2019 December e-news
Collectively the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) creates solutions that build higher education’s capacity to better serve individuals, institutions, and states by leveraging the region’s resources, expertise, ideas, and experiences through multi-state: convening, programs, research, and contracts. These efforts drive MHEC’s outcomes.
A Note from the MHEC President - Susan Heegaard
Season’s Greetings! I have been at the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) for a little over a year now. It has been tremendous getting to know our commissioners, state leaders, and committee members working closely with our staff to better understand your interests and needs and how we can best serve you. This input is essential as we set a strategic path forward for MHEC. I've had the chance to visit all of our member states and learn about some of the exciting initiatives and opportunities underway as well as challenges our states face when it comes to higher education. The environmental scan conducted this past year and the recent interactive session led by HCM Strategists in collaboration with our commissioners during the November Annual Commission Meeting, builds on our strong foundation, aligning your needs with our strategic direction for the future.
During the meeting I was able to have a one-one-one conversation with Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, about the work they are doing to drive student success and preserve Midwestern talent. Jamie reminded us that there is much to celebrate and still much work to be done. In addition to Jamie’s comments, I wanted to bring your attention to several newsworthy items that may also be of interest.
• Rural Students: Lumina's recent work on the obstacles that affect rural students, often the same issues facing low-income urban populations, is highlighted in their Focus Magazine, Fall 2019: "A Dangerous Divide." I’m interested to know whether these findings resonate with your states and if you think there is a related initiative we should consider.
• FAFSA Simplification: This fall we were asked to join the three other regional compacts and a handful of other national and state leaders to support in bipartisan congressional efforts to simplify the FAFSA. The legislation known as the Future Act, which also includes funding for historical black colleges and universities (HCBUs), has passed both the House and Senate and is expected to be signed by the president.
• Value Proposition of Higher Education: In response to our request for your feedback regarding our strategic direction, you noted the importance of how to best communicate and share the value proposition for higher education. This December 12, article "Half in U.S. Now Consider College Education Very Important" from Gallup speaks to that challenge.
• Enrollments Are Down Again in the U.S.: According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center quoted in Inside Higher Ed's article "Fall Enrollments Still on the Decline." Key points include: U.S. enrollment is down by 1.3 percent, with 15 states seeing an increase; all midwestern states' enrollments decreased except for Nebraska which increased by 0.4 percent; Utah saw the highest growth of 4.9 percent; Alaska had the most significant decrease of 10.6 percent; and key likely factors for the changes include changing demographics and a continuing strong economy.
We’re looking forward to seeing you on our upcoming annual state visits to each of your capitols. These visits are an important chance for us to hear firsthand from you what opportunities and challenges you are facing and how best we can serve you.
Annual Report to the Member States
MHEC's 2018-2019 Annual Report to the Member States is now available online.
Download Annual Report
CONVENING
Open Textbook Network and MHEC Collaborate to Offer Senior Leaders’ Open Education Seminar
On December 4, senior leaders from across the MHEC region gathered at the University of Minnesota for a day-long seminar focused on sustainably supporting open education. Led by experts from the Open Textbook Network (OTN), their goals were to increase understanding of this quickly growing area in higher education, support institutional transformation, and sustain growth of open education programs.
Dr. Karen Hanson, executive vice president and provost for the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a MHEC commissioner, welcomed attendees.
MHEC President Susan Heegaard also provided some background on the work MHEC is doing in the area of Open Educational Resources (OER). For more details on this convening or OER, please contact Jenny Parks, MHEC senior director of policy and academic initiatives at (612) 677-2779.
CONTRACTS
MHEC Renews Software Contract for VMWare
MHEC has renewed its contract with Arrow Electronics for VMWare's full-line of virtualization software, services, and training which runs through November 30, 2020. Eligible entities in the MHEC region include colleges, universities, K‐12 districts and schools, cities, states and local government. This contract is also available to these same entities of MHEC's sister compacts in the New England Board of Higher Education, the Southern Regional Education Board, and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Access the list of available contracts on our website or contact Nathan Sorensen, MHEC director of government contracts, at (612) 677-2767.
RESEARCH
MHEC Pilots Interactive Dashboard
MHEC has launched an interactive dashboard highlighting state higher education related data and is piloting it over the next few months. The dashboard provides data and key performance indicators relevant to the goal of improving educational attainment and economic health in the Midwest region and across the nation. Indicators are organized within seven key areas: Context, Preparation, Participation, Affordability, Completion, Finance, and Benefits. Subcategories are provided where possible, disaggregating data, and highlighting opportunity and achievement gaps by income, race, and ethnicity.
Data can be examined over time or compared across states using various benchmarks, including the U.S. average as well as the median of the top five performing states in the nation as an aspirational benchmark. MHEC welcomes feedback from stakeholders in order to improve this tool over the next few months
MHEC LEADERSHIP COMMUNITY
Team Updates
Susan Heegaard, president, and Rob Trembath, MHEC senior vice president and general counsel, and officers will begin state visits in mid-January.
Commissioner Appointments
Kansas commissioners reappointed were Representative Barbara Ballard and Senator Molly Baumgardner. Senator Marci Francisco was also reappointed and serves as a commissioner alternate, and Representative Ken Rahjes is newly appointed and serves as a commissioner alternate. Their terms are each November 4, 2019, to July 1, 2021.