Midwestern Higher Education Commission

TO BRING TOGETHER MIDWESTERN STATES TO DEVELOP AND SUPPORT BEST PRACTICES, COLLABORATION EFFORTS, AND COST-SHARING OPPORTUNITIES. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS IT WORKS TO ENSURE STRONG, EQUITABLE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND OUTCOMES FOR ALL.

CONVENINGMHEC EMPOWERS THE MEMBER STATES TO CONNECT FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXCHANGING EXPERTISE, SHARING IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES, AND COLLABORATIVELY PURSUING EFFORTS THAT HELP FURTHER HIGHER EDUCATION. THIS CONVENING AND COLLABORATING LEADS TO MANY PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THAT PRODUCE A VARIETY OF OUTCOMES AND RESULTS RANGING FROM THE DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE ABOUT PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS, TO LEVERAGING THE COLLECTIVE PURCHASING POWER OF THE REGION TO ACHIEVE EFFICIENCIES AND SAVINGS.MULTI-STATE COLLABORATIVE ON MILITARY CREDITMHEC'S LARGEST CONVENING WAS THE MULTI-STATE COLLABORATIVE ON MILITARY CREDIT (MCMC), AN INTERSTATE COLLABORATIVE MHEC ORGANIZES THE 13 STATES OF ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND WISCONSIN FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADVANCING BEST PRACTICES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO EASE THE TRANSITION OF MILITARY-CONNECTED LIFE TO POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION. EMPHASIS IS GIVEN TO TRANSLATING COMPETENCIES ACQUIRED THROUGH MILITARY TRAINING AND EXPERIENCES INTO MILESTONES TOWARD COMPLETING A COLLEGE DEGREE OR EARNING A CERTIFICATE OR LICENSE. THIS PAST YEAR MCMC STARTED CONCENTRATING ON ALL FORMS OF CREDENTIALS AND BADGES.IN FY 2021, MCMC PRODUCED 3 WEBINARS WITH OVER 800 PARTICIPANTS.TWO ARTICLES WERE RELEASED IN FY 2021.

PROGRAMSMHEC PROGRAMS ARE INITIATED IN RESPONSE TO IDENTIFIED NEEDS IN ONE OR MORE OF THE MEMBER STATES. BRINGING TOGETHER EXPERTISE FROM ACROSS THE REGION, MHEC IDENTIFIES ACTIVITIES NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE IDENTIFIED NEEDS. THOSE PROBLEMS BEST SOLVED THROUGH ONGOING INTERSTATE COOPERATION ARE THEN DEVELOPED INTO MHEC PROGRAMS. EACH MHEC PROGRAM PROVIDES THE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WITH GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP STRUCTURES TO GUIDE AND MAINTAIN PROGRAMMATIC OUTCOMES.MASTER PROPERTY PROGRAMA PREMIER PROPERTY INSURANCE PROGRAM THAT BROADENS PROPERTY INSURANCE COVERAGE, REDUCES COSTS, AND ENCOURAGES IMPROVED ASSET PROTECTION STRATEGIES FOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. MORE THAN $4.31 MILLION IN FY 2021 WAS SAVED BY PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS IN THE MHEC REGION.MHECARE HEALTH INSURANCE SOLUTIONSCOMPREHENSIVE HEALTH INSURANCE SOLUTIONS CREATED IN RESPONSE TO BOTH INCREASING COST AND CONCERN FOR STUDENT HEALTH. 31 CAMPUSES OFFERED MHECARE HEALTH INSURANCE SOLUTIONS IN FY 2021.MIDWEST STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMA MULTI-STATE TUITION RECIPROCITY PROGRAM THAT MAKES ATTENDING OUT-OF-STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES MORE AFFORDABLE FOR NON-RESIDENT STUDENTS. - 8,450 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE MIDWEST STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM IN 8 OF THE COMPACT STATES (ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KANSAS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO AND WISCONSIN) DURING THE FY 2021.- MSEP STUDENTS SAVED OVER $61 MILLION IN THE FY 2021, BRINGING THE TOTAL PROGRAM SAVINGS TO $796 MILLION SINCE 1994.- ON AVERAGE, STUDENTS IN MSEP TYPICALLY REALIZE SAVING BETWEEN $500 AND $5,000 ANNUALLY.- A REPORT WAS PRODUCED AS PART OF A PROGRAM ASSESSMENT.MIDWESTERN STATE AUTHORIZATION RECIPROCITY AGREEMENTA VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT AMONG STATES THAT ESTABLISHES NATIONWIDE STANDARDS FOR THE OFFERING OF POSTSECONDARY DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSES AND PROGRAMS. M-SARA SAVED INSTITUTIONS AN ESTIMATED $24.352 MILLION IN FY 2021.

CONTRACTSMHEC CONTRACTS LEVERAGE THE POTENTIAL VOLUME OF THE REGION'S PURCHASING POWER, WHILE SAVING ENTITIES TIME AND MONEY BY SIMPLIFYING THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND NEGATING THE NEED TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE SOURCING EVENT. BY OFFERING A TURNKEY SOLUTION WITH THE ABILITY TO TAILOR THE ALREADY NEGOTIATED CONTRACT TO MATCH THE ENTITY'S SPECIFIC NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS, MHEC CONTRACTS SHIFT SOME OF THE NEGOTIATING POWER BACK TO THE PROCURING ENTITIES. IN ADDITION TO CONTRACTS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE MASTER PROPERTY PROGRAM AND MHECARE HEALTH INSURANCE SOLUTIONS, MHEC OFFERS NUMEROUS CONTRACTS IN TECHNOLOGY. THE CONTRACTS ARE A PRODUCT OF A REPRESENTATIVE GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE HIGHER EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY CONDUCTING A COMPETITIVE SOURCING PROCESS THAT LEVERAGES THE POTENTIAL PURCHASING POWER OF THE 12 MHEC MEMBER STATES. TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTS SAVED ENTITIES IN THE MHEC REGION NEARLY $34 MILLION IN FY 2021. IN SOME CASES, THE COMPACT'S COST SAVINGS INITIATIVES MAY BE UTILIZED BY CITY, COUNTY AND STATE GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.

RESEARCH MHEC RESEARCH INFORMS INSTITUTIONAL AND STATE EFFORTS IN IMPROVING POSTSECONDARY POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND OUTCOMES IN SEVERAL WAYS: (A) MAINTAINING A NATIONAL REPOSITORY OF EXPERTISE, KNOWLEDGE AND BEST PRACTICES FOR GUIDING POLICY AND PRACTICE; (B) CONDUCTING APPLIED RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS ON CRITICAL TOPICS IN HIGHER EDUCATION; (C) DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY AND EFFECTIVENESS; AND (D) PROVIDING PUBLIC OUTREACH AND SERVICE TO INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENTS. AMONG ITS CORE OUTPUTS, MHEC RESEARCH MAINTAINS AN ONLINE DASHBOARD OF EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS AND PRODUCES TIMELY BRIEFS, REPORTS, AND TECHNICAL PAPERS IN THE MOST CRITICAL AREAS FOR FACILITATING PROGRESS TOWARDS STATE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT GOALS, INCLUDING COLLEGE READINESS; AFFORDABILITY AND FINANCE; STUDENT SUCCESS; AND PERFORMANCE, VALUE, AND ACCOUNTABILITY AS WELL AS OTHER TOPICS OF IMPORTANCE TO MIDWESTERN STATES. FOURTEEN PUBLICATIONS WERE RELEASED IN FY 2021.