:
This session provided an overview of WICHE’s innovative Interstate Passport—a program that facilitates block transfer of students’ lower-division general education attainment based on learning outcomes—and its implications for state legislators.
Facilitators:
Speakers:
Policy shifts across a variety of issues at the federal level over the past year have led to serious implications for states as they consider their own policymaking agendas for the coming year. This session dove into detail on questions of federal and state policy interaction as they relate to higher education, including state authorization, tax reform’s impact on higher education, and more.
Moderator:
David Longanecker, president, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Speakers: