SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE NEON PROJECT

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SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE NEON PROJECT Nov. 4,
2003 WCET Annual Meeting
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WICHE and the WEST

• A Half Century of Collaboration
• 1953 WICHE founded by the U.S. Congress
  following work by a gubernatorial committee that
  assessed the need for professional education in
  the West.
• WICHE now includes 15 states is governed by a
  45-member gubernatorially-appointed commission
• Our offices are in Boulder, Colorado

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WICHEs Mission

• To expand educational access and excellence for
  all of the Wests citizens
• By promoting innovation, cooperation, resource
  sharing and sound public policy
• Thereby strengthening higher educations
  contributions to the regions social, economic
  and civic life.

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Our Regional Priorities

• Expanding access through student exchange and
  other initiatives
• Providing policy support and regional/national
  data to address higher education issues
• Promoting the effective use of educational
  telecommunications
• Fostering collaborations in the West and beyond
  to promote innovation and resource sharing

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How do Western states benefit?

• Western states participate in three WICHE
  exchange programs
• Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP)
• Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP)
• Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)

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The Northwest Academic Forum

• Since 1984 has fostered regionalresource sharing
  and collaboration.
• Members include doctoral and masters level
  institutions and state governing and coordinating
  boards in ten states.
• NWAF members meet each spring to address common
  issues and to plan collaborative activities.
  2004 NWAF meeting April 15 -16

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The Northwest Educational Outreach Network (NEON)

• NEON is NWAFs newest project
• It is a multistate consortium of institutions and
  states that will deliver academic programs
  electronically
• It is funded by a 3-year, 616,337 grant from the
  Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary
  Education (FIPSE) (10/02 9/05)

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NEONs MISSION

• To increase student access to high demand
  academic programs using electronically delivered
  courses
• To leverage regional resources that can be shared
  across states and institution

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NEONs MISSION

• To increase student access to high demand
  academic programs using electronically delivered
  courses
• To leverage regional resources that can be shared
  across states and institution

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NEON CAN

• Extend the regional resource sharing and
  interstate collaboration that has been at the
  core of WICHEs mission for 50 years
• Help institutions/states to pool resources and
  expertise
• Build on the models of student exchange programs
  that WICHE offers to expand the availability of
  higher education
• Increase student access to high demand academic
  programs using electronically delivered courses
• Leverage regional resources that can be shared
  across states and institutions

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Pilot program Nursing PhD

• Address the critical shortage of Ph.D. nurse
  educators in Western states by working with
  schools and colleges of nursing to expand Ph.D.
  enrollments using distance programs
• Create access partnerships for collaborative
  course development and program sharing
• Create a regional Web site to market existing
  Ph.D. programs and foster inter-institutional
  collaborations

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Pilot program Nursing PhD

• Our focus is on producing nurse educators.
• From our informal unscientific survey earlier
  this year, 11 institutions responded that,
  together, over the next five years they will need
  a minimum of
• 235
• doctorally-prepared nursing faculty.

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1st NEON Access Partnership in Nursing

• The Oregon Health Science University will
  deliver its nursing Ph.D. program in fall 2004 to
  students at
• The University of Alaska, Anchorage
• Idaho State University
• University of Nevada, Reno
• University of Wyoming
• Faculty at the participating institutions will
  serve on dissertation committees, serve as
  mentors, collaborate on research

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New Access Partnership(s) in Nursing

• Expanding access to existing online programs at
• University of Arizona
• University of Hawaii
• University of Colorado Health Science Center
• University of North Dakota
• University of Utah
• Working with local institutions that have
  masters level faculty seeking a PhD

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New Access Partnership(s) in Nursing

• Partnering for institutional sharing in online
  content, including all of the above plus
• University of New Mexico/NMSU
• University of Northern Colorado
• Washington State University
• Lowering administrative barriers to
  interinstitutional sharing

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Pilot program Logistics/ Supply Chain
Management

• Supply Chain Management is the integration of key
  business processes from end user through original
  suppliers that provides products, services, and
  information that add value for customers and
  other stakeholders. Global Supply Chain Forum

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Logistics/Supply Chain Management Partnership

• University of Alaska at Anchorage
• Undergraduate and masters degrees
• University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Course offerings only (TIM)
• University of Nevada at Reno
• Undergraduate degree

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Process

• Reps met March 2003
• Inventoried programs and the market
• Discussed collaboration
• Teaching, academic and student services, and
  administration
• Planning and policy issues
• Possible models

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Process -- continues

• Numerous telephone conference calls to
• Refine the mission and goals
• Determine vision and appropriate degree program
• Explore resources, including library and funding
• Establish strategic actions

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Pilot Graduate Certificate Discussions
continue

• Curriculum what? by whom?
• Administration, e.g. transfer of credits,
  tuition, service support
• Technologies, e.g. videoconferencing and online
• Beyond? masters degree and expanded access

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Pilot program Certification for School Library
Media Specialists

• Shortages exist in most states for certified
  school library media specialists
• Some states are well under 50 of all school
  librarians in the state being fully certified
• States either do not have a graduate level
  library certification program or do not have an
  online program to several the vast expanses of
  the state
• North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming will
  develop a pilot program through NEON to address
  their shortages

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• Montana State University-Bozeman had BATE
  Borderless Access to Training and Education
  (www.bate.montana.edu)
• A FIPSE-funded project to provide online courses
  and professional development in
• Principal Certification
• Library Media Certification

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Pilot program Certification for School Library
Media Specialists

• Offering courses that will assist librarians in
  meeting certification standards in their states
• Seeking partnerships with library leadership in
  these states for
• Assistance in informing librarians about BATE
  courses
• Librarians to serve as local mentors for some
  courses
• Since MSUs faculty are few, institutions that
  wish to offer some sections of these courses may
  do so

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NEON Presenters

• Paula MochidaUniversity of Hawaiipaula_at_hawaii.e
  du808-956-7623
• Janis BruwelheideMontana State
  University-Bozemanjanisb_at_montana.edu406-994-3120
  

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NEON Project Contacts

• Russell PoulinNEON Co-Directorrpoulin_at_wcet.info
  303-541-0305
• Jere MockNEON Co-Directorjmock_at_wiche.edu303-541
  -0222