Jane Wellman

Jane Wellman is the executive director of the Delta Project on Postsecondary Costs, Productivity and Accountability, a research and policy organization located in Washington, D.C. The Delta Project’s mission is to improve productivity in higher education through more effective management of resources without compromising student access or quality. 

Wellman is widely recognized for her work in public policy and higher education, at both the state and federal levels, with particular expertise in state fiscal policy; cost analysis; strategic planning; state and federal regulation of higher education; accountability metrics and performance reporting; and quality control, including accreditation. She has written many monographs and articles on these topics, is a frequent presenter at national, regional, and international conferences, and consults with institutions, states and associations. 

Prior to beginning the Delta Project in 2007, Wellman served as a senior associate with the Institute for Higher Education Policy in Washington, D.C., was vice president for government relations with the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, deputy director of the California Postsecondary Education Commission, and staff director of the California Assembly Ways and Means Committee. She began her career in higher education finance and planning at the University of California office of the President, and obtained her master of arts and bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of California at Berkeley.