Dive Brief:
- Leaders attending the National Association of College Business Officers’ annual meeting in Montreal offered a variety of perspectives in 21st century governance and business structure for higher education.
- Inside Higher Ed reports on the presidential perspectives shared at the meeting, which include replacing outdated systems of faculty and staff benefits, integrating online learning technologies and public-private corporate and real estate development projects.
- Some leaders discussed enrollment management strategies involving articulation agreements with community colleges and retention incentives for students.
Dive Insight:
Higher education is in trouble as an industry; college leaders know it, lawmakers know it and students are beginning to see the shift in professional development. While a healthy percentage of schools will not likely survive another 20 years, those schools that do will have lasted by aligning their academic missions with the industrial imperatives of their state, and by supporting competent leadership in making necessary changes despite negative reaction from campus constituents.
For college presidents seeking that support, data and the rush to show it off to campus constituents is the key to longevity and successful tenure. If outdated processes can be exposed, and alternatives presented which can save money and boost student outcomes, a campus can decrease its likelihood of controversy for differences of leadership vision or student angst.