Completion Strategies in the West: Coordination, Collaboration, and Structures

WICHE analysis identified a key theme in how states are approaching a systematic completion agenda: states recognize opportunities for cross-institutional collaboration and are adapting and developing structures to better support student success. States are prioritizing this coordination and are modifying structures and state-level decision-making to address barriers to student progress through higher education. Examples of these efforts include cross-institution collaboration through course sharing, supporting coordination on key policy areas, and state-level decision-making that adjusts and evolves state-level structures such as data systems and funding models to align with completion priorities. Collectively, these strategies and adaptations create opportunities for states to leverage policies and practices to build a higher education system that better supports students and equips leaders with data and evidence to make more informed decisions.

These strategies are explored across three resources.

• Check out the recent edition of WICHE Insights, Completion Strategies in the West: Coordination, Collaboration, and Structures, to learn more about how states in the WICHE region are developing and implementing strategies that support cross-institutional collaboration and coordination, using data and evidence to support decision-making, and adapting systems and structures to support college completion.
• Download the research summary, Research and Evidence: Coordination, Collaboration, and Structures, for an overview of research and evidence of the key strategies and policies states are prioritizing to promote cross-institutional collaboration and coordination.
• See below for a dashboard of selected collaboration and coordination strategies by state.