Last month, several Ithaka S+R staff members attended—and presented at—the State Higher Education Executive Officers annual policy conference in Washington, DC. Themes from the conference included how states are addressing the current skepticism about the value of higher education, the importance of aligning higher education to meet workforce needs, the growth of artificial intelligence and its impact on the higher education sector, re-engagement of adult learners, improving transfer, and the importance of using research data to support policy- and decision-making.

During the keynote address, Nathan Grawe, a professor of economics at Carleton College, presented statistics on a decline in traditional-aged students and highlighted a sobering new reality for states and their postsecondary systems: enrollments will likely continue to decline among students coming from high school, and state policymakers and higher education leaders will need to develop new policies and strategies to re-engage—and support—older students in order to meet the educational needs to support a robust workforce in their states. Several sessions also emphasized how to best measure and communicate the value of postsecondary credentials given some growing public skepticism. States are increasingly exploring how to use data to understand the best ways to invest in their educational programs and workforce through linked data sources across different state agencies.

Liz Looker presenting at SHEEO.

Ithaka S+R staff Martin Kurzweil, Brittany Pearce, and Elizabeth Looker all had the opportunity to present in sessions with several state officials and higher education staff with whom S+R has partnered on projects across the nation. These sessions focused on solutions to support transfer students, re-engaging and removing barriers for adult learners, and using data and data tools to inform policy and practice:

  • Martin Kurzweil presented along with Abby Chien from the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), Kristin Brooks from the South Carolina Council of Higher Education, and Steve Marcelynas from Connecticut State Colleges and Universities on how to collaborate to improve student credit mobility using Transfer Explorer, an online tool we’re developing based on the success of the groundbreaking CUNY T-Rex.
  • Brittany Pearce presented with Maggie McGrath from the Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, Drew Felberg of Stark State College, and Mike Duffey from the Ohio Department of Higher Education on aligning policy and practice to address the barriers students encounter from institutional debt through the Ohio College Comeback Compact.
  • Liz Looker presented with Steven Gentile from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), Lee Nimocks from the Kentucky Council for Postsecondary Education, and Stefani Thachik from the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education on state strategies to re-engage and re-enroll adult learners who have some credit but no credential.

We will continue to engage with state leaders and postsecondary education leaders over the next year both to build on these efforts and launch new ones, including a new partnership with Complete College America to create a cohort of institutions and systems interested in implementing cutting-edge policies and practices to improve holistic credit mobility for students. A request for proposals to recruit cohort members went live yesterday and the deadline for applicants is October 4, 2024. Please join us for the informational webinar on September 16 to learn more.