Updated 4/8/2021, 9:30 a.m. CDT
The Midwestern Higher Education Compact is monitoring the evolution of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and will continue to monitor the situation closely in the coming weeks. Health and safety are our top priority. We all find ourselves in an unpredictable and ever-changing situation. The information on this page and our archived page are intended to be informative but not all inclusive. We know that many organizations are providing resources and information, our hope is not to clutter and confuse things. Please let us know if there is something you would like us to add or that you would like to know by sending an email to: jennyp@mhec.org.
Latest News
- Vaccine Mandates: The Next Political Battlefront, Inside Higher Ed, April 8, 2021
- Here’s a List of Colleges That Will Require Students to Be Vaccinated Against Covid-19, The Chronicle, April 6, 2021
- Live coronavirus updates: Here’s the latest, The Chronicle, October 26, 2020
- COVID-19 - Stay informed with the latest enrollment information, National Student Clearinghouse research center’s monthly update on higher education enrollment, National Student Clearinghouse, October 15, 2020
- Higher education emergency relief fund (HEERF) Round 3, U.S. Department of Education, October 2, 2020
Spring 2021
- Report shows colleges using spring data for decision-making, Education Dive, September 24, 2020
- Spring - Making decisions with imperfect information, Inside Higher Ed, September 21, 2020
Fall 2020
- 7 charts that give a snapshot of college enrollment this fall, Education Dive, November 3, 2020
- College enrollment declines deepen, Education Dive, October 15, 2020
- Swapping fall break with ‘surprise break’, Inside Higher Ed, October 12, 2020
- Community colleges that made the call early, Inside Higher Ed, October 5, 2020
Emerging Policies and Practices
- Employer-based college programs here to stay, Inside Higher Ed, November 5, 2020
- Took a COVID-19 test? You could be a winner., Inside Higher Ed, October 13, 2020
- 10 videos guide a university’s COVID response, University Business, October 12, 2020
- The shift online has colleges looking to share courses, Education Dive, October 5, 2020
Teaching Online
- How to build community in a Zoom class with personal essays, The Chronicle, October 27, 2020
- These companies are redesigning 'Zoom University', Education Dive, October 27, 2020
- New Zoom competitor targets higher ed users, Inside Higher Ed, October 15, 2020
- Remote learning isn’t going away, Inside Higher Ed, October 12, 2020
- Teaching: How professors can help students get through the semester, The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 8, 2020
Students
- A generation defined by the pandemic, Inside Higher Ed, October 15, 2020
- Higher ed institutions step up to support veteran, ROTC students, Diverse Military, October 12, 2020
Institutional Financial Considerations
- College enrollment declines deepen, Education Dive, October 15, 2020
- Report: Enrollment continues to trend downward, Inside Higher Ed, October 15, 2020
- ‘We haven’t begun to feel the real economic damage’, The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 14, 2020
Additional Concerns
- Winter Is Coming: As colder weather creeps into some parts of the country, experts warn of increased spread of COVID-19 throughout the country and on college campuses, Inside Higher Ed, October 16, 2020
- The White House coronavirus task force has advice for colleges. Are they listening? Education Dive, October 14, 2020
- Textbooks in short supply amid COVID quarantines, Inside Higher Ed, October 13, 2020
- Report points to negative effects of COVID-19 on student success, Campus Technology, October 8, 2020
- State ed chiefs rethinking accountability during COVID-19, Education Dive, October 7, 2020
Higher Education Publications
The Chronicle of Higher Education, free access to breaking-news updates
Complete coverage
Best advice on teaching online during the pandemic
Private Facebook discussion group
Running tracker of the latest developments
Coping with Coronavirus, How faculty members can support students in traumatic times
Inside Higher Ed, Latest Coronavirus News
MHEC Specific Programs
MHEC's program teams have provided resources and information related to COVID-19. Program areas include insurance, military credit, student health, technology, and procurement.
lnsurance (Master Property Program and MHECare Student Insurance Solutions)
Resources to support questions regarding potential insurance solutions and strategies.
- Marsh’s Pandemic Risk Resource Center
- Mercer Stay Informed on Coronavirus
- University Risk Management & Insurance Association (URMIA), COVID Conversations (Members Only)
Military-Connected Students and GI Bill (MHEC's Multi-State Collaborative on Military Credit)
The GI Bill has several educational benefits, including housing allowances for students at residential institutions. Since many campuses are switching to online instruction, it was unclear what will happen to these benefits as of 3/19/2020. These benefits were officially continued regardless of emergency measures taken by schools on 3/22/2020.
- Needed: A GI Bill for the Millions of Workers Displaced by the Pandemic, Medium, May 21, 2020
- Lawmakers pass second emergency package to protect student veterans from coronavirus losses, Military Times, April 21, 2020
- Public Law No: 116-140 or the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020
- The Post-9/11 GI Bill, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Facebook
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- VA Benefits Twitter
Student Health/Wellness/Coping/Mental Health Information (MHECare Student Insurance Solutions)
Considerations and resources to support student health and wellness needs.
Technology (MHEC Technology Contracts)
Technology resources to support COVID-19 planning and preparation.
- DELL Technologies: Navigating Through COVID-19
- Dell has shared a resource they recommend to institutions for identifying grant opportunities for technology: https://www.grantsoffice.com/.
- Dell also has some timely webcasts addressing COVID-19 technology funding opportunities. https://www.grantsoffice.info/webcasts.
- HPE: HPE to deliver five new return-to-work solutions to help organizations accelerate recovery in wake of COVID-19
- HP Inc.: HP's Response to COVID-19
- Lenovo: Responses to COVID-19
- INFO-TECH: COVID-19 Resource Center
- VMWare: Business Continuity Solutions
- Xerox: How Xerox is Responding to COVID-19
Government/National Health Organizations
Links to government and national resources in response to COVID-19.
U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Resources for Institutions of Higher Education
- Higher Risk and Special Populations
World Health Organization (WHO)
John Hopkins University & Medicine
Federal Government Updates
Overviews of and links to federal and state actions in response to COVID-19’s impact on higher education, students and families, as well as advocacy and guidance from higher education organizations.
United States Department of Education (USDE)
- Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, Supplemental FAQ, June 16, 2020
- CARES Act Education Stabilization Fund: Background and Analysis, Congressional Research Service, June 3, 2020
National Higher Education Responses, Guidance, and Advocacy
- AASCU, Resources for State Colleges and Universities on the Coronavirus
- AGB, Coronavirus Resources for Higher Education Boards
- CooleyED, Managing Covid-19 Disruption
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), CISA Information & Updates on COVID-19
- EAB, Support your college through the coronavirus crisis
- Education Commission of the States, COVID-10 Update
- Higher Learning Commission, Coronavirus Updates
- NASCIO, COVID-19 Planning and Response Guidance for State CIOs
- National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP), Coronavirus Guidance and Resources
- National Association of Education Procurement (NAEP), COVID-19: Guidance for Higher Education
- National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), Coronavirus Resources for Colleges, NACUBO, April 11, 2020
- National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Resources
- National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), Coronavirus (Covid-19) Web Center
- National Council of State Authorization of Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), A Note to the NC-SARA Community Regarding COVID-19, March 5, 2020
- State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), SHEEO COVID-19 Resources
- WCET, COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Updates and Resources
State and Higher Education Departments and Postsecondary System Offices in MHEC Member States
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
- Iowa Department of Health and Environment
- Board of Regents, State of Iowa
- Iowa Association of Community College Trustees
Kansas
Michigan
- State of Michigan
- Michigan Association of State Universities
- Michigan Community Colleges Association
- Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
- State of Nebraska
- University of Nebraska
- Nebraska State College System
- Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education