When Helen G. Drinan assumed the presidency at Simmons University in 2008, the school was on a downward spiral.  During her 12-year tenure, Simmons was transformed on just about every level resulting in a significant strengthening of the school's financial condition.  Recently, Drinan came out of retirement to lead a similar turnaround effort at Cabrini University (PA) where she serves as Interim President.  In our conversation, Drinan speaks candidly about what it takes to improve a college's financial performance and offers valuable guidance for other leaders on how best to navigate challenges and find and leverage opportunities.

Chances are, you’ve faced a campus crisis. In fact, it’s possible that some of you are dealing with one right now or have one brewing and just don’t know it. Whether classified as minor, major, or catastrophic, crises of all magnitudes are unavoidable for the higher ed leader.  In case of crisis, do you know who to call, and what steps to take on your campus?  In her latest IngenioUs Through the Provost's Window blog article, Kristine Barnett shares her own experience along with some advice for a proactive strategy that will serve you well when you face that inevitable crisis.  Read more here.  

To achieve your goals—to make your higher education institution sustainable even through calamities—you need to offer relevance to build relationships with people who will generate revenue for you. Your livelihood as an institution depends on your meaningful exchanges with a wide array of audiences—and individual constituents—every day. These exchanges are your tools to build relationships that, in turn, build sufficient trust that leads to transactions that build revenue.  In this episode, we get a sneak peek into our January 25 Leading Edge Thinking webinar.  Led by RHB professionals Rob Zinkan, EdD, Alex Williams, Erin Gore, and Ken Anselment, these seasoned practitioners will address how enrollment, marketing, and technology can come together for your institution to most effectively build these critical relationships.  To register and receive a follow-up link to the webinar, see here.

In his latest IngenioUs blog article,  David J. Staley   asks whether the pursuit of happiness might be considered "higher learning?"  Citing the work of economist, author, and academic Paul Anand, Staley wonders what might happen if we were to place human flourishing as the mission and purpose of a college education.  Citing the rise in the number of college students experiencing mental health challenges,  Staley makes a compelling case to consider a different and perhaps more enduring solution to a challenge that is on the minds of so many college and university leaders these days.  Read more here.

Twelve years after being accepted into the Kaplan Educational Foundation (KEF)’s highly selective Kaplan Leadership Program, first-generation college student Nolvia Delgado assumed the helm of the Foundation in May 2022 as its next leader: a living testament to the program’s mission of providing high-potential community college students with the opportunity to attend top four-year universities, and to become leaders in their professions and communities.  In our conversation with this inspiring leader, Novia shares strategies that colleges and universities can adopt to better support first gen and underserved students in completing their education.

For the College Transfer Guide mentioned during this episode, see here.

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The end of federal COVID relief funding is accelerating an already challenging operating reality for many colleges and universities.  Our IngenioUs conversations over the past three years with more than 100+ college and university leaders make clear that the challenges are real and that good leadership matters.  In her latest IngenioUs blog article,  IngenioUs host, Melissa Morriss-Olson shares important takeaways from these conversations, concluding that there are a handful of things that the best leaders do that can be especially consequential right now.   These practices can be adopted and harnessed by any leader who is looking to strengthen her institution’s readiness for the challenges ahead.  To read the full article, see here.

In his recently released book, Start, Stop, or Grow?: A Data-informed Approach To Academic Program Evaluation And Management, author, seasoned executive, and higher ed business consultant and innovator Bob Atkins offers a much-needed roadmap to help college leaders better manage their academic programs.  According to Atkins and the many professionals who reviewed his book, there is a lot wrong with the current approach to academic program evaluation and management.  For starters, the traditional approach often lacks data-informed decision-making tools and is mired in campus politics. In our conversation, Atkins unpacks his approach and shares the key questions that academic leaders need to ask about mission, markets, quality, and economics.  With analytics as a centerpiece, he suggests that the best approach respects faculty governance and seeks faculty buy-in.  For any leader concerned about falling enrollments and shifting markets, this episode is a must.

In their recent book, 'The Real World of College,' co-authors Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner, both recognized authorities on education and learning, argue that higher education in the United States has lost sight of its primary purpose.  Drawing from in-depth interviews with more than 2,000 students, alumni, faculty, administrators, parents, trustees, and others representing ten widely variant institutions, their findings are surprising and important.  In our conversation, Fischman and Gardner discuss the findings and offer their recommendations for how every college can increase 'higher ed capital' which they suggest will better help students think well and broadly, express themselves clearly, explore new areas, and be open to possible transformations. To access the Project Zero resources mentioned during the interview, see here.

In her latest ingenious blog post, Columbia College (SC) Provost Kristine Barnett reminds us about the importance of really getting to know the institution's culture, especially when we are in a new role on a new campus.  As the renowned management consultant Peter Drucker was fond of saying, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast."   Even the most skilled leaders can get tripped up by misreading or misunderstanding the campus culture. What can a new leader do?  Check out her article here for valuable guidance on strengthening your culture IQ.