Applying the Four “P’s” of Marketing to Higher Education

There are typically three or four responses among higher-education colleagues when they hear the word “marketing”: It does seem strange that a subject matter taught to both undergraduate and graduate students can generate such responses, but I’m here to tell you that the term and the practice have both gotten mostly unjustified and unwarranted bad […]

Looking at 2020: How is Annual Giving Changing?

Many annual giving shops struggle with stagnant or underperforming annual giving programs, trapped in traditional approaches that work a little less effectively with each passing year. As we look forward, we wanted to invite a panel of experts to share their perspective on the changing landscape of annual giving. We asked three questions of Dan […]

The Chief of Staff and the Presidential Transition

In this series, we’ve talked about how the chief of staff can operate as an effective liaison, what qualities presidents desire in the chief of staff, and where new chiefs of staff could look for resources. Now, in our seventh article, we want to ask: How does the chief of staff’s role change during a […]

The Road to Adaptive Learning: Improving Comprehension, Easing Faculty Burden

If you’re currently using learning analytics, this article will show you how a more advanced implementation of this technology plays out. We’ll follow TAWC’s journey about how they got there. Data, data, data. We all know it’s valuable. In the classroom, it has the potential to improve student comprehension. It can also support faculty and […]

Taking On-Campus Student Employment to the Next Level

September 29, 2011 The 2010 census data paints a bleak financial picture for recent graduates, and as the recession lingers, it’s clear that many of the students enrolled at your institution will be graduating into a very difficult market. There has rarely been a better time to conduct an aggressive rethinking of your on-campus employment […]

Creative Destruction: The New Economic Reality in Higher Education

How is higher education changing, and can institutions rise to the challenge of their at-risk status? The answer hinges on how college and university leaders choose to respond. U.S. higher education is now a business enterprise. No longer is it universally considered a unique social institution dedicated to the common good. The recent Great Recession […]

7 Myths that Limit Innovation in Higher Ed

This article continues a series focused on Creating an Innovative Institutional Mindset. The previous articles in this series are: Innovation is all the buzz these days in higher education circles, and it is no wonder.  Many mainstream media observers have noted that higher education is now ground zero for disruption due largely to what they […]

Detailed Checklist: A Second Scenario in Planning for Advancement Efforts Overseas

In the companion piece to this checklist, I suggested that it’s critical to plan for international advancement efforts nine months out, for three reasons. This allows you time to plan and manage your resources systematically, plan ahead and confirm your spot on your volunteers’ and donors’ calendars, and identify cost-effective travel options. TWO DETAILED SCENARIOS […]

Speaking with Applicants and Admits About Financial Aid

The 2010 Student Poll published by the College Board and Art & Science Group, LLC confirms that most college applicants are dismissing colleges from their list on the basis of sticker price, without considering net price. The study also finds that applicants are nonetheless willing to attend a higher-priced school for: In this article, W. Kent Barnds, […]

10 Critical Lessons I’ve Learned About Implementing a Strategic Plan

I have been involved with over one hundred planning efforts on a variety of campuses (including DePaul University, Central Community College, Tarleton State University, Stephen F. Austin State University, The University of the West Indies, Saint Joseph’s University, The University of California, Santa Cruz, Cornell University, Anoka Ramsey Community College). I have had my share of […]