- Year Published : 2021
- Month Published : September
BOULDER, Colo. – The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education is pleased to announce that Dr. Raymonda “Ray” Burgman has been selected as its new Vice President, Programs and Services.
Burgman brings over 20 years of experience in a variety of public and independent higher education settings, including at two- and four-year institutions.
“I have dedicated my career to elevating postsecondary education to its highest ideal, where access and equity are indicators of student success, and WICHE has been a leader in expanding educational opportunities for students, so this is a perfect fit,” Burgman said. “I am humbled and excited to build upon that foundation set by WICHE almost 70 years ago by continuing to identify and reduce the barriers to a college education for all students.”
Burgman comes to WICHE from HERS in Denver where she served as director of programs and research since
2013. Prior to that role, she served as the
associate provost at New College of Florida and associate professor of economics and management and special advisor to the president at DePauw University in Indiana. Burgman has a Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from the University of Florida and a B.A. in economics from New College of Florida. Burgman attended the Harvard Institute for Educational Management and the HERS Leadership Institute, two leadership development programs for postsecondary leaders.
“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Burgman to the WICHE team and for our region’s students, postsecondary institutions, states, and Pacific Island members to benefit from her expertise, strategic planning, collaborative spirit, and innovative thinking,” said WICHE President Demarée Michelau.
WICHE’s Programs and Services unit broadens student access to postsecondary education and fosters higher education collaborations. As a part of the Senior Leadership Team, Burgman will lead WICHE’s four regional student access programs, including the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), the Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP), and the Online Course Exchange (OCE), which collectively expand access to higher education for more than 45,000 students and help develop the West’s workforce.
Burgman will also direct regional initiatives such as the Western Alliance of Community College Academic Leaders and the Western Academic Leadership Forum that help institutions and students save money and use resources wisely, the nationwide network of Interstate Passport® institutions that streamline the transfer process, and the Western Academic Leadership Academy. In addition, the unit helps institutions achieve cost savings through four programs in collaboration with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC).
About WICHE
Since 1953, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education has been strengthening higher education, workforce development, and behavioral health throughout the region. From promoting high-quality, affordable postsecondary education to helping states get the most from their technology investments and addressing behavioral health challenges, WICHE improves lives across the West through innovation, cooperation, resource sharing, and sound public policy. WICHE members include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai’i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the U.S. Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States (the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia).
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