Planning Your Future: From Futility to Focusing

Collegiate Consulting 2023

On my first day as a college president, I looked behind the desk and saw two six-inch, three-ring binders. I was told that the binders contained the college’s ten-year strategic plan that was two years in the making. I was further advised that they had been sitting on the shelf since the plan had been […]

Student Support: The Personal Touch

Collegiate Consulting 2023

As colleges scramble to attract and retain students, some institutions have started to improve their approach to student support by casting aside the more traditional, bureaucratic method and move toward the more innovative, personalized approach. Each offers a unique way of interacting with and assisting students, but they have markedly different impacts on student outcomes. […]

Why Our Colleges Exist?

Collegiate Consulting 2023

The Great Misalignment A recent report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce starkly highlights the growing misalignment between the demands of the current job market and the degrees being offered by higher education institutions (Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, 2024). This discrepancy is not limited to the realm of certificates and […]

Building Degrees – Attracting Students

Collegiate Consulting 2023

Stackable Credentials In the dynamic landscape of today’s higher education, many colleges are grappling with declining enrollment figures. Traditional degree programs, once considered the gold standard of post-secondary education, are now being challenged by the evolving demands of the job market and the diverse needs of modern students. The solution, arguably, may lie in exploring […]

HBCU’s – Restoring the Burden of Expectations

Collegiate Consulting 2023

The Burden of Expectations The historical context of higher education in America is marked by notable disparities, particularly between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Early HBCUs, established primarily during the late 1800s, bore an immense “burden of expectations,” a phenomenon that was largely absent in their white counterparts. A study […]

Boosting the Bottom Line Through Athletics

Collegiate Consulting 2023

When the University of Arizona’s men’s basketball team takes on California State University, Long Beach today, it will mark the beginning of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s wildly popular and lucrative men’s basketball tournament known as March Madness. The Wildcats—a contender to make a run for the national championship given their high seed and strong […]

Unleashing Innovation and Improvement

Collegiate Consulting 2023

The Great Depression The Great Depression, while primarily associated with economic hardship, also sparked a period of “creative destruction,” a concept credited to economist Joseph Schumpeter. This was a time when innovation and creativity led to the phasing out of old products and outdated methods, giving rise to more dynamic businesses and new and improved […]

Course Correction Needed in College Athletics

Collegiate Consulting 2023

Course Correction Needed in College Athletics It’s never business as usual when you don’t know what you’re selling. Are college sports a scholarship program, an entertainment industry or a muscled arm for institutional fundraising? Regardless of the product, sales have been booming for more than a century – and with that money comes the power […]

What Makes Your College so Special?

Collegiate Consulting 2023

In the increasingly competitive arena of higher education, a growing number of colleges are closing due to a chronic decline in enrollment and ensuing financial troubles. The impending “enrollment cliff” and rising skepticism among students, parents, and employers about the value of a college degree paint an even bleaker picture. Nevertheless, amidst this gloomy trend, […]

Wanted: Students Who Want to Learn

Collegiate Consulting 2023

In their seminal book “Academically Adrift,” authors Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa bring to light an alarming trend in higher education known as the art of college management. The term denotes the increasing number of students who prioritize earning a degree over genuine learning, focusing solely on the fastest and easiest route through the college […]