Here are some new resources and news for the field of higher education.

AASCU/ECS/NCSL Webinar—Higher Education Policy and the States: A Review of the 2017 Legislative Sessions Thursday, September 28, 2017 from 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Eastern.  This webinar, co-hosted by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the Education Commission of the States (ECS), and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), will discuss the policy trends for higher education in the 2017 state legislative sessions and look ahead to the challenges facing states in 2018.

AASCU/WICHE Webinar—Improving Student Success at Public Colleges and Universities amid Population Growth and Increased Diversity Tuesday, October 3, 2017 from 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Eastern. The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE) are co-hosting a webinar to explore the changing demographics of the South and West. The webinar will highlight the findings of WICHE’s new Knocking at the College Door report, with a focus on the changing demographics in these two regions. In addition, webinar panelists from two diverse, growing campuses will highlight their strategies aimed at increasing student success in a rapidly changing demographic environment.

AASCU/WICHE Webinar—The Northeast and Midwest: Advancing the Public College and University Mission amid Regional Population Loss  Thursday, October 5, 2017 from 2 p.m.-3 p.m. EasternThe American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE) are co-hosting a webinar that will examine the changing demographics of the Northeast and Midwest from the perspective of higher education. The webinar will highlight the findings of WICHE’s new Knocking at the College Door report, with a focus on the demographic projections for two regions. In addition, Glenn Cummings, president of the University of Southern Maine, and Fritz Erickson, president of Northern Michigan University, and will discuss their strategies for advancing their respective campus missions in regions marked by declines in the number of high school graduates.

Report Shows Advantage of Attending Illinois Schools  With so many high school students considering attending college in another state, they may find a recent report from the Illinois Board of Higher Education startling.  The report compares student success in a number of areas and demonstrates that Illinois community colleges and public universities produce among the best outcomes.  According to the report, Illinois public universities produce more degrees relative to the number of students enrolled than their peers and perform substantially better than the national average.  Illinois is also among the national leaders in the rate of bachelor’s degree completion among transfer students from community colleges.  Illinois public universities are among the national leaders in completion rates for adult learners as well.

Report: Part-Time Students Overlooked  A new report from the Center for American Progress reveals that part-time students are often overlooked by colleges, policy makers and researchers who are looking to increase national college attainment. The report revealed that about one-quarter of exclusively part-time students graduate and slightly more than half of the students who attend part-time during their college career earn a degree. (Inside Higher Ed)

State Innovations for Near-Completers, addresses policy considerations for state leaders as they create legislation or design initiatives to re-engage the 31 million adults in the United States that completed some college credits but did not earn a degree. In addition to including the 2017 near-completer policy landscape, this report highlights three states’ innovative approaches to reach this population.