Relational Map coming soon. Learn more about the work we’re doing with AI and view our example prototypes here.
The National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) is the association of the chief executives of the college and university systems of public higher education in the United States. The National Association of Higher Education Systems was originally formed in 1979 as the National Association of System Heads for the purpose of seeking improvement in the organization and governance of public higher education systems. NASH serves as a forum for the exchange of views and information among its system members, and on leveraging the power of systems to advance innovation and change in public higher education.
NASH defines a public higher education system as a group of two or more colleges or universities, each having substantial autonomy and headed by a chief executive or operating officer, all under a single governing board that is served by a system chief executive officer.
NASH systems include multiple four-year institutions; several also include two-year institutions. Together, public university systems educate approximately three-quarters of the nation’s students in public, four-year higher education, and a significant proportion of students seeking two-year credentials.
NASH manages several cross-system initiatives, mobilizing expertise within participating systems and partnering with other organizations. In recent years, cross-system collaboration has focused on increasing student access and success in college, especially for low-income students and students of color.
NASH’s operations are founded in its commitment to “systemness,” the idea that the whole can be more than the sum of its parts. Rather than seeing systems as collections of disparate actors, NASH sees systems as like-minded coordinated actors that can leverage their power to convene and facilitate, along with their governing and policy-making authorities, to build collaborations to support students and campuses —rather than trying to mediate competitive actions.
NASH is committed to collectively moving the dial on student success in three key areas: