Leading in Extraordinary Times Annual Report 2015 American Association of State Colleges and Universities Delivering America’s Promise Copyright 2016 American Association of State Colleges and Universities 1307 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005 202-293-7070 202-296-5819 fax www.aascu.org facebook.com/aascu twitter.com/aascu No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise without the permission of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. AASCU Annual Report 2013 From the President nstitutions and leaders distinguish The report provides an overview of themselves during extraordinary times. AASCU’s advocacy work at the federal They embrace innovation and are level and the critical analysis required of unafraid to push boundaries. And they state policy issues. AASCU is still the only Ithink strategically about the most effective presidential association that focuses on methods to address the challenges they face. state policy and emerging trends and issues I am pleased to share the 2015 across the 50 states. It also Annual Report with you. The programs covers expanded international and initiatives that are highlighted in this education opportunities, publication are evidence that AASCU is leadership initiatives and committed to advancing the distinctive member achievement. missions of our members and shaping the You’ll find updated dialogue around their vital role in public demograhic data about higher education. AASCU is the leading our institutions and the association for America’s great state colleges students they serve as well and universities. as information about the full This report covers the work AASCU has complement of services offered undertaken in 2015 that includes addressing to AASCU members by our college affordability with an approach that operational divisions. for the first time, would fundamentally Our success is achieved through the align the financing of U.S. public higher work of a talented and dedicated staff with education and mitigate tuition increases; the collaborative support of our members, inaugurating Reimagining the First Year, an many of whom are dedicated volunteers. innovative and collaborative partnership It is this partnership between AASCU with 44 member campuses to redesign the and its members that sets our association first year of college to ensure greater success apart. Through our shared commitment to for all students, with a special emphasis on America’s state colleges and universities— those who historically have been under- their missions and values—we are effective served by higher education; and completing on behalf of our members and the students a 10-member pilot project with national they serve. implications for branding state colleges and universities. Muriel A. Howard President AASCU Annual Report 2013 AASCU Annual Report 2015 1 2 AASCU Annual Report 2015 here is no doubt that these are extraordinary times for public Thigher education. They require uncommon leadership. The value of the best associations—and AASCU in particular—is found in the capacity to identify significant trends and issues that will affect their membership, which is then followed by the foresight to develop programs and strategies to confront the corresponding challenges. tudent success, college affordability, improving access and opportunity, Svaluing state colleges and universities, building institutional leadership—these are among the issues AASCU addressed in 2015. This review of the Association’s accomplishments reflects AASCU’s leadership and advocacy on behalf of its members, its support of institutional commitments through its work on student success, access and opportunity, and its advancement of public higher education—especially the distinctive mission of state colleges and universities. AASCU Annual Report 2015 AASCU Annual Report 2015 3 Advancement Through Innovation Bold Solutions to Address Government.The central core of that proposal—i.e., that the Federal College Affordability Government should incentivize the AASCU has long viewed states to align their funding practices public higher education as the with federal investments—has been primary mechanism for access and broadly adopted by many leading affordability, and the Association was policymakers. Not only has the the first to sound the alarm about original proposal wound its way consequences of state disinvestment into multiple legislative bills, three in public colleges and universities. leading contenders for presidential Less than two years ago, building nomination have adopted variants on its prior work promoting the of its as major planks for their leveraging of federal resources to campaigns. incentivize state investment in higher education, AASCU developed an ambitious policy proposal that would Re-Imagining the for the first time fundamentally align First Year of College the financing of the U.S. public higher The Academic Leadership education system and mitigate tuition and Change Division of AASCU price escalation. The concept, A completed the planning process Proposed Federal Matching Program for a new project that will launch to Stop the Privatization of Public in January 2016: Re-Imagining the Higher Education, was released in First Year of College (RFY). This January 2014. initiative will focus on student The proposed program would success and will look at four areas: create a voluntary, positive incentive institutional intentionality, curriculum, for the states to spend more in faculty and staff, and students. support of public institutions in order Re-Imagining the First Year will to receive more from the Federal build a learning community of 44 AASCU campuses committed to the redesign of the first year for greater student success. Within RFY, AASCU is undertaking a course re-design project, the National Blended Course Consortium, which is an effort to develop four civic-focused first year courses around themes developed within the American Democracy Project. The courses are being built by faculty from several AASCU campuses; they are using 21st century tools to highlight a new model of collaborative course development. 4 AASCU Annual Report 20132015 Advancement Through Innovation The Gates Foundation and USA (Va.), Northern Kentucky Funds are providing financial support University, Sam Houston State for RFY. University (Texas), University of Central Oklahoma, the University of Massachusetts- The Case for State Colleges Dartmouth, the University and Universities of West Florida and Western AASCU completed work on the Washington University. pilot messaging project that began economic development of their in the fall of 2014. This program region and state. Assessing Successful was the result of national research The thematic approach, reviewed conducted in 2013 to learn what University Presidencies and approved by pilot participants, the general population knew and Higher education faces significant was built around the idea that AASCU valued about AASCU institutions and challenges, which means it has institutions provide “opportunities what messages resonated with target never been more imperative for state for all” with the core equities of audiences; this was a component colleges and universities to have high quality, accessibility, and of the association’s strategic plan in adroit and visionary leadership. To responsibility. response to members’ request for better understand the competencies A pilot approach enabled the support in this area. and skill sets that public university exploration of what messaging AASCU developed and presidents require—both now and in implementation worked; what implemented a pilot communications the future—AASCU undertook an in- strategies and tactics worked most program that would generate a depth study to determine and clarify effectively and efficiently; and what broader awareness of the value- the leadership qualities that can additional research or measurable driven philosophy of member help public colleges and universities output can be applied to the institutions among prospective succeed and thrive. messaging. student populations and their family The study sought to develop AASCU universities who served members. In addition the goal was a deeper understanding of the key as pilot institutions were Governors to create a better understanding competencies required of current and State University (Ill.), Henderson by opinion leaders, voters, and future public university leaders and State University (Ark.), Indiana State state lawmakers regarding how to explore how common practices University, James Madison University these institutions contribute to the for leadership development and succession planning in the private sector—in particular, assessment center methodology—might be adapted and applied to meet the needs of public higher education. The ultimate goal of this project is the creation of a nationwide assessment center program designed specifically for college and university leadership. The study, conducted in partnership with TIAA-CREF, will be released in 2016. AASCU Annual Report 2013 AASCU Annual Report 2015 5 Advocacy and Policy Analysis Robust Federal Policy Analysis other higher education advocacy the Higher Education Act. The two groups spent much of the last chambers have taken predictably and Advocacy year on the most controversial of divergent paths on reauthorization, Guided by a member-ratified the administration’s plans, i.e.,