There’s strength and economies in numbers, especially when it comes to institutional expenses in areas such as cyber, property, and health insurance, as well as information technology.
Key Initiatives
Serving the higher education priorities through WICHE’s key initiatives
For Institutions






The only nationwide network of regionally accredited, nonprofit, public and private two- and four-year institutions dedicated to the block transfer of lower-division general education attainment based on learning outcomes and proficiency criteria.
With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Every Learner Everywhere helps institutions of higher education implement innovative teaching and learning practices with a focus on increasing the success of first- generation students, low-income students, and students of color.
With funding from Lumina Foundation, WICHE is engaged in a broad-based research effort to examine the state of play for recognition of learning, identify policy and practice barriers and exemplars, and develop new evaluations and research to place better information in the hands of policymakers and practitioners.
The leader for guidance and support for navigating regulatory compliance for out-of-state activities of post-secondary institutions.
The Native-Serving Institutions Alliance is committed to supporting American Indian/Alaska Native student educational attainment in higher education.
The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) will partner with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) to develop tools and guidelines that institutions and others can use to monitor administrative holds for equity and general use. WICHE oversees two membership networks, the Western Alliance of Community College Academic Leaders (Alliance) and the Western Academic Leadership Forum (Forum) from which 12 institutions will be selected to examine and understand their data, practices, and policies around administrative holds.
- Interstate Passport Network
- Every Learner Everywhere
- Recognition of Learning
- State Authorization Network
- Native-Serving Institutions Alliance
- No Holding Back
For States


The goal of the Task Force is to catalyze state-level progress in closing postsecondary attainment gaps.



We partner on a new, federally funded center to develop and maintain a regional network to support resource-building, training, technical assistance, and workforce development.
We support the administration of year-long programs for doctoral interns to build the behavioral health workforce pipeline, particularly in rural or remote areas, in six Western states.
In partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, we are developing and piloting a multi-platform suicide prevention program to assist veterans in rural communities.
- Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center
- Rural Psychology Internship Consortia
- Together with Veterans
