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

WESTERN ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP FORUM – 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS

• Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
• University of Alaska Anchorage
• University of Alaska Fairbanks
• University of Alaska Southeast
• University of Alaska System

Denise Runge, University of Alaska, is a member of 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. Nine cohort members from Alaska institutions have participated in the Academy since its inception in 2015.

NO HOLDING BACK The University of Alaska Southeast is one of 12 WICHE institutions that participated in a community of practice in which institutions analyzed data and revised policies related to transcript and student holds in 2022-2023.

Thanks to collaboration with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC), one of four U.S. regional higher education compacts, WICHE-region educational institutions, nonprofits, and public education entities can benefit from three programs: MHECtech, which provides competitively bid purchasing contracts for an array of hardware, software, and technology services; MHECare, which provides a student health insurance plan and teletherapy services; and a MHEC Cyber Insurance Program, which offers risk transfer and advisory solutions. Learn more.

Alaska participates in the STATE AUTHORIZATION RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT (SARA) through WICHE. This voluntary agreement provides reciprocity for the state authorization of distance education.

WICHE ACADEMY FOR LEADERS IN THE HUMANITIES is a leadership development program for aspiring academic leaders with a background in the humanities. The two-year fellowship consists of campus-based and external mentoring, a three-day in-person seminar, and an extended project. Ian Hartman, University of Alaska Anchorage, is participating in the 2023-25 cohort.

WICHE Behavioral Health Program (BHP) contracts with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Division of Behavioral Health, and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, to support the Alaska Psychology Internship Consortium (AK-PIC).

BHP, in collaboration with the Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR) and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), was awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant to evaluate the behavioral health aid program focusing on efficacy, implementation, and best practices.

The BHP Together With Veterans Program, focused on reducing Veteran suicides, also has one site in Juneau, Alaska, and has served nearly 890 rural veterans from that area.

Knocking at the College Door is the leading U.S. resource for projections of college-ready students. Knocking, which includes a quadrennial publication with additional analysis, is essential for postsecondary policymakers, planning and workforce efforts, and economic development.

WICHE offers curated data and policy resources to support better-informed decision-making:

•  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.

CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS NETWORK Staff from the University of Alaska system office and the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education also participate in regular collaborative calls with colleagues around the region.

WCET- The WICHE Cooperative for Education Technologies is the leader in practice, policy, and advocacy of technology-enhanced learning in higher education. WCET members include:

• Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
• University of Alaska Anchorage
• University of Alaska Fairbanks

Additionally, the University of Alaska Anchorage is a member of the State Authorization Network (SAN), which helps guide institutions through state regulations around online courses and programs.

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.