“We applaud President Biden’s leadership on modernizing the nation’s infrastructure and his commitment to economic and workforce development, closing equity gaps, and addressing climate change. The American Jobs Plan includes key investments to update community college facilities, which serve as vital college access points for millions of Americans. We are also pleased to see the American Jobs Plan prioritizing access to high-speed broadband infrastructure and funding to strengthen our nation’s research capacity, including at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other minority serving institutions (MSIs).

Public higher education remains central to creating an inclusive, durable economic recovery and is vital to long-term American competitiveness. We look forward to working with the Biden administration and Congress to address long-neglected infrastructure needs found throughout public higher education, particularly at institutions serving large shares of low-income students and students of color. Working in partnership with states, these investments will help put people back to work and serve our students and communities for decades to come.”

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For more than a decade, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) has collected data on state support for higher education in the current fiscal year on behalf of Illinois State University’s Center for the Study of Education Policy. 

The past fiscal year has been one of tremendous uncertainty and financial challenges for colleges and universities. Institution leaders have faced sharp declines in many of their revenue sources in addition to unexpected new costs as they have attempted to respond to the repercussions of the pandemic. Within this context, we received the first look at early fiscal year 2021 state appropriations from the Grapevine survey on state higher education funding. SHEEO has completed a detailed analysis of these data. In this brief, we highlight detailed, timely, and important trends in state tax appropriations and sector-level appropriations.

The murders and shootings that happened on March 16 in Atlanta, of primarily Asian women, are appalling and devastating. Further, the increase in hate crimes directed at Asian people over the past year is horrific and must stop. SHEEO stands against hate and violence against the Asian American community.

In the higher education community, Asian Americans are often, unfortunately, left out of equity conversations due to erroneous notions that they are uniformly successful and high achieving compared to other communities of color. But learning about Asian Americans in higher education and the particular forms of institutionalized racism and discrimination they face helps us understand how these stereotypes not only marginalize Asian communities but also reinforce anti-Blackness and white supremacy. Having this knowledge will allow us all to better acknowledge and, importantly, fight back against the rise of anti-Asian hate in the past year.

We stand with the Asian American community and push back against anti-Asian hate and all forms of racism. As an organization, SHEEO will work to ensure that we do not replicate the model minority myth and ensure all our spaces and research honor, respect, and stand with the Asian American community.

Located in Washington, D.C.

Position Description:

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) seeks to fill the position of vice president of academic affairs and equity initiatives. The vice president of academic affairs and equity initiatives will report to the senior vice president and chief of staff and lead policy and project development in educational equity, academic programs, and student success. The ideal candidate will have leadership experience in academic affairs; experience at a SHEEO agency or system office; and/or experience in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

SHEEO serves the chief executives of statewide governing, policy, and coordinating boards of postsecondary education and their staffs. Founded in 1954, SHEEO promotes an environment that values higher education and its role in ensuring the equitable education of all Americans, regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic background, or any other aspect of identity. Together with its members, SHEEO aims to achieve this vision by equipping state higher education executive officers and their staffs with the tools to effectively advance the value of higher education, promoting public policies and academic practices that enable all Americans to achieve success in the 21st century, and serving as an advocate for state higher education leadership. For more information, visit www.sheeo.org.

Key Responsibilities:

SHEEO is seeking diverse applicants who are qualified to: 

• Develop and oversee initiatives related to academic affairs, including academic readiness, student success, academic program approval and review, academic and institutional quality, transfer, pathways, and credentials of value.
• Develop and oversee initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Identify and promote best policies and practices related to closing equity gaps and supporting communities of color and other communities traditionally underserved in higher education.
• Coordinate networks of SHEEO agency diversity, equity, and inclusion leaders and chief academic officers.
• Facilitate the work of SHEEO’s Equity Advisory Committee.
• Collaborate with other SHEEO staff to explore and develop the equity implications of academic affairs, data, research, and finance projects.
• Collaborate with partner organizations on academic affairs and equity initiatives.
• Provide technical assistance and professional development to state-level academic affairs and equity staff.
• Work with other members of the SHEEO leadership team to promote equitable policies and practices within the SHEEO organization and provide professional development for SHEEO organization staff.
• Contribute to agenda development for SHEEO’s national meetings.
• Serve on a variety of leadership groups and teams within SHEEO.
• Conduct or direct research and policy analysis on student success and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in higher education.
• Manage a portfolio of grant-funded projects, develop relationships with funders, and seek diversified funding sources.
• Represent SHEEO at state, regional, and national meetings and conferences.  
• Provide supervision or direction to other SHEEO staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Experience and Qualifications:

• A master’s degree in a relevant field.
• At least seven years of progressively responsible leadership experience in one or more of the following or equivalent:
  • A position at a state-level higher education system or higher education coordinating board.
  • A position in a national or regional organization focused on higher education policy.
  • A senior administrative position at a higher education institution.
  • A faculty appointment at an accredited postsecondary institution.
• Knowledge of or experience with SHEEO agencies and state-level academic affairs issues and leadership.
• A demonstrated commitment to anti-racism and closing equity gaps in higher education.
• Knowledge of state higher education policy and issues.
• Significant education and experience in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership.
• Ability to design, execute, and evaluate projects related to promoting access to postsecondary education, improving student success, and increasing equitable attainment at the state level.
• Demonstrated ability to obtain outside funding.
• Skill in project management.
• Skill in mentoring and developing staff.

Preferred Qualifications:

• An earned doctoral degree.
• Experience working with higher education associations or foundations.
• Experience developing or providing professional development or technical assistance resources.
• Experience teaching at the postsecondary level.
• Experience working with board members or policymakers.
• Fluency in workforce education and training trends.
• Record of publication or research in state higher education policy, public policy, social science, or issues related to systemic racism in education.

Working Conditions: This position is located in Washington, D.C. Periodic travel to SHEEO’s office in Boulder, CO, and other national travel will be required.

Salary: Salary will be commensurate with successful candidate’s experience and demonstrated skill level. SHEEO provides excellent staff benefits.

Application Process:

Please apply by email to sheeo@sheeo.org and include the following:

• Letter describing how you meet the requirements of the position, addressed to Dr. Christina Whitfield, SHEEO, 1233 20^th Street NW, Suite 360, Washington, D.C. 20009.
• Resume or curriculum vitae.
• Names and contact information of three professional references. (References will not be contacted until you have given permission for us to do so.)

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled; however, priority will be given to those applications received by April 9, 2021. SHEEO is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and believes that recruiting and developing a diverse and inclusive staff is vital to the organization’s success.

SHEEO is holding eight-week webinar series called “Public Investment in Higher Education: Research, Strategies, and Policy Implications.” Through April 1, every Thursday, from 3 – 4:30 p.m. ET, SHEEO will host a webinar where researchers will present new original research related to public investment in higher education. Each session will feature several papers and a discussant who will reflect on the papers and their implications for policy and research.

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) seeks candidates for two paid internships for the summer of 2021. These internships are appropriate for students pursuing graduate study in higher education, public policy, public administration, and related fields. The ideal candidates will be motivated, active learners interested in higher education policy and governance, policy analysis, and research methods. We are particularly interested in applicants with interest in higher education finance or college closures.

The focus of the internships will be providing support for SHEEO’s research, data, and policy analysis efforts. SHEEO’s summer 2021 interns may assist with a variety of projects depending on the interns’ skills and interests and SHEEO’s needs. These may include original data collection and analysis, offering assistance to SHEEO agencies, responding to data requests, constructing datasets, drafting white papers, and designing professional development opportunities for SHEEO agency staff. Interns will also have the opportunity to attend the SHEEO Higher Education Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., which we plan to hold in person from November 9 through 12, 2021.

The internships will last for approximately eight weeks, beginning in early June. Interns will have the option of working remotely or in our Boulder, Colorado office. The intern positions will pay $20 per hour. Interns will work 20-37.5 hours per week, with hours by mutual arrangement. Successful past interns have been offered an extended contract to continue working remotely throughout the year.

SHEEO is seeking diverse applicants with the following qualifications:

• Completed coursework in higher education, public policy, public administration, statistics, research methods, economics, sociology, or a related field.
• Experience working with large quantitative datasets.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong facility with Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Enthusiasm for and curiosity about state higher education policy and data-informed policymaking, particularly in the areas of state finance or college closures.
• A commitment to advancing equity and student success in higher education.
• Proficiency in a statistical software package (Stata, SPSS, R, Python, etc.) preferred.
• Knowledge of federal higher education datasets preferred.

Goals of the SHEEO State Policy Internship Program:

• Advancing understanding of state higher education policy and governance.
• Advancing equity and diversity in state higher education policy and governance.
• Increasing the skills and knowledge of those who work within the state higher education policy field.
• Increasing the interest of current graduate students in state higher education policy and governance.

Application Process:

Please apply by email to sheeo@sheeo.org and include the following:

• Letter describing your interest in and qualifications for the position, and contact information for two references, addressed to:

Dr. David Tandberg

Senior Vice President of Policy Research & Strategic Initiatives

State Higher Education Executive Officers Association

3035 Center Green Drive, Suite 100

Boulder, CO 80301

• Résumé or curriculum vitae.

Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled, but full consideration will be given to those received by April 9, 2021.

About SHEEO

SHEEO serves its members as an advocate for state policy leadership, as a liaison between states and the federal government, as a vehicle for learning from and collaborating with peers, and as a source of information and analysis on educational and public policy issues. SHEEO seeks to advance public policies and educational practices to achieve more widespread access and successful participation in higher education, more new discoveries through research, and more applications of knowledge that improve the quality of human lives.

SHEEO is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and believes that recruiting and developing a diverse and inclusive staff is vital to the organization’s success. Read more about SHEEO on our website: www.sheeo.org.