July 16, 2020

2020 July e-News

MHEC Safe Return to Campus Effort Update

Last month we shared the beginnings of an exploration into assisting our member states and their respective entities* with the purchase of supplies that will help allow for the safe return to school and campus for students, faculty, and staff. Examples of such inquiries include requests for help in obtaining COVID tests, COVID antibody tests, cleaning supplies, sanitizers, tracing and tracking support, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Although we believe MHEC is well positioned to support our states, we acknowledge we have very little staff expertise or experience in the procurement of these types of materials. Given the quick turnaround time and the already high demand for such items, it is our belief that a knowledge and understanding of the industry and marketplace is important for any effort like this to succeed.

As a first step we released a survey for the purpose of helping us gather input to better prioritize and focus our efforts. The results of our survey were limited, perhaps because efforts by institutions were by and large well underway in securing needed supplies in the short term. The greatest concern noted by the survey respondents was the ability to access supplies, as many items such as sanitizing wipes are very difficult to source consistently at this time. In addition, many institutions are likely being served by local providers which does not fit as well with MHEC’s regional, and at times national, group purchasing model. Nonetheless, we are continuing our efforts to find ways to help institutions simplify their process for obtaining these much-needed supplies in the months ahead. We are grateful to those who responded and welcome additional feedback as we move forward.

In the coming few months we will continue to monitor the landscape closely with an eye toward seeing how MHEC can bring much-needed value to our member states as we face ongoing uncertainty. This fall will bring continued unprecedented times and MHEC stands ready to share available resources, best practices, and lessons learned to better strategize on how to best keep our member states and related institutions prepared into the future. Our intention is by this fall, to identify some purchasing resources and contracts that will enable access to cost effective supplies.

*While MHEC’s focus is institutions of higher education (public and private not-for-profit) most contracts are available for use by K-12 districts and schools; cities, counties, local subdivisions; state government; and non-profit organizations (education-related only)

For more information, please contact Jennifer Dahlquist, MHEC vice president.

POLICY & RESEARCH

MHEC Affordability Series: College Student Debt

Student loans are widely used to help pay the cost of college, and concerns have grown about possible problems stemming from the accumulation of student debt. Adding to the confusion are misunderstandings and at times distortions about the magnitude of the problem. College Student Debt: What State and Institutional Leaders Should Know discusses evidence about student borrowing over time, differences in debt among demographic groups, and policy initiatives that will help the students who really need more support. The goal is to provide a better understanding about debt grounded in reliable data and ultimately to have borrowers who are well informed consumers. Download the Policy Report

OPPORTUNITIES

Emergency Aid During the Pandemic: Improving equitable practice and documenting impact

Retaining students’ connectivity to their education is a crucial and essential goal for colleges and universities around the country during the pandemic. Emergency relief to support their fundamental needs is commonly used, but little is known about how program implementation correlates to program impact. Your institution is encouraged to join a national effort funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and led by Drs. Sara Goldrick-Rab and Derek Price of The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice and DVP-Praxis, to assess how students are impacted by emergency aid during the pandemic, and what institutions and policymakers can do to enhance that equitable impact. The time commitment to the endeavor is minimal. The average institution will dedicate no more than two staff hours during Fall 2020 to participate. A lesser number of institutions will be asked to allocate one additional hour. MORE INFO

CONVENING

The Midwest CIO: Navigating the impact of COVID

MHEC will host a moderated discussion about the impact of COVID on information technology (IT) and the higher education institution today at 2:00 p.m. CDT. Two Midwestern chief information officers (CIOs), will offer their perspectives on IT issues that impacted them at the onset of the pandemic, their adaption to change, and the role of IT in higher education as they persevere forward in fall planning from on-premise instruction to online delivery. A national perspective will also be offered from EDUCAUSE, and how the work of the CIO is essential now more than ever. In addition, EDUCAUSE will emphasize how technology is the critical strategic asset that determines institutional success.

Rob Caffey
Chief Applications Officer/ Deputy Chief Information Officer for Applications
University of Kansas

Daniel Mincheff
Chief Information Officer
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

John O’Brien, Ph.D.
President and CEO EDUCAUSE

CONTRACTS

Dell Offers eSports Platform Bundle

As part of MHEC's existing technology contract, Dell is offering an eSports Platform Bundle. A virtual eSports environment fosters skills that drive student success, student engagement and retention, and student recruitment. eSports are associated with a wide variety of career pathways such as game design theory, computer programming, S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), finance, marketing, graphic design, health and wellness, and architecture. MHEC is aware of many institutions that have, or are considering, implementing eSports programs as part of their campus environment. This special eSports Platform Bundle was created to meet the growing demand for eSports options. The bundle can be customized to specific needs by working with your Dell sales team, and Dell has additional resources to help implement an eSports program.

Anticipated Upcoming Technology Solicitations for Hardware, Software, and Services

MHEC is committed to seeking input from the technology community and providing notice regarding anticipated technology solicitations. MHEC has several solicitation initiatives over the next eight months playing an important role in delivering anytime, anywhere, and any device access. These important solicitations include Virtualization and Data Center Modernization, Research and Advisory Services, Security Services, and e-Transcripts/Digital Credentialing Services. For more information about upcoming solicitations or participating on a workgroup, contact Nathan Sorensen, MHEC director of government contracts. List of Available MHEC Contracts

ARTICLES AND RESOURCES OF INTEREST

50-State Comparison: Postsecondary Education Funding
Education Commission of the States | July 15, 2020

Lumina is setting aside $15 million over the next three years to help eradicate systemic racism
Lumina Foundation | July 15, 2020

Stay Apart or Stay Home
Inside Higher Ed | July 15, 2020

Trump administration rescinds rule on foreign students
Associated Press | July 14, 2020

College Student Debt: What State and Institutional Leaders Should Know
Midwestern Higher Education Compact | July 14, 2020

Interstate Passport Briefing Series
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education | July 1, 2020