Leveraging the Power of Systemness to Improve the Success of Students and Society

In Short

• Public college and university systems are a major component of the nation’s higher education ecosystem. They are the predominant form of organization used by the states (44 out of 50) to govern, manage, coordinate, and resource the provision of higher education in the states. Of the nation’s public 4-year college and university students, 75 percent are enrolled in a system institution.

• These systems use “systemness,” collective impact, and the leverage of innovation at scale to add value to students and states greater than the sum of their parts.

• The National Association of System Heads has led an inclusive process to develop a transformation agenda for the nation’s systems. This article summarizes our recently published report, Power of Systems: Advancing Prosperity for the Nation.

• This compelling agenda includes goals, metrics, and strategies that will be pursued at system, state, and national levels to increase credential attainment, expand social and economic mobility, and reduce the burden of student debt.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rebecca Martin

Rebecca Martin is the Executive Director of the National Association of System Heads (NASH). Prior to her current role at NASH, she served in numerous leadership roles in academic affairs including Chief Academic Officer of the University of Wisconsin System. She earned a DPA from the University of Southern California.

Nancy Zimpher

Nancy Zimpher is a Senior Fellow at the National Association of System Heads. Previous roles include Chancellor of the State University of New York, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and President of the University of Cincinnati. She holds a PhD from The Ohio State University.

Jason Lane,

Jason Lane is a Senior Fellow at the National Association of System Heads and Dean of the College of Education, Health, and Society, Miami University of Ohio. Previous roles include Vice Provost of the State University of New York (SUNY) System, Dean of the School of Education at SUNY–Albany and Director of the Systems Center at the Rockefeller Institute. He earned a PhD from the Pennsylvania State University.

James Johnsen

James Johnsen is a Senior Fellow at the National Association of System Heads, Lecturer at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Commissioner of the Western Interstate Commission of Higher Education. Previous roles include President of the University of Alaska. He holds an EdD from the University of Pennsylvania.