Since 2010, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association's (SHEEO) Strong Foundations survey has reported on the evolution and value of postsecondary student unit record systems (PSURSs) by illuminating the condition of state postsecondary data in the U.S. In the "Strong Foundations 2023" survey, which was administered from…

In the regulation of higher education in the United States, there are three key players: the United States Department of Education, accrediting agencies, and the states--collectively known as the regulatory triad. States play the important role of authorizer--the consumer protection leg of the triad. In 2019, the State Higher Education Executive…

Leaders of state agencies and systems of higher education (SHEEOs) are in unique positions to expand higher education's positive impact on the human condition through an intentional and systematic focus on educational equity. The opportunities and challenges are noteworthy, and the authors of this paper sought to identify these. It is also the…

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association's (SHEEO) "Communities of Practice" project builds upon SHEEO's ongoing efforts to measure the capacity and effective use of state postsecondary data systems and provides states with opportunities to develop solutions to common issues with those systems. The sixth Community of…

The foundational function of the state is the approval of an entity to establish itself as a postsecondary institution. Most often referred to as state authorization, it is the first formal act in the legal operation of an institution and often serves as the foundation upon which other quality assurance functions are built (like accreditation).…

Analysis of student-level data to inform policy and promote student success is a core function of executive higher education agencies. Postsecondary data systems have expanded their collection of data elements for use by policymakers, institutional staff, and the general public. State coordinating and governing boards use these data systems for…

Since 2010, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) has periodically administered the "Strong Foundations" survey, which documents the content, structure, and effective use of state postsecondary student unit record systems (PSURSs). This report highlights the results of the fourth administration of the survey,…

This report addresses two key questions about postsecondary student unit record data systems (PSURSs): (1) What data are collected by various parties; and (2) how do these entities use the data to inform policy decisions? This 2016 report is both a follow-up and a redesign of two previous "Strong Foundations" reports by SHEEO (2010 and…

In 2010, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association released the results of a national study of state level postsecondary student unit record (SUR) data systems in 44 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). One section of the report, "Strong Foundations: The State of State Postsecondary Data Systems" (Garcia and L'Orange 2010),…

This report, "State Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance Policies for Public Colleges and Universities: 2010-11", examines the philosophies, policies, and procedures that influence decision-making regarding public college and university tuition, student fees, and student financial aid programs. This report also provides information…