About

MISSION:

MHEC brings together midwestern states to develop and support best practices, collaborative efforts, and cost-sharing opportunities. Through these efforts it works to ensure strong, equitable postsecondary educational opportunities and outcomes for all.

VISION:

To improve individual career readiness and regional economic vitality through collective problem-solving and partnerships that strengthen postsecondary education.

WHO MHEC SERVES:

MHEC is comprised of member states from the midwestern United States. MHEC works with and for a variety of stakeholders within and across member states, including higher education system leaders, state policymakers, legislators, and institutional leaders, while always maintaining a focus on students and their success.

HOW MHEC WORKS:

MHEC’s strategic approach highlights member states’ strong desire for collaboration, effectiveness, and efficiency. MHEC believes that collaborative actions informed by research and best practices are the catalyst for improving quality, accessibility, relevance, and affordability of postsecondary educational opportunities. MHEC does this primarily through the following approaches: convenings, programs, research, and cost-savings contracts. Increasingly, MHEC looks to leverage these approaches in conjunction with each other to serve its strategic priorities.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1:

Advance innovation, efficiency and effectiveness.

  • Serve as an incubator, conducting research, pursuing ideas, and piloting potential solutions in a low-risk environment.
  • Study challenging topics (such as declining enrollment, learning gaps, affordability) and determine how MHEC could play a valuable role in addressing the issue.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2:

Develop collaborative solutions to regional problems and opportunities.

  • Take on projects, issues and opportunities that are too big for one state to do alone, working jointly to improve higher education and to strengthen the Midwest region.
  • Serve as a conduit, convening and connecting leaders to share successful models and actionable approaches that institutions and states can adopt and tailor.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3:

Drive cost savings and business solutions.

  • Devise opportunities for institutions, states, and students to save money.
  • Collaborate to reduce risk and take advantage of opportunities that solve business issues.

MHEC is a 501(c)3 entity statutorily-created in each of its member states which include: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. MHEC's office is headquartered in Minneapolis.