Presented by Senator David Tomassoni, November 20, 2009

1. Northeast Higher Education District The Governance Model A Primer for Strategic Planning November, 2009

3. Founding President, Joe Sertich (1999-2008)

4. Strong legislative delegation support for the model

5. District was formed as a cost saving initiative to create economies of scale

6. District was also formed to promote regionalism

7. The model was principle-based, and different from Arrowhead Community College Region

8. NHED model – five independent colleges (separate accreditation)

10. Assuring student and community access to quality educational programs

11. Assuring meaningful institutional cooperationHistory and Background Cont’d.

13. Promoting effective relationships with the community, including advocacy and service to business and industry and connections to regional and statewide economic development initiativesThe alignment, NHED, brought five institutions with long-standing track records of serving their respective communities (some for over 90-100 years) together under one umbrella. History and Background Cont’d.

15. Mission and Goals – The NHED will provide quality higher education to the communities throughout northeastern Minnesota by developing a regional structure that will preserve college autonomy but will also align programs and services to better prepare residents for learning, employment, citizenship, and life.NHED Vision, Mission and Goals

16. Founding Tenets Independence Interdependence Autonomy Independence: Different colleges, different cultures, different parts of the region Interdependence : Sharing and collaboration Autonomy : Self-determination, control over destiny

18. The model honors interdependence without homogenization.

19. Autonomous, small colleges can self-manage. They can make decisions that impact them and yet, take advantage of a “system” that creates efficiencies.

20. Colleges are not restricted to move on innovations. They are nimble and can respond directly to community needs.Underlying Philosophy

22. Tremendous opportunity to take advantage of shared services.

23. In this model, the President, as Chief Executive Officer:

24. focuses on regional initiatives

25. external priorities and initiatives

26. legislative relations

27. MnSCU relations/interface

28. regional partnerships

30. Promotes regionalism while honoring individual communities and their connections to their colleges.

32. The District model provides for academic mission independence.

34. The five colleges “consortium” arrangement positions the colleges for regionally focused grant acquisitions (i.e. TRIO)

35. Provides a built-in referee to keep collaboration at the center of what we do.Advantages of the District Cont’d.

36. In 2008, a group of college constituents endorsed the District model going forward. They had these recommendations for District Leadership: Futures Task Force

38. Promote enhanced educational service through collaboration among District colleges and preserving college autonomy by encouraging institutional initiative.Futures Task Force Cont’d.

40. Lead in securing both public and private resources necessary to support growth and positioning of District colleges.Futures Task Force Cont’d.

42. Pursue ways to use technology for effective delivery of educational services in a large rural region, not always supported by broadband internet service.Futures Task Force Cont’d.

43. Northeast Higher Education District The Governance Model A Primer for Strategic Planning November, 2009