Greitens Appoints UCM President Ambrose to MHEC Board of Commissioners

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has appointed UCM President Charles Ambrose to a 5-year term on the Midwestern Higher Education Compact Board of Commissioners (MHEC).

UCM says the appointment will allow Ambrose to collaborate with higher education leaders and stakeholders from a 12-state region. His term is effective until January 1, 2021.

A press release from University of Central Missouri, says MHEC is one of four nonprofit interstate compacts that were created statutorily in 1991 to provide greater higher education opportunities and services aimed at furthering regional access to, research in and choice of higher education for individuals who reside in states served by each compact. The MHEC serves citizens of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

“I’m grateful that Gov. Greitens has provided an opportunity for me to represent UCM and other public higher education institutions throughout the Midwest through the MHEC,” said Ambrose. “The MHEC offers a collective voice to help ensure higher education remains a great value proposition for students and their families, an objective that aligns perfectly with our priorities at UCM. I look forward to supporting these efforts on a regional level.”

According to MHEC’s website, among its statutory charges, the organization seeks to improve access to many different high-quality postsecondary education programs for individuals who want to enhance their knowledge, skills and training. This objective is achieved through collaboration and utilization of the collective expertise of policymakers, practitioners, and researchers who also seek to maintain college affordability and help students and taxpayers maximize the return on their investment in higher education.

Each state participating in the MHEC appoints 5 individuals to serve as part of a 60-member governing body that includes legislators, higher education leaders, and governors’ representatives. Program fees paid by member states, as well as foundation grants, finance MHEC activities and support initiatives that lead to outcomes that could not be achieved if institutions acted alone. MHEC estimates that the annual savings for its member states that resulted from its services totaled more than $123 million for Fiscal year 2017.

MHEC will host its annual commission meeting and policy forum on affordability November 13 - 14 in Overland Park, Kansas.