CONTACT:
Annahita Jimmerson
ajimmerson@sheeo.org
(303)541-1602

BOULDER, Colorado, April 2, 2019 — The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) released a new strategic plan today that will guide the organization’s work through 2023 in support of its membership: the chief executives of statewide governing, policy and coordinating boards of postsecondary education and their staffs across the country. In tandem with the plan’s release, SHEEO also launched a redesigned website to better connect to and share information with its members and the higher education policy community.

“As the complexities of higher education have increased, so too has the importance of strong state policy leadership,” said Dr. Rob Anderson, president of SHEEO. “No other association is as attuned to these complexities and focused solely on the needs of state higher education agencies than SHEEO. As we execute our new strategic plan, we will help our members stay abreast of best practices, align stakeholders such as K-12 and workforce, ensure sufficient resources for higher education, and develop policies that advance student success.” 

The new strategic plan identifies three strategic priorities that will be central to the organization’s fulfillment of its member-driven mission in the coming years. They are:

1. Serve and support SHEEO membership by developing, connecting, informing, and guiding SHEEO agencies. The goal of this priority is to support SHEEOs and their staffs in the procurement of relevant knowledge by serving as a primary and reliable source of in-depth and comprehensive information on state higher education policy and practice.
2. Contribute to thought leadership in the field on salient higher education issues. The goal of this priority is to offer thoughtful analysis and insights into issues, such as equity and finance, which build the knowledge base of leaders of higher education policy.
3. With its membership, advocate the value of higher education and the critical role of state-level higher education leaders. The goal of this priority is to position SHEEO and its members as critical voices to be engaged at the state and federal levels on issues pertaining to and intersecting with higher education.

In addition to the strategic plan released today, SHEEO also unveiled its redesigned website, SHEEO.org, which will serve as a hub for members to access resources, research, data visualizations and more. The website will also house SHEEO’s original and industry-leading reports, including the State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report and the Strong Foundations analysis of state postsecondary data systems.

“Working in the states requires expert navigation and an aptitude for collaboration across the higher education, policy, and workforce environments. Thankfully, state policy leaders have a partner in SHEEO that provides the professional development, technical assistance and other resources needed to be effective,” said Teresa Lubbers, commissioner of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. “As one of the advisory board members who provided input to SHEEO’s new strategic plan, I’m excited by the organization’s commitment to serve members and remain at the forefront of assisting states in their work to ensure a more educated nation.”

To support the development of the strategic plan and website, SHEEO received a capacity building grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to engage in the strategic evaluation and planning process to assess its direction, ensure effective and efficient service to its members, and develop a strategy for future action. Between November 2017 and January 2018, SHEEO solicited feedback from hundreds of current and former state higher education executive officers, policy organizations, and other stakeholders. SHEEO plans to frequently survey its membership on the organization’s progress and alignment with its strategic plan.

“For over 60 years, SHEEO has brought together state-level leaders of higher education, state agency staff, and others to build a network of support and be a resource on issues in higher education,” said Jim Hearn, professor and interim director at the Institute of Higher Education and member of the Gates Capacity Grant Advisory Board. “The strategic plan announced today is an evolution of that legacy. By being better positioned to respond to the needs of today’s state policy leaders and advocate for the critical role of higher education in our society, SHEEO’s success as an organization will benefit the entire profession.”

For more information on SHEEO’s 2019-2023 strategic plan, visit SHEEO.org. 

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About the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO)

The State Higher Education Executive Officers is the national association of the chief executives of statewide governing, policy, and coordinating boards of postsecondary education. Founded in 1954, SHEEO serves its members as an advocate for state policy leadership, a liaison between states and the federal government, a vehicle for learning from and collaborating with peers, a manager of multistate teams to initiate new programs, 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 to and completion of higher education, more discoveries through research, and more applications of knowledge that improve the quality of human lives and enhance the public good.

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Garimella to Become Next UVM President

A message from David Daigle, Chair, University of Vermont Board of Trustees: 

It is my great pleasure to share the news that Dr. Suresh Garimella will become UVM’s 27th president, effective July 1, 2019. Read more here.

Friday, February 15, 2019

David Tandberg, SHEEO vice president for policy research and strategic initiatives, was asked by Senators Jones, Warren, Harris and Masto to review and react to a letter they produced regarding racial disparities in student debt and broader challenges faced by students of color in college and career training. Dr. Tandberg’s response can be read here.

The views expressed in his response are those of the author alone and do not necessarily represent those of the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association or its membership.

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) seeks candidates for two, paid internships for the summer of 2019. 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 with interests in higher education policy and governance, policy analysis, and research methods. SHEEO seeks and encourages diverse applicants.

The focus of the internships will be providing support for SHEEO’s research and data and policy analysis efforts. SHEEO’s summer 2019 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 data sets, drafting white papers, and designing professional development opportunities for SHEEO agency staff. Interns will also have the opportunity to attend the SHEEO Policy Conference Aug 5-9, 2019, in Boston.

The internships will last for approximately eight weeks, beginning in early June. The intern positions will pay $15 per hour. Interns will work 20-37.5 hours per week, with hours by mutual arrangement.

Qualifications:

• Completed coursework in higher education, public policy, public administration, statistics, research methods, economics, sociology, or a related field
• Quantitative and/or qualitative analysis skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong facility with Microsoft Excel
• Proficiency in a statistical software package (Stata, SPSS, R, Python, etc.) preferred
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• An interest in public policy related to higher education
• Knowledge of IPEDS and Census data 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 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: David Szczesny at dszczesny@sheeo.org and include the following:

1. Letter describing your interest in and qualifications for the position
2. Résumé or curriculum vitae

Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled, but full consideration will be given to those received by March 29, 2019.

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.

The positions will be based in Boulder, Colorado. SHEEO is particularly interested in providing equal employment opportunities and employing a diverse staff. Read more about SHEEO on our website:www.sheeo.org.

Job Description

Dr. David L. Buhler announced Tuesday his decision to conclude his service as Utah’s Commissioner of Higher Education effective December 31, 2019. The Board of Regents will commence a national search in the spring. His announcement now will allow time for a thorough search and a smooth transition.

Brandon Bishop, a second-year master’s student at the University of Denver studying higher education with a focus in public policy and organizational change, partnered with SHEEO to write a policy brief about the road to the state higher education executive office.

The state higher education executive officer is the most senior person charged with guiding postsecondary education public policy in their state. Some states have more than one SHEEO, as some represent university governing boards, state community college systems, or state coordinating boards. The SHEEO can be appointed by the governor, or the governing or coordinating board, or hired by an agency head. Additionally, in some states, SHEEOs must meet a range of requirements to attain their position, as is explored later in this brief.

SHEEOs are responsible for maintaining accountability in postsecondary education and providing leadership for postsecondary institutions in their state (Tandberg, Fowles, & McLendon, 2017). SHEEOs work with multiple government agencies, postsecondary institutions, and individuals. They also partner with a variety of key stakeholder groups, including state policy leaders, higher education institutions, parents, and students. By researching prior experience and training of SHEEOs, this brief sheds light on the many roads individuals may take to reach this vital policy position.

Raymund A. Paredes, who built a 15-year reputation for working to support Texas students from underrepresented communities, is stepping down as commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Commission on Aug. 31.

Data reported by the states in the latest Grapevine survey indicate that initially-approved state fiscal support for higher education in fiscal year 2018-2019 (FY19) totaled to approximately $91.5 billion, a 3.7% increase nationwide from fiscal year 2017-2018 (FY18). This continues a trend of modest annual increases in state higher education funding over the past five years.

Full press release can be found here.  

The racial patterns in college completion and educational attainment rates, debt burden, and loan repayment and default rates identified in the Senators’ letter are symptoms of a centuries-old problem that includes and encompasses but also goes far beyond higher education. The root of the problem is our country’s historic and pervasive institutionalized racism. Centuries of intentional and unintentional actions, policies, practices, customs, and patterns are manifested in the extreme racial disparities in wealth, educational attainment, health, and other critical indicators (including those identified in the Senators’ letter). A critical factor underlying the statistics highlighted in the Senators’ letter is our stratified higher education system. For example, while access generally has increased, students of color are increasingly segregated into open-access institutions. This is exacerbated by the fact that even within our public sector, resources are inequitably distributed, with public research institutions receiving more per student in state appropriations than other public four-year schools and public two-year colleges. These differences in resources matter for student outcomes, including completions. Further, students of color are overrepresented and far more likely than their white-majority counterparts to enroll in for-profit institutions, where their likelihood of success is diminished, and debt loads are greater.

Randy Gardner was appointed the 10th Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education in January 2019. As Chancellor, he oversees the state’s public two-year and four-year institutions and Ohio Technical Centers; provides policy guidance to the Governor and the Ohio General Assembly; and carries out state higher education policy.