Conducting Higher Ed Economic Impact Reports: A Practitioner Roundtable
Webinar Details
What to Expect
Colleges and universities face growing financial, political, and enrollment pressures. Showing their economic value clearly has become a key priority.
Join IMPLAN’s Bjorn Markeson, Ph.D., for an open roundtable with top university economists who have done real economic impact studies for major colleges and universities. This session is for academic economists and higher ed administrators who need clear, reliable impact analyses to help with funding, policy, and strategy.
Unlike your typical webinar packed with slides, this time we’re keeping things interactive, complete with a panel of academic experts. You’ll hear practical methods, lessons learned, and real insights from the field, plus what works, what doesn’t, and what decision-makers really care about.
In this roundtable, you’ll learn:
- How to Approach University Economic Impact Studies: Learn proven ways to measure the economic impact of an entire institution, as well as specific areas like research, healthcare, athletics, or capital projects.
- What to Include, and What to Avoid: Find out which assumptions, data, and modeling choices make your analysis more credible, and which common mistakes can hurt trust with policymakers and funders.
- How to Align Analysis with Funding & Policy Goals: See how schools use economic impact studies to support funding requests, answer legislative questions, and show their value to outside groups.
60 Minutes | Tuesday, February 10, 2026 @ 12 p.m. EST
Presented By
Bjorn Markeson, Ph.D.
Academic Divisional Director
IMPLAN
Brian Lewandowski
Executive Director of the Business Research Division at the Leeds School of Business
University of Colorado Boulder
James McCafferty
Director of Western's Center for Economic and Business Research
Western Washington University
Terance J. Rephann, Ph.D.
Regional Economist, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service
University of Virginia
About IMPLAN
IMPLAN is a leading economic analytics company, specializing in providing data-driven insights for informed decision-making. Our advanced cloud-based software empowers organizations to assess the economic impact of events and policies, enabling smarter planning and resource allocation. With a track record of excellence and a commitment to accuracy, IMPLAN is the trusted choice for economic analysis.
