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Since 1951, Utah has partnered with and benefited from WICHE through regional collaboration, resource-sharing, sound public policy, and innovation.
Download the factsheet for Utah here.
0
TOTAL SAVED
by Utah students through WICHE Student Access Programs
0
SAVED
through WUE
0
SAVED
through WRGP
0
SAVED
through PSEP
WICHE’s Student Access Programs
WICHE operates three Student Access Programs that together saved students $671 million in 2024-25. Each program supports students at each level of postsecondary education: undergraduate, graduate, and professional healthcare studies.
- Students gain from increased choice and savings.
- Schools gain by optimizing enrollments.
- States and Pacific Island members gain by growing the skills of those they serve and strengthening their workforce.
PSEP made it possible for me to attend an excellent program near my home state. Staying in the West has allowed me to develop professional networks that will make it easier to find job opportunities close to home. This support has been an incredible gift for me and my family.
DEREK, Utah resident, Podiatry, Midwestern University, AZ
Improving Lives in Utah
WICHE works collaboratively to expand educational access and excellence for all residents of the West. By promoting innovation, cooperation, resource sharing, and sound public policy, WICHE strengthens higher education’s contributions to the region’s social, economic, and civic life. Learn more about our mission.
Regional Collaboration
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
- Salt Lake Community College
- Snow College
Jason Pickavance, Salt Lake Community College, serves on the Alliance executive committee.
WESTERN ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP FORUM – 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS
- University of Utah
- Utah System of Higher Education
- Utah Technical University
- Utah Valley University
David Connelly, Utah Valley University, serves on 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. Three cohort members from Utah institutions have participated in the Academy since its inception in 2015.
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 Utah was $410,139. Learn more.
Utah 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.
Optimal Behavioral Healthcare
In partnership with Southern Utah University, the WICHE BHP is providing consulting services to the UTAH PSYCHOLOGY INTERSHIP CONSORTIUM (UT-PIC) to assist in its re-accreditation process and completing a self-study in preparation for its American Psychological Association (APA) accreditation site visit.
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 Utah, the RCORP program supports one grantee.
Sound Public Policy
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 Utah System of Higher Education also participate in regular collaborative calls with colleagues around the region.
Innovative Solutions
WCET- The WICHE Cooperative for Education Technologies is the leader in practice, policy, and advocacy of technology-enhanced 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:
- Brigham Young University
- Salt Lake Community College
- Southern Utah University
- University of Utah
- Utah State University
- Utah System of Higher Education
- Weber State University
- Western Governors University
The State Authorization Network (SAN), helps guide institutions through state regulations around online courses and programs. Utah has 25 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.
WICHE Commissioners
*indicates Executive Committee member
Patricia Jones
CEO, Women's Leadership Institute
Geoffrey Landward
Commissioner of Higher Education, Utah System of Higher Education
* Ann Millner
WICHE Vice Chair, Senator, Utah State Legislature
Legislative Advisory Committee
Keith Grover
Senator, Utah State Legislature
Michael McKell
Senator, Utah State Legislature
* Ann Millner
WICHE Vice Chair, Senator, Utah State Legislature
Karen Peterson
Representative, Utah State Legislature