University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel has been selected to represent Hawaiʻi as a commissioner to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE is a regional interstate compact serving the higher education and workforce needs of 15 Western states and the U.S. Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States.
“I am honored to represent Hawaiʻi on the WICHE Commission and contribute to the vital work of connecting education with workforce needs across the West and the Pacific,” said Hensel. “I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners to ensure our higher education systems collaborate where possible and effectively serve our students and communities.”
WICHE’s 48 commissioners are appointed by the state’s governors or, in the case of the freely associated states, the leader of those three sovereign nations. The commission guides WICHE’s direction and assures that the Western Regional Educational Compact is carried out since its establishment in 1953.
Hensel will represent Hawaiʻi on the WICHE Commission alongside UH President Emeritus David Lassner and Terrence George, CEO and president of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation.
“Dr. Hensel brings a forward-thinking vision to aligning academic programs and modern technology with evolving workforce needs,” said WICHE President Demarée Michelau. “Her deep experience leading complex higher education systems will add to our work in building effective pathways between education and employment across the West, and I look forward to having her strategic and collaborative approach as the newest member of the WICHE Commission.”
UH is Hawaiʻi’s sole provider of public higher education and includes 10 campuses and dozens of educational, training and research centers across the state. Hensel began serving as UH president on January 1.
