WICHE brings together senior academic leaders to foster dialogue about issues facing individual institutions through its leadership and professional development networks.

WESTERN ALLIANCE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC LEADERS – 2-YEAR INSTITUTIONS

• College of Southern Idaho
• North Idaho College

Todd Schwarz, College of Southern Idaho, is a member of the Alliance executive committee.

WESTERN ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP FORUM – 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS

•   Boise State University
• Idaho State Board of Education
• Idaho State University
• Lewis-Clark State College
• University of Idaho

Torrey Lawrence, University of Idaho, is a member of the Forum executive committee.

WESTERN ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP ACADEMY is a year-long professional development program for academic leaders aspiring to become chief academic officers in the WICHE region. Eleven cohort members from Idaho institutions have participated in the Academy since its inception in 2015.

NO HOLDING BACK Idaho State University is one of 12 WICHE institutions participating in a community of practice in which institutions are analyzing data and revising policies related to transcript and student holds in 2022-2023.

Todd Schwarz, College of Southern Idaho, will serve as a faculty member for the Academy as of July 2023.

INTERSTATE PASSPORT® is a national network of institutions that simplifies the transfer process, as well as saves students time and money as they successfully complete their degree. Network members include North Idaho College and College of Eastern Idaho.

Sherry Simkins, dean of instruction, general studies, at North Idaho College serves as co-chair of the Passport Review Board.

Thanks to collaboration with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC), one of four U.S. regional higher education compacts, WICHE-region educational institutions, nonprofits, and public education entities can benefit from three programs: MHECtech, which provides competitively bid purchasing contracts for an array of hardware, software, and technology services; MHECare, which provides a student health insurance plan and teletherapy services; and a MHEC Cyber Insurance Program, which offers risk transfer and advisory solutions. Learn more.

Idaho participates in the STATE AUTHORIZATION RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT (SARA) through WICHE. This voluntary agreement provides reciprocity for the state authorization of distance education.

WICHE Behavioral Health Program (BHP) works with partner agencies to develop a broad and culturally relevant training program to support the preparation and retention of doctoral-level psychologists through the Idaho Psychology Internship Consortium (ID-PIC). BHP also administers the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), a multiyear initiative supported by the Health Resources & Services Administration to identify treatment barriers and best practices for preventing and treating substance use disorder. The RCORP supports one grantee in Idaho: Public Health District No. 1.

In 2022, WICHE evaluated Idaho’s funding model for dual credit, known as Advanced Opportunities, which provided strong quantitative and qualitative evidence that it likely improves student outcomes. WICHE is now leading an assessment of expanding the state’s pipeline of engineering and computer science graduates with extensive consultation with Idaho’s industry leaders and employers.

Knocking at the College Door is the leading U.S. resource for projections of college-ready students. Knocking, which includes a quadrennial publication with additional analysis, is essential for postsecondary policymakers, planning and workforce efforts, and economic development.

WICHE offers curated data and policy resources to support better-informed decision-making:

•  Tuition and Fees in the West includes tuition, fees, and enrollment data about 350+ public institutions in the West.
• Benchmarks: WICHE Region presents information on the West’s progress in improving access to, success in, and financing of higher education.
•   Data on over 35 indicators in WICHE’s Regional Fact Book for Higher Education in the West.

In February 2023, WICHE collaborated with the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to provide a Cybersecurity Leadership Tabletop Exercise for postsecondary senior nontechnical leaders in Idaho. Additionally, WCET- The WICHE Cooperative for Education Technologies is the leader in practice, policy, and advocacy of technology-enhanced learning in higher education. WCET members include Boise State University, College of Eastern Idaho, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, and University of Idaho.

Eleven institutions in Idaho are also members of the State Authorization Network (SAN), which helps guide institutions through state regulations around online courses and programs.

WICHE has convened the OERWest Network, which is part of a nationwide collaborative to scale the development and adoption of free course materials. Open educational resources (OER) have shown promise in improving student outcomes, particularly for poverty-affected students, for whom the high cost of textbooks can be a barrier to postsecondary success.