Dive Brief:
- Colorado University President Bruce Benson has been approaching administrative decisions from a business lens, cutting fat and finding efficiencies since he took over in 2008.
- In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Benson said he slashed overhead by laying off 148 administrative staffers, reducing the number of administrative policies, switching to an internal procurement system from the statewide one, and auditing the institution's insurance system, bumping ineligible dependents and switching to a self-insurance plan.
- To complement these changes, the university system sought new revenue by expanding online education and doubling its number of international students who pay full tuition.
Dive Insight:
The changes dropped the Colorado University system’s administrative overhead to 37% below its peers nationally, according to Benson and U.S. Department of Education data. The increase in international student enrollment brought $30 million more to the CU-Boulder campus alone, and bumping ineligible dependents from the insurance plan saved $2.3 million per year.
While there have been protests over some of the actions, Benson advised leaders on other campuses to communicate well and listen to concerns, but to ultimately hang tough. If public institutions want to continue serving all students despite disinvestment from states, a business mindset is key, he says.