Category: Research & Reports

Innovative Practices in Higher-Ed Leadership Development

The external search is engrained in the culture of higher education, but this is already beginning to change as an aging workforce forces institutional leaders to address issues of succession planning and leadership development. Across the country institutions are starting or increasing their investments in in-house leadership development programs. This paper reviews 3 innovative practices that institutions can learn from to make their programs more effective in cultivating high-potential leaders: In this paper, you can review a national snapshot of investments in leadership development programming, and hear from select institutions that have launched effective in-house leadership development programs. Read the paper

General Education Reform: Unseen Opportunities

A recent national survey conducted by Academic Impressions revealed a surprising and welcome finding that 80% of the more than 300 institutions surveyed have recently completed or are currently involved with reforming their general educationprograms. For years, leaders across all types of institutions have been calling for reforms to general education to improve persistence and quality. Traditionally thought of and treated as core to the idea of educating the whole student, general education programs have become increasingly watered down with: The proliferation of courses that can meet general education requirements marks a missed opportunity to improve student persistence by offering a tightly structured and mission-driven core. This also adds cost for the institution. As Lucie Lapovsky, past president of Mercy College, notes, “General education curricula with lots of choices tend to be inefficient because all of the seats in most of the classes are not filled.” The reasons for this situation are many—general education programs are infrequently reviewed, quality is defined only by internal standards, and faculty lobby to have courses included to ensure credit hours for their department. So it’s encouraging to us that institutions are looking to reform their curriculum—because if done the right way, there are numerous […]

The Other Higher Ed Bubble

by Amit Mrig

Is there a higher education bubble? June 2013. Amid recent discussion of whether higher education is the next big financial “bubble,” It’s my view that what isn’t being talked about is a bubble of another type—a “denial” bubble. In this report, I’ll offer a new diagnosis of the challenges facing higher ed leadership, and a call to action for college and university leaders. Amit MrigPresident, Academic Impressions Read the full report. __________________________________ 5 Years Later Want to read our follow-up? Check out the 2018 report The Future of Higher Education, subtitled Will Higher Education Seize the Future or Fall Victim to It? __________________________________ Member Exclusives: Responses from the Experts Exclusively available to Academic Impressions members, in these two 30-minute podcasts, hear higher-education experts Bob Dickeson, Larry Goldstein, Lucie Lapovsky, John Lombardi, and Pat Sanaghan offer practical advice for higher-ed leaders in response to The Other Higher-Ed Bubble. See Upcoming Leadership Workshops

Meeting the Challenge of Program Prioritization

Report: May 2015. In this report, you’ll see a national snapshot of program prioritization efforts based on a recent survey of over 100 institutional leaders — plus critical lessons learned to aid you in your own efforts, including: Read the report. See Other Topics in Institutional & Academic Planning

Why Rethinking Developmental Education is a Priority

Included in This Report: A Letter from Amit Mrig, President, Academic Impressions March 2013. Given public and federal pressures on college completion, several higher education and policy groups have recently shone the spotlight on developmental education. Recent studies suggest that half of all undergraduates will take at least one remedial course, but that only a small minority of students in remedial courses goes on to complete a degree or certificate. Developmental education proves costly for open enrollment and moderately selective institutions alike, draining institutional resources with little return. Most institutions take an additive approach to serving academically underprepared students, investing in additional academic support services and staff. Without challenging the traditional model for placing students and providing developmental courses, this approach proves unsustainable. We interviewed academic leaders at two-year and four-year institutions that offer effective alternative approaches to traditional developmental education. These institutions have: Through these efforts, they have seen significant gains in retention and completion rates. We hope their advice will be useful to you. Read the report. See Other Topics in Academic Leadership

Special Edition: The College or University President in Crisis Response and Recovery

How ready are you to communicate with key constituents and with the public during and after a crisis at your institution? Drawing on interviews conducted in 2010-2014 with crisis communications expert Cindy Lawson, Academic Impressions offers you this bundle of complimentary articles unpacking some of the thornier issues in crisis communications. We hope these resources will be useful to you. Cindy Lawson handled public relations in the wake of the tragic 1999 bonfire collapse that killed 12 students at Texas A&M University. Today, Lawson is one of the key thinkers in crisis communications for higher education, presenting frequently on the topic and offering recommendations to media relations professionals from institutions across North America. She currently serves as the vice president for public relations and communications at DePaul University. Here is some of her advice for institutional leaders and their media relations staff. Preparing the President to Serve as a Spokesperson During a Crisis “Crises are defining moments,” Lawson remarks, “and therefore, the choice of chief spokesperson is crucial. There are times when the president/chancellor is the best spokesperson.  There also are times when the chief communications is the best choice, and, to be sure, there are still other times when […]

Key Considerations for the Mobile Campus

Included in This Report: Adopting Mobile: Reasons for Urgency What Mobile Can Do Examples of Innovations with Mobile Technologies Moving to a Mobile-Enabled Approach A Letter from Amit Mrig, President, Academic Impressions November 2012. One has only to look to iPhone and iPad sales, the intellectual property battles between mobile device makers, and the fervor that new product launches generate to know that mobile technologies are a big market and are here to stay.  That much is well understood. What most of us are still trying to figure out is how to leverage the unique capabilities of mobile technologies to create new value for users and organizations. And while many higher-ed institutions have begun experimenting with distributing iPads to students and faculty, and developing apps for prospective students and alumni, most institutions are still on the sidelines waiting to see how this all plays out. We think the time to act is now. Mobile technologies and applications will continue to evolve but so too must your understanding of them in order to generate real and valuable results—whether that’s measured by student enrollment, student learning, or alumni giving. In this edition we share some compelling data to support this call. We […]

Deploying Intentional Staff Performance Metrics in Higher Education

Included in this Report: Establishing a culture of performance at colleges and universities is rapidly becoming a necessity as increased competition and an unsustainable cost structure drives institutions to rethink how they do business. To remain competitive and respond to increased calls for accountability, institutions need to grapple with the critical question of how best to balance building a high-performance culture while honoring the ideals, traditions, and fundamental purpose of higher education. These two goals can’t be viewed as mutually exclusive. As an initial step, managers in higher education need to define staff performance metrics that are results-focused while not unnecessarily reductive. In this edition, we’ve sought the advice of highly successful managers, both at academic institutions and in the corporate sector, to gather key considerations for deploying staff metrics in a thoughtful and credible way within the unique context of higher education. We hope their advice will be useful to you. Read the report. See Upcoming Leadership Workshops

Engagement-Focused Advancement: Finding a Sustainable Financial Future for Your Institution

by Jim M. Langley

In this Report: The operating environment for institutions is increasingly challenging – rising competition, declining resources, and changing demographics are all putting tremendous pressure on colleges and universities. As with organizations in any industry, when conditions get tougher, there is a tendency to retrench and focus on short-term objectives and needs. Many institutions have responded to the recent economic downturn in this way, adjusting their fundraising tactics to maximize immediate returns. However, institutions must ask themselves: Is this strategy sustainable, and does it position our institution to compete in the future? Institutions that take a longer-term view and adopt a more intentional and authentic approach to engaging alumni, parents, and others in their work are capable of generating more significant returns – and not only financial returns. A more engaged constituency leads to greater advocacy for the institution, a widening network of resources on which the institution can draw for input, and increased opportunities for partnerships that will help the institution advance its mission. In this issue, we’ve reached out to some of the most forward-thinking experts in advancement and to a university president to find out how an engagement-focused approach works, how to create buy-in from institutional leadership, and […]

Report: Optimizing Your Campus and Curriculum for Adult Students

In this report: Most college and university administrators know the story of how demographics are shifting in this country. They don’t need the latest data from NCES — they see it every day on their campuses. Nontraditional students now make up a significant majority of college enrollment. But many institutions, especially regionally-focused public and private four-years, did not make the decision to intentionally serve this market. They are reacting to the demand as opposed to being out in front of it. Adult students have different experiences, expectations, and educational goals than traditional-age students. Institutions that successfully serve this market have retooled enrollment policies, course offerings, and student support services, and have even begun thinking of ways to earn their support as alumni. That’s why we’ve gathered a host of experts from across the institution to help you better meet the demands of this growing population. We hope their advice will be useful to you. Read the report