The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education:
Planning, mission, and goals:
The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education is a regional organization created by the Western Regional Education Compact, adopted in the 1950s by western states. WICHE is an interstate compact created by formal legislative action of the states and the U.S. Congress. Fifteen states are members of WICHE. WICHE began operations in 1953 in Eugene, Oregon, moving to its present location in Boulder, Colorado in 1955. WICHE is governed by appointed Commissioners from each state. Under terms of the Compact, each state commits to support WICHE's basic operations through annual dues established by the full Commission. WICHE was created to facilitate resource sharing among the higher education systems of the western states. It has implemented a number of regional activities to accomplish its objectives.
The Commission (decision making):
Each state selects members to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Commissioners provide governance, oversight, and policy and program guidance to WICHE staff, who are located in Boulder, Colorado.
Policies:
Through publications, the Internet, and through individual and multi-state discussion forums, WICHE's policy research and information activities emphasize options that states and institutions might apply to higher education issues. WICHE's policy analysis and information focuses on higher education in the western states, including:
Funding and budgeting:
Basic funding for operations of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) is provided by member states. Special projects often receive support from foundations, corporations, and through specific government or institutional grants and contracts. Supporters of WICHE's currently active projects include:
WICHE is also sponsored by the private section. Some of the sponsors are:
Programs and scheduling:
WICHE has several programs and activities. The main programs are:
Student Exchange Programs (SEP): Flexible, state-responsive programs provide a broad range of higher education options for more than 9,000 students each year at undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.
Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications: WICHE's Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications is a membership-based organization open to providers and users of educational telecommunications. Established in 1989 by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), the Western Cooperative facilitates resource sharing, information sharing, and policy advocacy in the use of educational technologies and telecommunications.
Western Governors' Association's Virtual University
Flashlight Project
Western Policy Exchange (WPE): A three-year project supported by a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Western Policy Exchange provides a dynamic regional mechanism to develop new methods of policy collaboration and resource sharing.
Consortium on North American Educational Interchange (CONAHEC): Since 1993, WICHE has been working with regional and international partners to increase understanding and opportunities for collaboration between higher education institutions and educational leaders in the western U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Mental Health Program: The WICHE Mental Health Program helps member states improve their mental health systems and enhance the preparation of a qualified mental health workforce, employing WICHE's collaborative approaches of regional research, policy analysis, networking, technical assistance and information sharing.
Locations:
WICHE is located in 15 states, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Western States Governors University:
Western Governors University offers a totally new way of looking at higher education. We're a new type of university centered around the student. What makes WGU so different and exciting is that it offers distance learning courses from dozens of colleges, universities, and corporations across the United States.
Audience:
Planning:
Western governors first discussed the idea for a western virtual university at the June l995 annual meeting of the Western Governors' Association (WGA). This organization's membership consists of the governors of 18 western states, two Pacific-flag territories and one commonwealth. The governors focused on higher education in conjunction with their discussion of SmartStates , a WGA project that encourages interstate collaboration between government, education, and industry in the use of information technologies. Utah Governor Mike Leavitt suggested that western universities avoid duplication of distance learning courses and collaborate in the development and delivery of courses. Colorado Governor Roy Romer added the idea of measuring, assessing and certifying competencies and learning.
At their meeting in late Fall l995, the governors appointed a WGA Design Team and charged it with the responsibility of creating a design plan for a western virtual university to serve the region and an implementation plan through which such an entity could be established and financed. In December l995, the WICHE Commission adopted a response to the WGA's proposal to create a virtual university. On June 24, 1996 Western Governors approved what was described as a "revolutionary" plan for establishing a Virtual University named the Western Governors University (WGU) which will use advanced information technology to expand access to higher education across institutional and state lines, as well as provide mechanisms for assessing what students learn.
Ten governors present at the Western Governors' Association Annual Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska signed a Memorandum of Understanding that would allow the initiative to go forward. Last December, they created a design team to develop the implementation plan. Governors Roy Romer of Colorado and Mike Leavitt of Utah are lead governors for the effort.
In early 1996, the WGU began to take shape. In February, the western governors released a planning document that included their vision statement, goals, design plan and work plan. In addition, each governor appointed representatives to a WGA Regional Advisory Group to participate in the planning process.
Scheduling of class:
WGU offer distance learning courses from dozens of colleges, universities, and corporations across the United States (and soon the world!). Courses offered through WGU will come to the learner, wherever he is, not the other way around. These courses use both high-tech and low-tech ways -- from the Internet to satellite to the postal service -- to provide you with real options.
Staff:
WGU doesn't hire instructors and doesn't offer instruction itself. Rather it breaks instruction provided by affiliate colleges, universities and corporations. WGU has regional administration. WGU has two main offices. One of those, the administrative office, is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The other office, the academic office, is located in Denver, Colorado. WGU is governed by a Board of Trustees made up of 14 members., and has administration. The administrative side of WGU is headed by E. Jeffery Livingston. WGU has trained advisors and mentors to help students select the right programs and the right classes.
Accreditation and course credit: Classes will be provided from about 20 education providers -- universities and corporations who list distance learning courses through WGU. Those universities and corporations programs are accredited. Classes contained in the program catalog are designed and taught by instructors from education providers. WGU students are given the opportunity to take courses from multiple providers. In some cases, the education providers are not just colleges and universities, but businesses and organizations. Therefore, some courses are offered for academic credit, while others are noncredit. Even if students don't intend to achieve a degree or certificate, they may enroll in classes offered through the WGU, or may apply the knowledge gained from those courses to a program.
Future:
I think this kind of university has a promising future, especially if we consider how much dynamic the educational process here. To success, I think that there is a need for strong organization and for clear scheduling. The credit/accreditation issue is very important in this program, assuming that most of distance education student are looking for accredited degree.