With the fall semester now underway and enrollment census complete, some colleges are facing the stark reality that net tuition revenue will fall short of budget expectations. While some institutions will adjust and reforecast their revenue expectations, others will be left wondering if there is enough cash to get the institution through the fall semester […] Read More
My favorite article of clothing is a ten-year old red sweatshirt with the name of my alma mater emblazoned on the front. It is incredibly comfortable, but most importantly, it is a conversation starter. I have had fabulous conversations with fellow alums, alums of our rival institutions, students and parents thinking about college, and a […] Read More
Student-athletes are often a microcosm of the overall student body of an institution. The student-athletes of an institution are students just like all others there to get an education, but they also represent the institution in most public arenas and are often at the forefront of the institution. But when an institution is merging with […] Read More
The decade-long downturn in enrollment at U.S. colleges and universities, due to a combination of demographic shifts, rising education costs, growing student debt, and appealing alternatives in the labor market, is more than just a statistic – it is a critical issue impacting our communities. A negative that has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. […] Read More
Higher education, and the communities that the institutions sit in, has been facing an increasing number of closures. It seems that every week there is another college or university announcing that it is closing. Or what is worse, simply closing without announcement. A frequent question that I am asked is how the board and their […] Read More
Mergers are transitional and the transformation requires strong leadership throughout the institution. While it is clear that the Chief Financial or Business Officer must consolidate budgets and other financial instruments and the Chief Academic Officer/Provost must consolidate academic areas, there are some who overlook the critical role that student affairs should assume during a merger. […] Read More
Our institution is a four-year residential institution that merged with a primarily two-year non-residential institution. Both institutions were successful and performing well. The two-year institution had a satellite campus, and we jointly opened a two-plus-two campus. The institutions have been consolidated for a decade and, looking back, there were some critical issues we had to […] Read More
An increasing number of higher education chief executives are becoming more aware of the critical need to develop strategies and tactics that address current and future challenges – and opportunities – facing their institutions. Read More
Recently, Lee Gardner wrote a nice piece entitled ‘When It Comes to College Closures, the Sky Is Never Going to Fall’, where he noted that he has become tired of the decade-long prediction that we would see a wave of college closures. He notes that “the shakeout didn’t come. And at this point, I don’t […] Read More
Higher education has been going through significant change. After years of steady and, at times, substantial growth in demand, the last twelve years have seen a clear significant change in direction. Between 2011 and 2020, institutions of higher education experienced a 10% decline in the demand for the “product” they offer, the once coveted college […] Read More
As we navigate the increasingly choppy waters of higher education, we must remember a key fundamental – stories are how we communicate around complexity. Stories have been central to human communication for thousands of years. From 30,000-year-old cave paintings in France, to the blockbuster opening of Top Gun: Maverick last summer, we are clearly drawn […] Read More
A metaphysical discussion Higher education is facing unprecedented decreases in enrollment, and therefore revenue, brought about by demographics and a loss of confidence that a college degree is the key to the American Dream. Major structural changes are likely to occur in the next decade. Further, and in addition to all the stressors currently impacting […] Read More
Crisis In Higher Education? Or Is It Opportunity? Read More
Why do I need a third party when considering a merger, acquisition, or consolidation? Read More
What Becomes of Athletic Departments in Higher Education Mergers? Read More
"What's in it for me?" Maximizing stakeholder engagement during a merger Read More
