“We work to spread good ideas widely and help them to find a foothold. The result is change that improves our communities and enhances quality of life.”

-Terrell Halaska, Kristin Conklin and Michael Manganiello,
Founding Partners

Impact

When decision-makers take note of good ideas, positive change is within reach. HCM’s team of strategists couples policy expertise with communications savvy to promote clients’ innovative solutions to the public, policy communities and decision-makers. Our professionals are recognized as leaders in health and education policy development and are sought out for their creative ideas and smart commentary. At HCM, we share our clients’ commitment to their missions and leverage our own relationships and reputation to bring their ideas to the forefront of the policy discussion.

In the News

Condense and Simplify Federal Aid Programs to Help Students, Group Suggests Beckie Supiano of The Chronicle highlights the student-centered reforms called for in the recently released HCM Strategists Technical Panel Report, Doing Better for More Students. Read the full article here.

Paper Calls for Simplifying Aid Inside Higher Ed covers the release of HCM Strategists’ Financial Aid Technical Panel Report Doing Better for More Students. Read more here.

Helping Degree Seekers Finish What They Start: The New York Times covers the release of the coalition-led report, The American Dream 2.0.

College Dropout Crisis Revealed in 'American Dream 2.0 Report: Huffington Post discusses how financial aid must be part of the solution to America's college dropout crisis.

For the full national coverage of the ensuing national conversation the American Dream 2.0 helps catalyze, see: http://americandream2-0.com/in-the-news/

The Prospect of Eradicating AIDS: Michael Manganiello moderates this discussion at A Celebration of Science.

Great Education Reads: Terrell Halaska and Kristin Conklin’s recommended reading for education policy theory, debate and research.

Education Flexibility and Accountability: Terrell Halaska and Martha Snyder examine the unintended consequences of education flexibility on accountability.

Wake Up Rip van Winkle: The College Demographic Revolution is Upon Us:] Kristin Conklin and Terrell Halaska shine light on the growing numbers of non-traditional students failing to graduate from institutions.

Partnering for Cures: Michael Manganiello participates in a panel discussion on applying lessons learned from the HIV/AIDS advocacy movement to affect change in medical research.

As if Your Life Depends on It: HCM partners argue that health and education issues are not receiving the attention, focus and resources they deserve.

A Better Way to Faster Cures: Terrell Halaska and Michael Manganiello argue for increased public investments in disease and drug research and development.

In the News Archives

Analysis

NEW INTERACTIVE TOOL!
Next Generation Universities: Select Dimensions of Research University Output, Productivity and Efficiency 2006-2011
This dashboard, created by HCM Strategists and Postsecondary Analytics, includes a selection of measures of public research university performance through the great recession, showing how they have fared over time and in comparison to the sector as a whole. It helps illustrate the very different ways research universities have experienced and responded to the challenges of the last several years, and which institutions have been able to sustain or grow the number of students served in spite of the financial challenges they faced.
Note that the dashboard is a large file (2.5 mb) and may take up to a minute to load. It requires Adobe Flash, which is already installed in most browsers.
As the nation struggles to increase college access and completion rates while lowering costs, a handful of "Next Generation Universities" are embracing key strategies that make them models for national reform. Read the full report and issue briefs here.

Doing Better for More Students: HCM convened a small group of financial aid, tax and higher education policy experts. The technical panel was charged with examining the overall financial aid system and developing innovative policy ideas that respond to the fiscal, economic and demographic realities the nation faces today. To read the results of their collaboration, click here.

College is Worth It: HCM Strategists partnered with Hart Research Associates and The Winston Group to produce this report on beliefs about the importance of college, impressions of the financial aid system, priority for reform, and reactions to potential reform approaches

Evaluation of Indiana's Financial Aid Programs and Policies: A report that answers a series of questions posed about the effectiveness of Indiana's financial aid programs, the efficiency of the programs' administrative operations, and the projected costs of the aid programs over the next twenty years.

ACT2020: A communication tool designed to educate the community and encourage users to advocate for policies that transform the health care system.

Context for Success: HCM Strategists brought together a group of researchers and practitioners to identify and debate college “inputs”—students, resources, fixed characteristics—and to seek better ways to measure institutional success.

Tracking Momentum: HCM’s quarterly progress update on advancing higher education productivity in America.

Strategy Labs: An analysis of state practices in higher education productivity.

Performance Funding in Indiana: A detailed analysis of state performance funding models with lessons learned.

Back to Basics: HIV/AIDS Advocacy as a Model for Catalyzing Change: An advocacy roadmap based on the powerful HIV/AIDS activists’ advocacy model.

Beating the Odds: What It Takes and Why It’s Important: A profile of postsecondary institutions and their efforts to help disadvantaged students earn a degree.

State Policy Approaches to Support Prior Learning Assessment: A policy resource guide for state leaders created as part of the College Productivity initiative. This guide is intended to serve as a resource for state leaders who wish to promote PLA, whether through new higher education regulatory language or through legislation.

Going the Distance in Adult College Completion: A report on the findings of the Non-Traditional No More initiative. During the initiative, Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education worked with six states to improve policies and practices to serve adults with some college but no degree. The report summarizes the work and distills the lessons learned in those states.