Intermediaries in State Higher Education: A Typology of Organizations Influencing College Completion Efforts

• In Event: 66.026 - Who Holds the Reins? Analysis of the Effects of Policy Influencers and State Contexts on Higher Education

Abstract

The understanding of the breadth and roles of intermediary organizations in the policy process remains incomplete. While studies have focused on specific agencies and their function, there has yet to be an empirically based evaluation of the types of organizations that fall under this umbrella term and how this variation may impact their function. Utilizing data from a five-state comparative study investigating research utilization and drawing on the two-communities perspective of researchers and policymakers, we develop a four-category continuum of intermediary organizations involved in the current college completion movement: Researcher-Oriented, Researcher-Leaning, Policymaker-Leaning, and Policymaker-Oriented. This research aims to contribute to the research on these boundary-spanning organizations and expand our understanding of how intermediaries may influence the higher education policy process.

Authors

• Erik C. Ness, University of Georgia

• James C. Hearn, University of Georgia - Athens

• Paul G. Rubin, University of Utah