Gov. Pete Ricketts has appointed a new commissioner to serve on the board of the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. Dr. Paul Von Behren of Ames fills the District 3 vacancy, which includes northeastern Nebraska.

The Coordinating Commission approved a building project at Central Community College’s Hastings campus that will help meet the growing demands of area employers for skilled manufacturing and welding employees.

The Coordinating Commission recently presented to a legislative task force a list of potential state policies to encourage postsecondary attainment and workforce development in Nebraska.

Coordinating Commission Executive Director Mike Baumgartner will participate in a panel discussion with other education experts this Friday at the 2017 National Forum on Education Policy.

The Coordinating Commission's governing board has named W. Scott Wilson of Plattsmouth as its new chair. His fellow commissioners voted unanimously for Wilson at the commission's June 15 meeting. He'll serve from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.

Wilson has served as a commissioner since 2014, currently as an at-large member. He has worked for CenturyLink in Omaha for more than 20 years. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Wayne State College.

Nebraska colleges and universities conferred nearly 19 percent more degrees, diplomas and certificates in 2016 than they did in 2006, while STEM fields account for an increasing share of majors for Nebraska graduates. Those findings and others are included in a new report, A Factual Look at Higher Education in Nebraska: Degrees and Other Awards, released by the Coordinating Commission this week.

A new law championed by State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln will provide greater financial protection for Nebraska students who attend a for-profit institution that closes.

An Omaha state senator has put forward a legislative resolution that calls for a study of dual enrollment in Nebraska.

The Coordinating Commission has released the latest in a series of one-page fact sheets on issues and topics relevant to Nebraska higher education. The new one-pager focuses on the state's adult learners - those students who are age 25 or older.

The Coordinating Commission recently published the March 2017 issue of Commission Update, a newsletter-style publication focusing on the Commission's recent activity.