Partnership for Federal Support of Systems

The Partnership for Federal Support of Systems is targeted at improving advocacy and investment in a network of the 65 multicampus systems that govern/coordinate higher education across America—leveraging their “systemness” in providing higher education impact greater than the sum of their parts. These systems historically have not been officially recognized by the federal government as the powerful part of our nation’s higher education landscape that they are. Consequently, they have been constrained in their ability to contribute to a more cost effective and efficient delivery of federal resources to the institutions in their state. The absence of a federal partnership with the states and their systems denies the full potential of the economic and social benefits that can be generated, and which serve as the original justification for the creation of public university systems. The pandemic has clearly brought to light the need for greater cooperation and support between the federal and state governments.