Podcast Summary

Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Tom O’Reilly, president of Pine Manor College, about the College’s efforts to change course financially and, once the pandemic emerged, to merge with Boston College in a way that honors their tradition of serving first-generation students.

Podcast Highlights

• Leaders need to spend time creating a Plan A and a Plan B. Plan A goes into effect when things are running smoothly. However, Plan B offers a way to move forward if something unexpected emerges and upends Plan A.
• In creating an integration or merger between institutions, view decisions based on the most important factors: the students, the employees, and the institutional mission.
• Look for ways to create meaningful support for first-generation students. These students’ families don’t understand higher education so additional support in relation to financial aid, academic support, and student capability are important. These types of support can be even more meaningful in helping these students succeed if programs are developed that extend into the students’ K-12 experience and continued through the first two years after college graduation.

To read the full show notes, visit https://changinghighered.com/innovation-in-integration-pine-manor-boston-college/

Resources

Dr. Drumm McNaughton provides governance consulting; strategic planning, implementation, and change management consulting, and accreditation consulting for higher ed institutions. To find out more about his services and read other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website, https://changinghighered.com/.

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