An aging population coupled with changing technology means there are growing dentistry needs across the country--and community colleges are there to train the workforce. Dental accreditations and degrees are currently available at two-year colleges nationwide--including the farthest reaches of Alaska--pointing to an industry very much in demand.…

Rural communities all too often face scarce funding, instructors and facilities, forcing institutions to choose between offering a variety of introductory courses across a breadth of subjects or providing more narrowly focused, sequenced programs within one or two priority Career Clusters. Providing learners access to diverse career pathways in…

This exploratory research surveyed faculty who instruct in community colleges from 18 states about their attitudes toward the concealed carry gun policies that allow appropriately licensed citizens to carry a handgun in public places such as college campuses. Building upon previous research involving 4-year institutions, we surveyed 1,889…

This report outlines key data elements related to the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), and Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP) for the 2020-21 academic year and is a core resource for policymakers, institutional leaders, counselors and other stakeholders across the region. This report…

This report outlines key data elements related to the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), and Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP) for the 2019-20 academic year across a range of categories. This report contains participation and migration statistics for each of the Western Interstate Commission…

Community colleges are currently facing the perfect fiscal storm: historical reductions in state appropriations while at the same time experiencing significant enrollment growth. Community college leaders are pondering how to effectively compensate for unprecedented budget cuts while meeting the demands of student access and increasing levels of…

For 65 years, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) has been serving the students of the West. The largest of WICHE's three Student Access Programs, the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), helps more than 40,000 Western undergraduates save on nonresident tuition. The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) allows…

The apprenticeship movement is reshaping skills, policies, and programs in the United States at a critical moment in our country's history. This reader offers a chorus of voices emanating from different countries and populations, echoing commitment to bright, sustainable workforce futures through a well-crafted approach to this talent development…

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and its 16 members work collaboratively to expand educational access and excellence for all citizens of the West. By promoting innovation, cooperation, resource sharing, and sound public policy among its members and their institutions, WICHE strengthens higher education's contributions…

In 1994 the Ford Foundation launched the Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) as a "national demonstration project to help community colleges in distressed regions move their people and communities toward prosperity. It challenged community colleges to become catalysts for economic development and supported aggressive efforts to increase…

This State Profile from the Delta Cost Project presents data on key Delta metrics for public research, master's, bachelor's, and community college sectors in the state of Alaska. The data are limited to a five-year period, showing data for the most recent year, and the five-year change.

In this report, Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage, investigated the factors that explain change over time in enrollments and credit hours (participation) at the community campuses of the University of Alaska using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Sections include: (1) Background; (2) Factors…

Financing and financial aid issues in higher education continue to plague state policymakers and higher education leaders. Every year, they struggle with questions of how to meet growing needs through state allocations, how best to ensure shared and equitable responsibility for paying for higher education, and how best to use subsidies such as…