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Boundless Potential

Good afternoon!
 
If you run in postsecondary education circles in Colorado, the number 1330 is familiar to you, if not top of mind. For those of you outside of Colorado (or those of you who have been enjoying the final days of summer…), HB21-1330 was signed by Governor Polis and created the Student Success and Workforce Revitalization Task Force. The Colorado Commission on Higher Education convened the task force last month and will be working over the next few months to study and make recommendations on the role and mission of institutions of higher education in the state in providing effective and efficient workforce development. You may have seen Jeff Selingo’s mention of the task force in this week’s edition of his newsletter, Next.
 
The task force will submit a report of findings and recommendations by December 15 to the Commission and the education committees of the General Assembly. To read more about the task force and learn about the members, the Colorado Department of Higher Education has created this site to track ongoing activities and share available resources.
 
Of note to those who may not be directly involved: this is a reminder that the meetings of the task force and its respective work groups are public meetings. To access the schedule of both the task force meetings and the work group schedule, visit here.
 
As postsecondary education and employment become household terms to many, a number of Colorado organizations are holding conversations and learning sessions on a variety of topics. One of those open learning sessions will be held next Friday, September 10 at 9:30 MT on the topic of democratizing data to transform student success. The Colorado Trustee Network will host Nicole Ifill, Senior Program Officer - Data with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Jeff Gold, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Success Strategic Initiatives with the California State University (CSU) Chancellor’s Office. The session is open to the public. I hope to see you there!
 
All my best for a great week - and start back to classes for many of us!
Alison
 
What We’re Reading

University Police Shifting Away From Criminal Citations: The University of Colorado Boulder Police Department is changing the way they handle low-level offenses for students as they shift away from criminal citations and replace them with administrative citations. For low-level and first-time offenses, students will no longer receive a court summons and instead will be referred to the school’s conduct process and receive a smaller fine. The effort to engage students in the conduct process and create a culture of student responsibility, is a part of a greater effort to help students learn and grow from their mistakes and avoid facing challenges with the criminal justice system. [Daily Camera]

Making College Campuses Greener and More Efficient: In 2019, Colorado State University-Pueblo began its solar project by partnering with Johnson Controls, Capital Dynamics and Black Hills Energy. In the last two weeks, CSU-Pueblo became the first campus in the state to reach net-zero efficiency. CSU-Pueblo has a 23-acre solar array project that puts excess energy back into the grid. This is one of many steps the university and Governor Jared Polis plan to take to reach 100% renewable energy by 2040. [The Denver Post]

Increasing Access to College for Native American Students: Under a new Colorado law, Native American students will be granted in-state college tuition at Colorado’s public institutions. The bill was intended to increase the number of Native American students who attend and complete postsecondary education. While some states and colleges offer tuition waivers, in-state tuition, or other grants and scholarships to increase access to higher education for Native American students, the requirements often vary, requiring such things as tribal membership or documentation of tribal descent. However, financial support is only one part of helping students succeed. Supporting Native American students and ensuring equity and inclusion throughout the university is equally important to students’ success. [The Colorado Sun]

Lessons in Rural Economic Development from Grand Junction: Over the last decade, Grand Junction has transformed from an 11% unemployment rate, high crime and poverty rates, and significant loss of workforce-aged population, to what is now a diversified, thriving economy. There are a number of successful workforce development programs and a quality of life and cost of doing business that is attracting companies in the tech, cybersecurity, and other competitive industries.  [ColoradoBiz]

Updates on the Impacts of COVID-19 on Student Transfer, Mobility, and Progress: The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released an update on the effects of the pandemic on transfer students during the last academic year. The report focuses on the 2.1 million undergraduate students who transferred to a college other than their last enrolled institution between July 2020 and June 2021. The global pandemic, coupled with its disproportionate economic and health impacts on disadvantaged populations in the U.S. made navigating traditional transfer options even more difficult. The report’s key findings are seen in upward transfer pathways, persistence post-transfer, and the transfer trends at HBCUs and HSIs. [The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center]

Wraparound Supports to Support Community College Completion: A growing body of evidence shows that comprehensive student supports may be the best way to increase community college completion rates. These wraparound or holistic supports can be expensive, especially for community colleges. Some community colleges are partnering with groups that can help them provide these student supports. One Million Degrees is a Chicago-based nonprofit helping college students build their identities, create community and relationships, and increase their confidence. The organization is working on a new project to expand the One Million Degrees model to Colorado. [Work Shift]

The Distribution of Higher Education COVID-19 Relief Funding: Throughout the last year and a half, many students were faced with unexpected expenses for housing, food, technology and purchases after colleges and universities closed their campuses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To help students and schools with this financial burden, Congress authorized the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. This WatchBlog post explores the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s work on how HEERF was distributed and future recommendations for regularly scheduled quality assurance reviews. [U.S. Government Accountability Office]

Improving Retention and Completion for Underserved Students: The proposals in the Biden administration’s American Families Plan include a $62 billion College Completion Fund, an initiative focused on improving retention and completion at schools that enroll minority and low-income students. There are countless evidenced-based programs with a proven track record of improving student outcomes. There is now strong support for the College Completion Fund from the policy, advocacy, and research community, as well as state higher education leaders and America’s public colleges and universities. [Third Way]

How The Class of 2021 Played ‘The Hand We Were Dealt’: A school year like no other, in the midst of a pandemic, Colorado high school students reflect on one of the most tumultuous years in history. As they finished high school during the pandemic, three Colorado students navigated mental health struggles, family pressures and big questions about their post-graduation plans. They were faced with difficult discussions and lots of unknowns, and now they’re faced with the challenge of making up for their lost time. [The Hechinger Report]

Regulating College Credentialing Without Stifling Innovation: A growing number of students are enrolling in short cycle, occupational training programs such as badges, bootcamps, and other micro-credentials. A 2021 report from non-profit Credential Engine identified nearly 550,000 credentials offered from “non-academic” organizations, including digital badges and online course-completion certificates, with 9,390 additional credentials granted by MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) providers. These short-term credentials promise a new type of educational product closely aligned with the job market and different peoples’ needs. Most of the programs are offered as stand-alone programs that do not grant degrees. Since the majority of these programs do not require accreditation from a postsecondary regional accreditation board, state lawmakers have struggled with regulating these new offerings without adversely impacting these providers. [State Higher Education Executive Officers]

What We’re Watching & Listening To
 
Podcast: P-TECH: Preparing Students for College And 21st Century Careers: In this episode ofProfits & Purpose: Telling the Story that Business Is Good,” Dr. Don Haddad, a Superintendent of the St. Vrain School District, and Ray Johnson, Corporate Citizenship Manager for IBM and a Colorado Business Roundtable board member, discuss the P-TECH 9-14 School Model. P-TECH is a public education reform model focused on college attainment and career readiness in the 21st century. P-TECH schools help students to earn both a high school diploma and a two-year postsecondary degree in a STEM field. Students participate in workplace experiences like mentorships, worksite visits, and paid internships. This program provides students with the academic and professional skills required to continue their education at a four-year institution or enter into careers in STEM related fields.
 
Podcast: Transforming Traditional Higher Education Funding Models: On this episode of the When Policy Meets Practice podcast, host Paul Fain is joined by community college presidents Tonjua Williams of St. Petersburg College and Randall VanWagoner of Mohawk Valley Community College to discuss the unintended consequences of basing higher education finance models on tradition without taking into consideration the needs of students today. They discuss the urgency to transform traditional higher education funding models to better support community colleges and student-centered approaches, as well as institutional and state policy best practices that can be used by other institutions and policymakers across the country.
 
Webinar: Progress Towards a More Equitable Nation: Lumina Foundation hosted a webinar on August 17 titled, “Stronger Nation: Progress Toward a More Talented and Equitable Nation,” where they discussed where our nation, individual states, and even local counties stand in helping more people secure valuable education and training after high school. If you missed the live event or would like to watch it again, you can find the recording on Lumina Foundation’s website here along with information on how to access A Stronger Nation’s data.
 
Webinar: Rethinking Educational Delivery in Higher Education: Join Inside Higher Ed editors Scott Jaschik and Doug Lederman on Wednesday, September 8 at 12 MT for a discussion about how  colleges, instructors and students are rethinking educational delivery to provide more flexibility without compromising on quality or learning. The webcast, Providing Flexible Learning Models in Higher Education, will examine the introduction of new technologies, changes in faculty attitudes, and the importance of caring, no matter the delivery mode. Register for the webcast here. [Inside Higher Ed]
 
Webinar: Empowering Learners Through Blockchain: The American Council on Education, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Presidents Forum, is hosting a virtual convening series titled, “Potential to Impact: Harnessing Blockchain to Empower Learners.” The first event will be held on September 14 at 10am MT and will explore how distributed ledger technologies can advance economic opportunity for learners. Throughout the series, the panelists will identify end-users and explore a range of current efforts that are leveraging these new technologies and tools to promote social equity and learner empowerment. Visit this link to register for the event.
 
Webinar: College and University Spending for Student Success: The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is hosting a webinar to explore effective strategies for college governing boards to spend their funding responsibly with students’ best interests in mind. The panel of experts and leaders in higher education finance will discuss the latest research, tools, and best practices in establishing an active trustee role in financial oversight. Join the American Council of Trustees and Alumni on Wednesday, September 22 at 2pm MT for their “Spending for Success” webinar.
 
Opportunities We’re Following
 

Grant: Upskilling, Reskilling, and Next-skilling Workers: The Colorado Workforce Development Council announced a $2.25 million grant, which originated as part of HB21-1264 that is now available to eligible parties through a competitive application process. HB21-1264 created stimulus investment to help facilitate training for unemployed and underemployed workers in Colorado during the pandemic. This round of grant funding is intended to support up to 1,200 individuals to earn industry-recognized credentials. To see deadlines, eligibility, funding amounts, and to apply, visit this link.

Job Posting: Higher Ed Policy and Research Analyst: The State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) association is hiring a Policy Analyst to support their efforts to develop state data & information resources, and to provide technical assistance and professional development to SHEEO agency researchers and policy analysts. The ideal candidate will have experience working with higher education data, understand how data can inform policy and practice, and will bring enthusiasm and knowledge to inform members and the community about current practices and future trends in public higher education. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, with full consideration given to those who apply by September 17. This position is based in Washington, D.C.

Job Posting: Chief Impact Officer: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver is hiring a new Chief Impact Officer. The CIO will be responsible for  strategic planning and strengthening the mission of the organization. The CIO will be a part of the BGCMD’s dedicated executive leadership team and will be responsible for leading the BGCMD’s impact strategy, including curriculum assessment and selection, program design, research and evaluation, and data analytics. For more information on the position and the application process, visit BGCMD’s website.

Job Posting: Director of Data, Technology & Evaluation: The Denver Education Attainment Network (DEAN) is hiring a Director of Data, Technology & Evaluation. DEAN ignites and accelerates systems change, connecting stakeholders and driving collaboration to build an education-to-career system that works better for all learners. The successful candidate will have  experience with  data, technology, and evaluation  in order to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of their work.Priority will be given to applications submitted by September 17.. To learn more about the role and application process, visit this link.

Internship: Program Integrity Issues: The Postsecondary National Policy Institute (PNPI) announced that the application process is open for their virtual Higher Education Boot Camp on Program Integrity. PNPI’s virtual Higher Education Boot Camp is designed to provide policymakers and policy thinkers in government and nonprofits with a foundational understanding of several federal program integrity issues. The boot camp begins October 4th and concludes October 29th  and consists of weekly modules that go live each Monday morning.  Applications for the program are due by 10am MT on Tuesday, September 7. Visit this link to learn more about the application process and requirements.

Internship: Community Impact and Global Leadership: The Quad Innovation Alliance is looking for students who are excited to turn ideas into valuable action for their Quad Fall Program. The student experience gives learners the opportunity to build their network and meet leaders in the field, expand their experience in problem solving, and make an impact in their community. The program takes place from September 20 through December 10. The program will take place virtually and is open to any student or recent graduate of Colorado College, Pikes Peak Community College, the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs and the US Air Force Academy. For more information and details about the Quad Fall Program visit the Quad’s website here or apply for the program here.

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