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

•   Bitterroot College
•  City College at MSU – Billings
• Dawson Community College
• Flathead Valley Community College
• Gallatin College
• Great Falls College MSU
•  Helena College UM
•   Highlands College
•   Miles Community College
•   Missoula College UM
•   Montana University System
•   MSU Northern
•   University of Montana Western

Angela DeWolf King, Montana University System, serves on the Alliance executive committee.

WESTERN ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP FORUM – 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS

•     Montana Technological University
•   Montana State University – Bozeman
•   Montana State University – Billings
•   Montana University System
•   University of Montana

Joel Thiel, Montana University System, serves on the Forum executive committee.

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

NO HOLDING BACK Flathead Valley Community College is one of 12 WICHE institutions that participated in 2022-23 in analyzing data, policies and practices related to transcript and registration holds, contributing toward tools for other institutions to undertake this work.

WICHE offers student health and technology contracts through a COST-SAVINGS PROGRAM with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) to colleges and universities, K-12 school districts, local and state municipalities, and nonprofit organizations with an education emphasis. Last year, entities that used these contracts saved 9% over what they otherwise would have outside this joint purchasing arrangement. The total savings in Montana was $226,015. Learn more.

Montana participates in the STATE AUTHORIZATION RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT (SARA) through WICHE. This voluntary agreement provides reciprocity for the state authorization of distance education. WICHE Commissioners have been strong advocates for protecting the state voice in important governance decisions affecting this agreement and staff continue to support participating states and improving student protections while bolstering access.

WICHE Behavioral Health Program (BHP) provides consultation and technical assistance to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Division regarding implementation of its PROGRAM FOR ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT (PACT). The BHP’s Fidelity Review team also conducts fidelity assessments of PACT programs in Montana using a modified tool that is based on the SAMHSA evidence-based practice of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT).

MOUNTAIN PLAINS RURAL OPIOID TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER (MP ROTAC) develops and shares resources, training, and technical assistance focused on opioid and stimulant misuse in rural areas in Region 8. This is funded through a multiyear grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE PROGRAM (RCORP) is a multiyear initiative supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to identify treatment barriers and best practices for preventing and treating substance use disorder. In Montana, the RCORP program supports four grantees.

Knocking at the College Door is the leading U.S. resource for projections of high school graduates. Released in December 2024, the newest edition is essential for postsecondary policymakers, planning and workforce efforts, and economic development.

DATA EXPERTS WICHE staff provide analysis on finance, financial aid, articulation and transfer, strategic planning, student demographics, and more, as well as host peer-to-peer calls of state, system, and institutional chief academic officers to identify areas of potential collaboration and resource sharing across the West.

DATA RESOURCES WICHE offers curated data and policy resources to support better-informed decision-making. WICHE’s research projects and collaborations cover postsecondary completion, health workforce development, behavioral health in postsecondary education, open educational resources (OER), state finance, prior learning assessment, and more:

•  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.

Created by the WICHE Commission in 1995, the LEGISLATIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (LAC) works to strengthen state-level postsecondary policymaking across the West. Members are legislators appointed by each state, territory, or freely associated state in the WICHE region; they meet annually to explore emerging policy issues and develop strategies for interstate collaboration.

CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS NETWORK Staff from the Montana University System office also participate in regular collaborative calls with colleagues around the region.

WCET- The WICHE Cooperative for Education Technologies is the leader in the practice, policy, and advocacy of digital learning in higher education. Its growing membership includes institutions, higher education agencies and systems, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and corporations in all U.S. states and several Canadian provinces. WCET members include:

• Montana State University – Billings
• Montana State University – Bozeman,
• Montana University System
• University of Montana

STATE AUTHORIZATION NETWORK (SAN) helps guide institutions through state regulations around online courses and programs. Montana has 11 members.

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.

TECHNOLOGY AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR TRANSFER SUCCESS PROJECT offers two-year grants to partner institutions to create technology solutions to assist transfer students. In Montana, the partnership is between Montana University System and Helena College.