Following a highly successful six-year tenure as The University of Vermont’s 26th president, Tom Sullivan today announced that, after one more year, he will step out of the presidency in the summer of 2019.

Motivated by reports of financial challenges among colleges and universities and requests from state higher education agencies for better methods of assessing and tracking the financial health of the colleges within their states, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) has produced a technical white paper on monitoring and assessing the financial health and risk of colleges and universities. The white paper is aimed at state higher education governing and coordinating boards and system offices. Accelerated by the Great Recession, and later by increased oversight and regulation of the for-profit sector, states have witnessed a wave of institutional closures. These institutional closures have tended to be isolated in the private for-profit and nonprofit sectors. However, there have been a number of examples of institutional mergers and consolidations within the public sector and examples of public institutions risking financial viability via reduced revenues and suffocating debt. In each case, some level of responsibility often falls on the state’s higher education executive officer (SHEEO) agency (the state’s governing or coordinating board). Central responsibilities of a SHEEO agency include helping ensure that institutions are financially viable, that they are good stewards of their public resources, and that they have the resources they need to best serve their students. One action that can facilitate all of these responsibilities is tracking an institution’s financial viability. Often called financial risk metrics or stress tests, the financial industry has developed a number of metrics and ratios that attempt to elucidate the financial strength of a college or university. In this white paper we discuss each of them, suggest some additional data sources and metrics, and then discuss how different SHEEO agencies, depending on their purview and resources, may attempt to more effectively monitor the financial health of their institutions so agencies may better engage the institutions, plan ahead, and serve their states. This white paper is meant to assist SHEEO agencies in carrying out these responsibilities.  

Following a national search, the Council on Postsecondary Education unanimously selected Dr. Aaron Thompson as its fourth president.
 Thompson, who presently serves as the Council’s executive vice president and chief academic officer, will transition to his new responsibilities Nov. 1.  He is the first Kentucky native and African-American to hold the position since the Council was formed 21 years ago.  “We have greatly benefited at the state level by Aaron’s strategic leadership and statesmanship over the past decade. Time and time again, we have relied on Aaron as an essential advocate and leader across many fronts, including the critical areas of college opportunity and student success,” said Council Chair Sherrill Zimmerman.

SHEEO and Army University hosted a webinar to provide State Higher Education Executives with insight on Army University and ongoing initiatives related to Articulated Credit for Military Learning (ACML).

Promise programs (also known as free college programs) have grown in popularity over the last few years. When targeted correctly, these programs have the potential to increase enrollment, retention, and graduation rates for underserved students. By focusing a promise program on adult students and including additional supports and services, states can connect with nontraditional students who previously believed college was not an option. However, the message of a promise program is strong and should not be misused. This paper helps to define the concept of a promise program for adults, discusses the value proposition of a promise, provides an overview of current and proposed promise programs, and outlines critical considerations for states considering an adult promise program.