2020 October e-news
MHEC recognizes the difficult time postsecondary institutions are experiencing in the Midwest and across the nation. Feedback is welcome on how MHEC might be helpful from a regional perspective to institutions and states. We have sections on our website with COVID-19 Resources and options for COVID-19 Supplies.
MHEC Contracts and Programs Save Over $141M in FY20
Fiscal Year 2020 savings are now available for MHEC member states.
Comprehensive Learner Record Advisory Group Meets for Informational Session, Looks to Increase Participation from All MHEC Member States
The Comprehensive Learner Record Advisory Group held their second meeting on October 13, with a presentation from Dr. Ken Sauer, senior associate commissioner and chief academic officer for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. He highlighted Indiana’s journey into e-transcripting and other digital credentialing solutions. This is the first in a series of informational meetings that will provide members of the group with information about the rapidly changing field of student record keeping and digital credentialing. The advisory group currently has 25 members from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Dakota. MHEC is still in the process of building out participation on the advisory group to ensure equitable representation among the states. For more information contact Jenny Parks, vice president, at (612) 677-2779.
MHEC Continues to Connect with the Higher Learning Commission
On October 8, Susan Heegaard, president, attended an all-day gathering of a wide range of stakeholders hosted by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Multiple issues relevant to higher education and accreditation were discussed, with some important emphasis placed upon the rapidly changing higher education landscape as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Jenny Parks, vice president, will attend the annual HLC state agency meeting on November 11-12. In addition to representation from MHEC, there will be others from the 19 HLC states in attendance, including staff from the Southern Regional Education Board and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, that also have states served by HLC.
Learning Opportunities During International Open Access Week: October 19-25
There are a number of learning opportunities coming up during International [Open Access Week, October 19-25. These include webinars about Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Education in many of the MHEC states and the annual Creative Commons Summit. These events will be followed in November by the OpenEd Global Conference and OpenEd20 . Each of these events will provide you with a wide range of examples of how OER and Open Education practices are transforming and improving higher education.
CONVENING
Upcoming OER Webinar: 5 Books in 4 Years – How Do We Do It? !
October 29, 2020
1:00 p.m. CDT (2:00 p.m. EDT)
Creating any open educational resource (OER) can be daunting, but five books in four years? That’s ambitious! The first book Nursing Pharmacology produced by Open RN, was released in June 2020 – one year after the work began. In this conversational webinar with colleagues from the Open Resources for Nursing Grant Project, the development process they used to create the nursing OER textbooks for the Open RN project will be discussed and plenty of time will be provided for Q & A.
Watch Recordings of Recent MHEC Webinars
Midwest States Tackle Broadband. Various Midwest states and cities are addressing the broadband needs in their communities with innovation. One of the featured presenters of this webinar was Rep. Rick Carfagna (OH), MHEC commissioner and current MHEC treasurer, who highlighted how Ohio has addressed broadband needs through legislation. Other presenters shared a variety of solutions via community outreach and partnerships, and through using data to drive partnerships to support those with the greatest needs.
Reducing Equity Gaps and Creating Resilience with Open Educational Resources. The Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources (CCCOER) shared how higher education institutions can work together on open education policy, professionalism, stewardship, and sustainability across regional and state boundaries to find solutions to common challenges. CCCOER is leading conversations with regional leaders of open education (RLOE) to support statewide and national projects for expanding access while creating resilience and sparking innovation at institutions of higher education.
SkillsCommons: Free and Open Online Library of CTE Instructional Materials and Program Support Resources. This demonstration highlighted how easy it is to search, find, and download instructional materials as well as program outreach, student advising materials, program evaluation materials and more support resources. SkillsCommons showcased the creation of customized portals and repositories to support regional needs as well as how the online resources can support teaching “hands-on” skills and knowledge during the current COVID pandemic.
MHEC Annual Commission Meeting to be Held Virtually November 9 and 10
MHEC commissioners will convene for their business meeting on the morning of Monday, November 9, and for policy and research updates on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 10. Topics to be addressed will be a post-election update, federal higher education updates, responses to the pandemic including how the fall has unfolded and plans for the spring, equity and other trends in higher education, as well as the concept of foresight with a focus on what the student experience will need to be moving toward 2025. Presenters include Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, University of Nebraska Medical Center and University of Nebraska at Omaha; Dr. Stephen Moret, Virginia Economic Development Partnership; Ms. Teresa Lubbers, Indiana Commission for Higher Education; Ms. Madeline Pumariega, Tallahassee Community College; Dr. Shaun Williams-Wyche, MHEC; Ms. Susan Grajek, EDUCAUSE; Dr. Thomas Harnisch, State Higher Education Executive Officers; and Mr. Mike McCabe, Council of State Governments, Midwest Office. For questions, please contact Katie Chock, meeting and event manager, at (612) 677-2760.
CONTRACTS
RFP: IT Security Services MHEC member institutions have identified a critical need to have readily available contracts for security services. The RFP: IT Security Services (MHEC-10142020) was released on October 14. Through a competitive solicitation process, MHEC intends to meet this need by awarding multiple contracts via an RFP in the areas of Security Threat Intelligence Products and Services, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Managed Security Services (MSS), Security Awareness Training, and Security Consulting Services. All responses to this RFP must be received no later than November 12, 2020, 10:00 a.m. CT.
RFP: Digital Credentialing Solutions (e.g. e-Transcripts) On October 4, MHEC released the RFP: Digital Credential Solutions (e.g. e-Transcripts) (MHEC-10052020). Through this RFP MHEC is seeking solutions that facilitate the transfer of student information in a consistent format from one entity to another, including the same information as a traditional transcript, but also including information about non-classroom learning experiences and credentials earned via industrial training, field work, military service, volunteer experiences, and more. This information is exchanged between high schools (public and private) and colleges and universities (public and private non-profit), between participating postsecondary institutions, state agencies, and, perhaps in the future, beyond the educational environment to include employers, professional associations, and more. All responses to this RFP must be received no later than October 27, 2020, 10:00 a.m. CT.
ARTICLES AND RESOURCES OF INTEREST
A Generation Defined by the Pandemic
Inside Higher Ed | October 15, 2020
Report: Enrollment Continues to Trend Downward
Inside Higher Ed | October 15, 2020
Governor Parson Awards More than $870,000 to Missouri Libraries to Expand Broadband Access
KMMO | October 10, 2020
How one tribe in S.D. created its own wireless education network
Capital Journal | October 9, 2020
RFP: Postsecondary CTE System Reform
[ONLINE] - Community College Bachelor's Degrees: An Equity and Economic Recovery Strategy
New America | October 1, 2020
The Dual Enrollment Playbook: A Guide to Equitable Acceleration for Students
Community College Research Center | October 2020
Report highlights educational disparities in Indiana
Kokomo Tribune | September 26, 2020
Centering Equity in Student Mental Health Task Forces: Lessons Learned From the University of Michigan
Higher Education Today | September 21, 2020
Pandemic Heightens Cyber Risk for Higher Education
Marsh, Risk in Context | September 21, 2020
Does the Concurrent Enrollment Program Improve Time-To-Degree and Wages?
University of Denver Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab | September 2020
State Approaches to Ensuring Quality for College in High School Programs
College in High School Alliance